THE POWER OF COACHING
My mission to become a coach was shaped in phases. There were insights over the years that pointed me to this profession, not all of which were pleasant or very straightforward. Isn’t that how career progression works though?!
My first time interacting with a coach wasn’t even one that I had hired for myself or was considering engaging with personally. I was working for a medical device company at the time, in a Human Resources Manager position. The company had gone through a lot of changes and I was meeting with a prospective coach for one of the company’s Directors. The Learning and Development Manager identified the coach and set the meeting, and I just had to show up and see what I thought about the fit.
The three of us sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries. Maybe less than pleasant since he was running late and seemed a bit disheveled. Then I gave the coach (we’ll call him Dave) some background on the company culture and environment. I shared the changes the company had been through recently, including the departure of several key leaders. “So the head of HR role is open, then?” he asked. I told him yes, that my boss had left a couple of months ago, hence why I was the one interviewing him. He looked at me for a few beats, lips pursed in scrutiny. “And why aren’t you moving into the role?” he replied. It hadn’t gotten super uncomfortable yet, but I was starting to fidget, shifting in my chair several times. “Oh, I’m not ready yet,” I said, thinking about the conversations I’d had with the President about my experience level and trepidations around taking on international responsibilities. I’m not ready yet.
“The next time you tell yourself you’re not ready yet, I think you’d better reexamine that position,” he declared with an authoritative air. Five minutes in a room with me, talking about something else entirely, and he had me pegged. It was one of the most direct things anyone had ever said to me in a business meeting, and it was like he had smacked me across the face. I don’t remember much of the conversation after that, except for sitting in naked indignity and discomfort. Who was this Dave person and why the hell did he think he could be so rude to me? No way is he getting hired for this coaching assignment.
Except, he did get hired. After I had time to calm down, set aside my ego and reflect, I realized how right he was and how powerful his insight had been. It takes guts to walk into an interview and speak hard truth. But Dave had no problem doing it. He was that good. I had been hiding behind a
million excuses why I couldn’t take that scary leap into an executive role with international responsibilities. Sure, there were some legitimate concerns around time zones and travel, since my kids were both under the age of 5 at the time. But mostly I was being ruled by fear and self-doubt. Dave did what a truly great coach does: he held a mirror up for me. He challenged my thinking even when I wasn’t asking for it. He made me uncomfortable in a way that helped me grow.
Many months later Dave and the Director he was assigned to were making great progress. My job title was now the VP of Human Resources. And I was one big step closer to wanting to become a coach.
What’s getting in the way of going after what you want? Are you ready to let go of the things that hold you back? Loala McCann is a highly engaging coach focused on supporting women in leadership whether it’s leadership of companies, communities, teams, family, or even just leadership of your own life. Fill out the Contact form to schedule a free exploratory session.
