I’m the kind of person who loves to acquire new skills and do everything on my own. I am also relatively frugal. So, when I was younger, I bought a set of clippers and got into the habit of giving myself haircuts.
Years later I told my barber that story.
“That’s cool,” he said. “But how did you do all the blending? How did you reach the back of your head so everything looked right? How did you clean up the fade on your neck and make it look tight and finished?”
Uh…um…
That was the hard lesson I had to learn. I could never give myself a proper haircut. There were some parts of my head I just couldn’t see well enough, and I didn’t have the right distance or angle to produce a quality, refined product.
Sure, I could make my hair shorter, but that’s different from getting a real haircut.
Even though I knew exactly what I wanted my hair to look like, and even though I knew how to use the clippers, I needed someone else to help me get from shaggy to short, from loose to tight.
And that is why we need coaches.
A coach doesn’t tell you what you want. A coach helps you get clear about what you want, and then helps you figure out how to get it. Perhaps most importantly, a coach can bring a different perspective since they are not as close to your situation. They may help you see things you can’t see, or reach places that are just too uncomfortable to reach on your own.
And just like a barber shows you the finished work in the mirror and lets you check out the back of your head with a second mirror, a coach will always ask if you have gotten what you wanted from a session or a long-term coaching experience.
How does that look?
Any finishing touches we need before we wrap up?
Just accept it. You can’t give yourself a haircut.
Most of the people and teams I work with have been trying – metaphorically – to cut their own hair for a long time. Sure, they have been getting by on their own. But they are also missing a lot of details. They are ignoring challenges they can’t see or that are just too hard to reach.
When I am working with a team, we discover or uncover those “back of the head” places that had just been overlooked or barely touched in the past. The team can’t see those issues. They are too close to the challenges, or they simply don’t have the right perspective. And those are the things that hold teams back from being their best and achieving results.
Everyone else can see your blind spots
If you think the way the back of your head looks doesn’t matter, think about the people who see it every day. Everyone who waits in line behind you. Everyone who watches you as you walk by. You may not see it, but they certainly do.
When you work with a coach, you have someone in your corner you can trust. Someone who knows you well enough to help you get the outcomes you want. Or, someone who can help you see new options, alternatives and pathways when you are ready for something different.
Standards matter
Just like my barber has a license, you want to work with an ICF-certified coach: a coach who has put in the time, done the work, and met rigorous professional standards.
In a world where anyone can call themselves a coach, you want to work with a professional who knows how to help you reach your goals without cutting a patch in your scalp in the process.
If you are ready to work with a professional who can help you get from where you are to where you want to be – and look good while you’re doing it – let’s talk about how individual or team coaching may be a good solution for you. Schedule a call with me today!
