| IF YOU’RE A COACH, AND YOU’RE DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS, YOU NEED TO STOP. Ask anyone who cares about the people they serve what p*sses them off about their own profession, I guarantee they’ll let rip! At least, if they feel safe and secure enough in your company, they will. Here’s what we need to understand… We all have different value sets and ideas about how to behave. Not only that, but we usually expect other people to share those values, and we can find ourselves feeling rocked when we discover they don’t. As a coach, I see behaviours from others in my profession, every day, that make me shudder! Thing is, they might feel the same way about me in reverse. Horses for courses. I see plenty of things I LOVE about my profession as well. When we’re open about our values and drivers, we naturally attract people who’ll be a good fit… and I genuinely believe there are enough good fits to go around! (Just one of many reasons I don’t hold a competition mindset – people who feel drawn to work with me won’t necessarily be a great fit for you and vice versa. It’s not as though we all need to be squabbling over a small pot of potential clients – we have the entire world to work with!) One way we can share those values? A good old rant post! Yep, I know lots of social media coaches will warn against this, but that’s just fear, borne out of risk aversion, tapping right back into a competition mindset. If there are things about your profession that kick you in the value sets, get out there and talk about them! I’m not telling you to name and shame – that’s crass and likely to damage your own reputation more than the person you’re ranting about. Nope. Don’t do that! I’m talking about generic content about the things you’d love to change about your profession or dump into room 101 forever more. Get it right, and that post’ll act as both a natural magnet and a filter. Those who love it will love you more. Those who don’t… well, chances are you wouldn’t enjoy working with them anyway. Get it? Here’s mine, off the cuff and just for you… 5 THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE COACHING PROFESSION. Or IF YOU’RE A COACH, AND YOU’RE DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS, YOU NEED TO STOP. 1. Taking credit for your client’s success Whether your client has landed an awesome new contract, upgraded their offices, won an award or been knighted, don’t you dare steal their thunder and make it all about you. THEY made it happen. Not YOU! Sure, you might have supported them along the way, championed them, encouraged, coached and mentored them, but you didn’t do it for them. Shout about it, sure. Say you’re proud of your client. Recommend them. Praise them. But do not, EVER, attempt to claim that success was all down to you. 2. Cajole, manipulate or guilt people into paying more than they can manage. Are you really so desperate for cash that you’re willing to put people’s security at risk to line your own pockets? Do you have so little faith in your own abilities that you need to resort to hypnotic language patterns and sneaky NLP moves to seal the deal? Or is it just a massive ego move on your part? Whatever the reason, stop pushing people to go into debt for you. 3. Stop promising certainties that don’t exist! No, you cannot guarantee people will hit 5k every month within the first few months of completing your programme. No, you cannot guarantee six or seven-figure incomes if people buy your blueprint. 4. Stop trying to manipulate people into your preconceived idea of who they ‘should’ be. This one really needles me in the integrity zone! Every so often, a coach pops up who promises the earth, preys on people’s insecurities and then does their level best to mould them into the coach’s idea of perfection. Coaching isn’t about turning them into the person YOU want them to be… it’s about helping them to become the person THEY want to be and/or supporting them to start loving themselves just as they are! It’s about helping them to create the future THEY want to enjoy, not the one YOU think they should have. 5. Stop trying to force fit people into your process. Can we remember this is about people first? Not everyone wants to fit into a six-step plan or any kind of pre-determined process or success strategy. Listen more. Talk less. Quit trying to pigeonhole people. ****** How did you feel reading all that? Are we on the same page, or did I rattle your cage? Notice that. Sit with the energy and impact. Now, what would your version be, and where are you going to share it? Remember, you don’t need everyone to like you. I wouldn’t mind being 50p behind Marmite, would you?  Until next time, #UnleashYourAwesome Taz X |
| PS: Wanna see me in person? Live and unleashed? I’ll be speaking at The Great British Expos in Swindon next Thursday, 20th July 2023. You can book your free ticket HERE. PPS: Want to work with me? Here’s how… |
