Women at the Water Cooler Tip #1 – When would I need a coach?

I was sitting wondering the other day, ‘why do people still need executive coaches?’. Working in this field for over 20 years, I’m sometimes surprised that the need for coaching continues to grow.

Why I wonder? What’s going on that is requiring more coaches to be in the world than in the past?

Our work worlds seem to change so much and these days, that more than ever people feel inundated, underwater, overwhelmed and consistently challenged at their core belief and values level. They are searching for ways to fix, change or stop feeling the way they have been at work, wanting to make work a more normal, balanced part of their lives vs. the feeling at times of being engulfed by work.

How do you find the energy to keep going everyday when you feel tired, drawn, pulled in many directions, exhausted from drama?

Know you’re not alone. One benefit to working with a coach or talking and networking with others is that you realize this is a very big club. Many of us are wondering how to do it all, how not to pull our hair out and turn the volume down just a bit. We are seeing a lot of stress in organizations now, less people doing more and more work, change after change after change… it’s hard to find your breath.

As importantly, how do you keep up the energy, enthusiasm and motivation of your team?

The majority of people I work with are really good people, great intentions, high integrity, conscientious, yet they are finding it harder and harder to focus on the few, important things that will make them and their teams successful. Lately work feels like there are too many tasks to juggle – it’s so hard to hone your work to the critical few. Now normal is the critical many - and every week there are new and greater challenges. The workplace grows more complex.

People tell me they’d love to slow down, focus on themselves a bit more, their health, their families not to mention giving to a broader community. These days that can seem like a luxurious wish vs. a realistic idea. There are ways though, that allow us to find more energy and enthusiasm for work.

How to cope? How to thrive? How not to just quit and sell flowers on the beach somewhere?

Here’s what‘s true. There’s hope. There are options, solutions and help. Having a coach is a great way to get a personalized, perfect-fit, tailored process designed by and for you. However, there are many ways of getting support. If coaching isn’t a realistic option for you, then there are many resources in this world to help you. Check out groups that live in the worlds you live in, if you’re a professional career person loads of organizations aimed at specific sub-groups (often in your field) focus on how to succeed at work. Women’s groups, minority associations in your community, online groups (FB, LinkedIn) and wellness programs are a few. If you’re a reader, many books and written resources can help you think through your current circumstance and lead you through a process of prioritizing or repurposing your work.

It takes dedication and a bit of time on your part. More importantly, it takes consistency. You must devote time, even if it’s only a bit of time to yourself regularly so you can begin the process of stepping back to examine what really matters…what creates stress and more importantly brings joy.

When you’re ready to look in that direction, there are many kinds of support available to help.