“Coaching is about future possibilities not past mistakes” - John Whitmore
There are many types of coaching and many strong coaches in the San Diego area. I wanted to share a glimpse of one local coach and colleague of mine, who is making strides to change the lives of others.
JL: As an executive and organizational coach, I can look back at the past six years and understand the many reasons I decided to enter this field. Can you tell our readers what inspired you most to become a coach?
KD: It's interesting, in my "former life" (as a VP of Sales), I was always focused on the personal, as well as professional, development of my reps. I was coaching them, but just didn't realize it. The inspiration to coach full-time came from meeting so many fellow executives and managers who felt as I did; we enjoyed the success, but felt unfulfilled.
JL: How would you define coaching – the difference between life coaching and executive coaching?
KD: I would define coaching as a partnered process designed to move projects forward and deliver results in any area of focus. I laughingly refer to myself as a modern-day "bushwhacker"; I partner with clients to cut through limiting beliefs and mind clutter in order to create clearings for discovery and growth!
Executive coaching traditionally focuses on job performance and produces results in individuals or groups within a corporate setting. The type of life coaching I focus on is ontological—or "whole being" based. When I work with executives, improvements that occur in the workplace are a by-product of the changes that occur in their being. Such ontological shifts lead to very personal, substantial and life-long changes.
JL: Often it depends on the client’s needs, in terms of what a typical session is like. For instance, this past week, I coached a San Diego scientist on media relations. We reviewed non-verbal skills she could improve upon, but also her thinking that may have impeded progress in clearly communicating what she needed to share. Even though each session is reflective of the individual client, how would you describe a typical coaching session for someone who has never been coached?
KD: In an initial session, a coach answers any questions a client may have about the coaching process, but also starts working with the client to show what's possible through the coaching experience. This initial session requires no long-term commitment from the client.
JL: When I consider all the benefits of coaching I often think about how as coaches, we partner with clients, in a confidential, inspiring and supportive space, to help them better articulate and implement their visions for success. What would you say the power of coaching is?
KD: The power of coaching is possibility: the possibility of seeing the world through a different lens; the possibility of accessing your own power and bypassing your limiting thoughts and behaviors to achieve your goals; the possibility of partnering with someone who will stand for your greatness, even if you don't have the "altitude" to see it yourself; the possibility of living a life that is in alignment with your priorities. I personally know the power of coaching, because I continue to work with a coach myself.
"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power." Lao Tzu
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