In my interactions with people as a coach, I have come across many myths. Some of these stemmed from simple misunderstandings and some others were downright falsehoods. I feel it is important to set the record straight, educate and create awareness about the benefits of coaching.
Myth #1: Coaching is like therapy or advisory service
Fact: A coach does not diagnose or treat any mental illness. A good coach neither gives advice nor does attempt being a therapist. A coach is your sounding board who will challenge you to consider different perspectives and then help choose what works best for you. Coaches are partners who work alongside you towards your goal. The focus is on the present and what needs to be done today to get to where you want to be in the future.
Myth #2: Coaching is only for corporate executives or leaders
Fact: This couldn’t be farther from the truth, it doesn’t matter what your work is. Coaching works for people from all walks of life. Whether you are student, a parent, a yoga teacher or a chef. It doesn’t matter if you are a student dealing with exam stress, a young adult anxious about starting out at a new job or an older adult trying to figure out retirement. You don’t need to be C-suite executive to work with a coach. Everyone is a leader in their own way. YOU lead your life. Some of my best coaching conversations have been as a home-maker. And it worked wonders for me.
Myth #3: Coaching is only for people with problems
Fact: Coaching helps people to tap into their inherent strength to maximize their potential. A coach helps you do better than you believe you are capable of. So often, we forget to celebrate the small wins we have, simply we are too focused on what we DON’T have. Working to change detrimental mindsets and behaviors, coaching has a pragmatic but positive approach to achieving goals.
Myth #4: Coaching is only about career growth
Fact: Coaching can be applied to any area of your life including (but not limited to) health, personal relationships, discovery of life purpose, finding balance, accountability, getting organized, defining goals and gaining clarity. Career and work alone do not define you as a person. A holistic approach to finding fulfillment in as many areas of your life as possible is most likely to make you a happier person.
Myth #5: Coaching is effective only face-to-face
Fact: Coaching works perfectly well via phone or any other digital platform. Coaching via phone may be more effective as it makes it very easy to connect from wherever you are and the focus is entirely on the call. There are no distractions. Also, a good coach holds the space, establishes a good rapport with the client and makes sure the client is comfortable sharing their thoughts freely.
Myth #6: Credentials don’t matter
Fact: The coaching industry is not strictly regulated. This means that anyone can call themselves a coach and start a practice. Given this scenario, coaching credentials from reputed organizations are essential. A credential would mean that the coach has undergone training and has a minimum of a 100 hours of coaching practice. The coach is also required to have worked with a mentor and needs to continuously keep upgrading their skills to keep the credential. So, credentials do matter. International Coach Federation is the largest organization that accredits coach training and credentials coaches.
Myth #7: Coaching is not affordable
Fact: There are many coaches who would charge upwards of $300 per hour of coaching. Some may ask you to sign up for a monthly $2000 fee. But this is not the norm. Most coaches offer an initial consultation free and a sliding scale to suit your budget. You can pick the number of sessions you want and the length of each session. Find coaches who are just starting out. To get the hours in for credentials, they may coach you for free or in exchange for some service in return. For e.g. if you are a nutritionist, you can find a coach that will accept working out a nutrition plan for them as you fee. Many coaches also offer group coaching at a fraction of the price. Please also remember, you may be need far fewer number of sessions with a good coach who may seem to charge a higher rate.
In conclusion, coaching is a tool that is not like therapy and can work for people from all walks of life, on any life area they wish to improve. Qualified coaches create the space and have the ability to work with various online platforms, thus making it simple, easy and affordable.
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