My children play hockey and over the years, they have had some amazing coaches. I feel so grateful to all these coaches because each coach has inspired them, made them believe in themselves and pushed them to be the best player they can be. Some of their coaches even inspired them to be the best person they can be. We all deserve to have a coach to help us become the best players at the game of life.
Years ago, I applied for a position that I thought would be my dream job. The posting was for a Corporate Sales Trainer role. I had my education degree and taught overseas for a few years and taught for the Calgary Board of Education, but had decided I would prefer to work in a corporate environment. I had worked in many different departments in this organization, but ultimately, I wanted to be a trainer. That way I could use my teaching skills, but work with adults in a corporate setting. At the time, there were only 3 trainer positions and they didn't open up very often. I was so excited when an opportunity finally came up where I could apply for a role as a trainer. But there was a problem. I had only worked in Sales for a very short time and there were candidates who had much more Sales experience than me. But I knew I would be great for the position because I felt I was an excellent communicator and teacher. The role was to train new Sales people on an industry-specific training program and to train existing Sales Representatives on new technical systems and marketing incentives. I felt it was the perfect position for me. So I prepared myself for every possible question that could come up in my interview. I had examples for all the skills that were required for the position. I wanted that position so badly, that I focused on it completely. I saw myself getting the job and did everything in my power to convince the Manager of that department, that I was the right person for the role.
In my interview, the Manager looked me in the eye and said, "You have worked in Sales for a relatively short period of time. If you were to be in this position, you would be training people who have worked successfully in Sales for many years. How would you respond if they said, 'what can you teach me that I don't already know?'" Initially, I could feel my heart racing and my cheeks starting to burn. What could I say to someone who was already a great salesperson? But then all my preparation kicked in and I knew how I would respond. I said, "There are many people who have experienced a high level of success in their career or field of expertise. I'm sure you would agree that Tiger Woods is one of those people, (this was when he was at the height of his career and before all the scandal in his personal life). Tiger Woods is the best golfer alive today. And yet, even though he has reached a level of success in his field that no one currently has surpassed, he still has a coach. Even though he is at the top of his game, he knows he needs to keep improving and keep pushing his own limits. It's not even about being better than everyone else. It is about being better than he used to be. He is always moving his own bar higher and he has someone who is focussed on helping him do just that. Is his coach a better golfer than him? No. But he is focussed on what Tiger needs to do to be even better than he was before. The coach offers insight, clarity and support for Tiger to be the player he wants to be and to reach the goals he wants to reach."
My soon-to-be Manager laughed. "That's right. Even Tiger Woods has a coach!" He was thrilled with that answer and I think it was what got me the position. And what's more, it was the truth. It resonated with my manager because I could speak to it with conviction. I knew that the role required me to support the Sales Personnel to be the best they could be in their role. And I knew that I would learn every tool and find every way possible to support their success. It wasn't about me being the best Sales Person, it was about me being the best coach.
I still believe in coaching! When I was in the process of deciding how to go about publishing my novel, Gypsy Dreams, I encountered a lovely woman who just happened to be starting her practice as a life coach. She offered to coach me through the process of publishing my book. I found the coaching process so helpful, and not just for publishing my book. She helped illuminate many other things that were interfering with me creating the results I wanted in my life.
Today I still participate in a coaching circle that I have found to be invaluable. It amazes me how I can bring an issue I want to be coached on and through the process of the thoughtful questions being asked, the deeper issue is unveiled. When you can get to the heart of an issue, all the surface issues are resolved. I love having a team of coaches behind me, pushing me to be the best version of myself and keeping me accountable for the results I want to create in my life.
I love the coaching process so much, that I am in the process of acquiring my coaching certification with The Coaches Training Institute. I have had the privilege of coaching many of the participants from the Dream Your Dreams Women's Retreat that I presented last October with my partner Maureen Dobranski. I truly love seeing people create the results that they want to see in their lives. I think coaching is a great way to help people move towards realizing their dreams one step at a time.
If you have something you want to work towards or would like to have someone to challenge you and support you to keep growing, consider finding a coach. Or create a coaching circle. Or take a course. Or come to our annual Dream Your Dreams Retreat Oct 13th-15th, 2017 dreamyourdreams.ca . Or get a friend to keep you accountable and cheer you on. Find a way to support your goals and dreams. You deserve to be your very best!
If you are interested in coaching with me, you can contact me at dreamyourdreams@outlook.com
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