The coaching bug got to me when I completed the Inspiring Coaching course and discovered the value of coaching firsthand as a coachee. Truly remarkable things can happen when you have the courage to seek guidance. I’ve personally had career coaching twice and found it immensely beneficial each time. I’m someone with a wide range of interests and a need for variety. Additionally, I’m both a thinker and a feeler, which can sometimes create inner turmoil. My own career coaching journey provided me with much-needed “subtitles” – clarity and lucidity amidst the emotional chaos. I don’t quite believe in the notion of being ‘in balance,’ as it seems rather static and somewhat utopian to me. However, I wholeheartedly believe in ‘learning to balance in life’, with all its quirks and challenges. I learned to understand myself, to recognize what I needed and what I didn’t.
My coaching style? Someone recently told me that I’m both ‘encouraging’ and ‘inspiring’: on one hand, I provide support and space to navigate difficulties, and on the other hand, I empower people, urging them into action. It’s important to me to blend these two aspects. I also value humor in coaching. It doesn’t diminish the weight of the issues people sometimes bring, but it can infuse conversations with lightness, relaxation, and a pleasant dynamic.
Coaching, for me, is about showing people the full spectrum of choices. How do you handle situations, and how do you respond in specific circumstances? By getting to know yourself better, you suddenly see a multitude of options available. Career coaching, in my view, operates on both an individual level – examining what’s important to you in a job, what steps you want to take, and what pitfalls to avoid – and on an organizational level – considering the values you hold dear and the elements that must be present in a job for you to feel fulfilled.
