Just like talented athletes benefit from working with a performance coach who helps them develop the skills they need to be competitive in their sport of choice, people who are intentional about their careers can benefit from working with a coach who helps them develop the confidence, attitudes and skills they need to advance in their careers.
Take for example the professional who is catapulted unexpectedly into a leadership role. If your employer doesn’t provide the training you need to manage effectively, you may be supervising people that feel they are better qualified than you are and will make every effort to sabotage your success in the new role.
Many people prefer to work in an environment where there is little conflict, but conflict in the workplace is inevitable. If you are someone who needs to be liked by colleagues and co-workers and you are forced to work on a team where there is someone with a more aggressive behavioral style, how do you collaborate successfully? Do you speak up and offer ideas that you know will be discounted? Do you comply without question when you are asked to do something that you know is not in the best interests of the organization?
Some people avoid conflict and others rush toward it. There is inherent conflict in wanting to be liked and needing to be respected as a leader. How do you supervise someone that intimidates you? Bosses are often expected to implement change, enforce unpopular rules or squeeze the last ounce of productivity from an uninspired team. How do you accomplish your business goals when you must motivate and manage others that simply don’t or won’t comply?
Sometimes the solution is changing employers. More often, the solution is doing the hard work to get to where you want and need to be.
Few employers today provide the training employees need to advance. In fact, many employers prefer to terminate experienced employees and hire a new ones so that they can avoid the time and expense of training and development. So where do you go to get the support you need?
You are in charge of your career, and you deserve to do work that is purposeful, fulfilling and rewarding. Finding a good career coach to support you through the process can make all the difference between doing work you love and work you loathe.
Ellie Vargo, MRW, CCMC
ev@noteworthyresume.com