Tiger Woods had a coach;

Roger Federer had a coach;

Real Madrid has a coach.

The greatest sports people all have coaches to help them to improve their performance. However, very few professional people employ a trainer or coach. Why?

A coach can provide a neutral, objective perspective and can challenge people to try new approaches, behaviours and strategies. They are able to offer different tools, techniques and resources to support the individual. They provide people with the opportunity to practise these techniques in a safe environment before deploying them in real situations.

Training is an extremely useful way of learning new skills. However, we typically forget 90% of what we learn in a training course unless we put it into practise shortly afterwards. However, for that practise to be effective, you need to receive feedback which is what a coach can provide.

A coach can use examples from your work to practise skills and provide feedback with you. They can review your current activities, advise on appropriate approaches and role play scenarios for you to practise.

Coaching needs to be provided on an as needed basis rather than necessarily on a fixed schedule. Sometimes you might need lots of time, sometimes you might need less. Flexibility is key so that you can get the help that you need when you need it.

When looking for a coach, ensure that you look for one that you are compatible with and that you can trust. If you do not trust them, then you will not value their advice and it is not really worth paying for. When you find one that you like, work with them. Trust takes some time to build but if you like them, trust is likely to follow.

If the greatest sports people in the world use a coach, why wouldn’t you?