In celebration of International Coaching Week (May 13-19, 2024), Lucy Todd Coaching hosted a free session to show the transformational power of coaching — even in small doses.
During the session, I provided 15 minutes of “mini-coaching” each to 3 different folks experiencing challenges in career transitions.
We explored the complexities of career indecision and how coaching allows a unique and highly personalized approach to supporting individuals through tough decisions.
Let’s define coaching, unpack these unique discussions, and explore insights that might just resonate with your own career journey.
Understanding Coaching: It’s Not What You Might Think
We kicked off the session by clarifying what coaching really is — and what it isn’t.
Many people mistake coaching for:
- Therapy
- Mentoring
- Consulting
But true coaching is a client-driven, forward-thinking process focused on self-discovery and goal-setting.
Learn more about how coaching differs from these other specialties here: Therapist vs. Coach vs. Mentor: How To Decide What’s Right For You
Coaches support clients to understand themselves better, create their own pathways, and discover what keeps them accountable for achieving their goals.
In other words — a coach doesn’t decide what your goals should be or how you should achieve them. You’re in control of that!
The coach is there to help you:
- Uncover what’s blocking you from achieving your goals
- Understand what you need to work through to remove those blocks
- Set sustainable goals in a way that works best for you
- Keep moving forward
Real Stories: Navigating Career Changes
For privacy, all identifying information in these stories has been changed.
Blending Corporate and Coaching Worlds Together
Client 1 was in between roles and struggled with how to position themselves in their job search. They were looking for a new corporate role but wanted to incorporate their coaching skills into their personal branding, showing how it could benefit their potential employers.
The issue? The client hadn’t seen anyone do things this way before. They were worried that employers might not see the value of their combined skill sets, which could cost them roles.
During our brief exploration, this client grew more confident in their decision to market themselves the way they originally wanted to. If employers couldn’t see the value, it wouldn’t be the right fit.
This story showed how uncomfortable it can be to explore our own paths. Even when we truly know what we want to do, feeling like we’ll be the first — or that it could cause us to miss opportunities — is scary.
But only we can decide whether to push through the fear or let it hold us back.
Navigating a Corporate Reorganization
Client 2 faced an unexpected corporate restructuring that left them feeling unappreciated and uncertain about how to move ahead. They worried about how to navigate their new role while ensuring that existing responsibilities they’d loved wouldn’t be eliminated.
This issue was fresh on the client’s mind, so they processed many details, feelings, and logistics in real time. To best support them, we had to uncover what was most important to work through. Soon, the client realized that forming a plan of action was the right approach.
By the end of our brief session, the client felt clearer about what to do next, had outlined their next steps, and had a concrete timeline for their plan.
Sometimes, we have plenty of time to process sudden and jarring events. But other times, forming a quick plan is the best way to bounce back and advocate for yourself.
Finding Fulfillment and Community
Client 3 brought a few intertwined concerns to our session. They grappled with how to market themselves, how to allocate their time while searching for a job, and how to secure a role that gave them a sense of community.
During our session, they realized that their top job requirement was working for a mission-driven organization — but the sense of community remained a close second.
In processing these personal needs, the client realized that there may be other ways to achieve a sense of community while navigating the job hunt. In fact, they came up with a concrete idea during the session and even identified what could stand in the way of following through on that idea.
This session was a testament to the fact that there is more than one way to reach our goals — but it’s only through self-exploration that we uncover our truest priorities.
Key Takeaways
- Coaching is Client-Driven: It’s about helping you find your own solutions, not giving you a pre-made plan. A coach is a partner in your journey — not the director.
- Our Struggles Are Unique — And So Are The Solutions: Whether it’s blending new skills with old roles, surviving corporate upheaval, or finding mission-driven work, the career transformation journey is uniquely personal and often challenging. That’s why client-led coaching can be far more helpful than generic advice — it prioritizes you as a unique person, empowers you to make the best decisions for yourself, and provides you with a judgment-free space to discover all of this.
- Empowerment Through Self-Discovery: The stories shared highlight the power of self-discovery and personal growth in achieving career satisfaction.
Is Coaching the Support You’ve Been Looking For?
From understanding the true nature of coaching to hearing real-life stories about how coaching supports our self-exploration, we hope this post has offered you some clarity and inspiration.
Remember, the journey to a fulfilling career is deeply personal and requires introspection and courage.
With that in mind, we all need some type of support — and if an external person who plays the role of sounding board, advocate, and gentle guide sounds ideal for you, you just might love having a coach on your side.
What about you? Are you navigating a career change or feeling stuck in your current role? We’d love to hear your stories and questions.
And if you’re curious about coaching and how it might help you, you may want to check out how we can work together.
Your path to a fulfilling career might be just a conversation away…
