Making a Difference

I'm a dirty cheat.

All coaches are cheats. I'll tell you why below.

A couple of nights ago was the last session of a coaching training group run by the wonderful Robert Ellis.

As I looked around at the other 12 people in the cohort, I was struck by how different - and how similar - we all are. We're from different backgrounds, different countries, we have different experiences, different journeys to becoming coaches.

But there's one thing we share.

We are all there because we want to make a difference. It's a common trait amongst coaches.

And we all make a difference in our own way.

Negative vs Positive

I recently wrote about a negative experience that had a significant impact on me early in my career.

Today I want to focus on our ability to make a positive difference. As usual my focus is on approaching this as a leader, but I think this applies to anyone in any sphere of work or life.

Not too long ago I was working for a great leader. (He of course had his flaws, as do we all, which I am pointing out so that if he sees himself in this the praise doesn't go to his head.) He believes - as I do - that you can do a lot of good in the world by seeing your staff as whole people, and that you can help them with things that are not work-related. In this case he asked some great questions about financial preparedness for the future, and pointed me to some resources that would help.

Note that he didn't tell me what to do, or even really give me any advice. He just highlighted something that I might want to think about, and where I might get more information on the topic. He demonstrated great coaching technique in that regard. A memorable interaction, in a good way - not only did he help me solve a problem, he showed me that he gave a damn.

I felt cared for, in a way that is unusual in a corporate context.

I'm not for one moment suggesting you go around giving financial advice to random people - I think if you see an opportunity to help, and someone is open to receiving it, then you should try.

An Inukshuk watching over Whistler and Blackcomb

Impact

Some of my coach colleagues work with Chief Sustainability Officers. Some work with clean tech entrepreneurs. Some work with underrepresented groups in leadership or with non-profits and charities. Many of us reserve a portion of our practice for pro-bono work.

All have the desire to make a positive impact in some way.

Many leaders I know also make an impact every day. Every time they help develop a team member, every time they support them in getting a new role, every time they give them feedback that is constructive and useful, they make a positive impact on the world.

Leaders get to have an impact through the work their organization does. It's not just a people thing - you can choose how your team impacts the business and potentially the wider world too.

Whatever's important to you - or the planet - can be affected by decisions your organization makes. Even things like helping your company choose what charities it supports can make a difference.

It's cheating

Let me tell you a secret. Coaching is cheating. We have the chance to create impact by helping our clients be more successful.

I get to make an impact through my team *and* through my clients. All the work I do to help leaders be better and achieve their dreams and ambitions has a cascading effect to more people. If those leaders develop better future leaders in their team too, then the cascade continues...

The same can apply to you, no matter what your role is. What are you passionate about? What are you intimately familiar with that you could help someone else with? Who could you mentor or support? Where could you give some time or energy towards something larger than yourself?

Where will you make a difference?

When you're ready, I offer 1:1 coaching for leaders who are looking to take their life and career to the next level. Send me an email and we'll set up a time to have a chat.

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