Why be a coach or mentor?

I am a little biased but I love both coaching and mentoring. I used to enjoy being the ‘trainer’ which satisfied the performer in me but as I get older there is something that I find deeply satisfying in being a coach or mentor.

More than that, I find it a privilege to work with people.  People that trust you enough to share their greatest challenges, dearest hopes, deepest fears and core beliefs about life. I can think of few professions in business that afford you such intimacy. I feel lucky and grateful each and every session I get to spend with my clients.

We provide opportunities for people to learn how to coach/mentor others through our and I am always struck by the qualities of the people who go on that journey with us. I believe the topic of ‘coaching and mentoring’ attracts people who genuinely want to do good things; to help others and to make a difference. Over the years our learners have told stories of how their coaching/mentoring has made a real difference to the lives of others through:

  • Supporting people starting new businesses and ventures
  • Enabling Leaders to make difficult decisions
  • Helping people address deeply set and unhelpful beliefs about themselves
  • Changing people’s perspectives of situations in life and work
  • Addressing huge challenges and opportunities head on
  • Understanding and dealing with emotions
  • Listening to them (do not underestimate the power of giving someone a good listening to!)
  • Exploring options and possibilities in life and work
  • Creating a vision for themselves or their business
  • Identifying their ‘why?’ and what’s important to them

I really enjoy hearing their success stories and seeing their excitement in creating some form of breakthrough that has made a profound difference to someone. It is wonderful to see, hear and feel… And people need these sort of breakthroughs right now. With the pandemic and the uncertain economic and social outlook, people need your help.

So, what do you have to offer?  Can you be a coach or mentor? How could you make a difference?

Try answering the following questions:

  1. Why do you do what you do and what is your core purpose?
  2. What would be important to you in coaching or mentoring another individual?
  3. What sort of people would be in your ‘Target Audience’ i.e. Who would you really like to work with? Who could you most bring value to?
  4. What life/work/business skills and knowledge do you have and how could this best be shared?

These are key questions and you may need time to process them. But these are the kinds of questions we pose to our trainee coaches and mentors on our ILM Programmes. The course itself helps you to develop the skills and attributes to be an effective coach/mentor. And we show you best practice so that you too achieve the sort of breakthroughs described above.

I’m guessing if you are reading this that you have an interest in coaching or mentoring and perhaps asking the question, ‘Is it something I can do?’.  We have programmes starting in September 2021 and I would be delighted to talk to any aspiring coaches or mentors who want to take that next step but are perhaps a little unsure if they are ready.

The old army recruitment poster boldly stated, ‘Your country needs you’. I know there are many, many people in your network, workplace or business community right now; who are stuck, in need of inspiration, lacking motivation, facing dilemmas and unsure which way to turn. You could very well be the person who can make a profound change to all of that. If you are up for it, your business community needs you right now.

Are you the future professional coach or mentor?

John Drysdale

Tel: 07810 550746

john.drysdale@noguru.net

MD No Guru ltd

Get in touch to find out how you can join the class of 2021.

 

Posted by John Drysdale
27th October 2020
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News

University of Leeds – Adaptable Leadership

Another assignment from University of Leeds, this time with Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Culture.  With change and challenge presented by the current financial position across HE, we were pleased to be asked to deliver a new programme for the faculty exploring leadership in different contexts, leading change from an adaptive versus technical approach and using real world scenarios to collaborate across teams, to solve problems and explore new opportunities.

Thank you to our stakeholders for your trust in us, once again.

International Office with University of Huddersfield

Delighted to be working with the International Office at University of Huddersfield, on a new programme to help officers position the University as the University of Choice for international students coming to the UK to study.

It has been a pleasure working with key stakeholders in devising a programme to meet the needs of the business, and look forward to sharing more news as we roll this one out.


NEW: Heriott Watt University

We are delighted to announce we are now working with Heriott-Watt University to deliver the Welcome to Leadership programmes for their managers. The university has a large international presence with an ambitious strategy and we are looking forward to working with their Professional and Organisational Development team. Heriott-Watt is the latest University to join our growing list of valued customers within Higher Education and we are grateful for this amazing opportunity.

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Creating Action from Procrastination

Do you know how sometimes, you want to bite the bullet and make changes but you are a little afraid of the consequences, and perhaps, the reactions of others?

Procrastination I’ve found, aside from being the ‘thief of time’ is the enemy of positive action. Waiting for the right time can be a useful strategy in some situations, but more likely it becomes an excuse not to take action.

At the centre of all this, are the conversations we have – conversations that are decisive, action orientated and can resolve tensions or competing values. Conversations that boldly take us into new territory.

I noticed recently I was almost on the point of putting off a conversation I should be having. In spotting that I committed to practicing what I preach, by setting up, and hosting a conversation that mattered to me, and to others.

The results were good.

We managed to navigate some tricky terrrain.

The path ahead is much clearer.

Conversations are our route to taking action, moving away from tension or even pain, and moving towards better outcomes in work, and in life.

My e-Book ‘Find Your Voice’ – has strategies to help us host our most important conversations. It is FREE to download from my website and is ideal for those who want to stop procrastinating and start taking action.

You are most welcome to grab a copy and I’m available to run workshops to create better conversations within the workplace.

Find Your Voice and create action!

John

Conversations hashtagProcrastination hashtagFindYourVoice

Why be a coach or mentor?

I am a little biased but I love both coaching and mentoring. I used to enjoy being the ‘trainer’ which satisfied the performer in me but as I get older there is something that I find deeply satisfying in being a coach or mentor.

More than that, I find it a privilege to work with people.  People that trust you enough to share their greatest challenges, dearest hopes, deepest fears and core beliefs about life. I can think of few professions in business that afford you such intimacy. I feel lucky and grateful each and every session I get to spend with my clients. (more…)

Speaking Truth to Power

For those afraid of speaking …

(But) TED is a tough, pressured, hugely stressful gig, even for experienced public speakers, and I’m not that. Standing in the wings waiting to go on, I told the stage manager that my heart was racing uncontrollably and in an act of great kindness, she grasped both my hands and made me take breath after breath. And what you don’t see in the video – deftly edited out – is the awful, heart-stopping moment when I forgot a line, followed by another act of collective kindness, a spontaneous empathic cheer as I composed myself and found my cue. “That’s when the audience came onside,” an attendee told me. “You were human. That’s when you won them over.”  Guardian April 2019

 

This from Carole Cadwalladr, a journalist at the Guardian who has in this last year investigated the role of tech corporations and their platforms in influencing the workings of our democracy.  What makes her TED talk so compelling is because here she is facing those very same technology giants on their turf.  And speaking truth to power.

(more…)