What to get a Coach for Christmas . . .

As Christmas approaches, my teenagers have started thinking about what they would like as Christmas presents.  The inevitable gift list emerges and my wife and I are presented with the usual choice of technology, clothing and 'practical' gadgets.

So, this has encouraged me to think about what a High-Performance Coach like myself, might appreciate for Christmas 2015.

For some coaches, the best gift this Christmas might be a strong pipeline of clients, committed to coaching and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals;

Perhaps also, some Continued Professional Development to strengthen their skill sets and set them apart from other coaches;

Or, maybe a celebrity coaching client, who would boost the coach's profile and get them noticed.

On reflection, whilst these things might be what some coaches want, I can't help feeling that professional coaches want something different . . .

For me, creating clients is part of the joy of coaching.  I love meeting new people, hearing the journey they have been on and being inspired by their BIG challenges and their dreams for the future.  In fact, the more inspiring a client, the more I want to work with them and this only comes through spending time  building relationships.  So a quick fix to a burgeoning pipeline of semi-committed clients isn't really what I would want in my Christmas stocking this year.

Continued Professional Development is important to improve your skills and make you more effective as a coach, but a coach who spends all their time on getting certifications without practicing coaching, or being coached themselves might not be investing in the right things.  Credentialing is important and I wouldn't be a member of the International Coaching Federation if I didn't believe this to be true.  But, as required by the ICF, you also need to put into practice what you learn and experience coaching yourself, if you are going to take your clients on the transformational journey they are looking for.  

As a High-Performing coach, I work with people who are already a success and to this end, they are celebrities in their field.  Having a high-profile client requires discretion and confidentiality, so even if I had a 'celebrity' client, you probably wouldn't know about it.  My coaching is centred on what serves my clients, not me.  So, to this end 'celebrity' clients are welcome, but for what I can help them achieve, not the other way around.

So, for Christmas 2015, I would like a coaching practice that is grown through building genuine authentic relationships, where people continue to be invited because they inspire me, or are referred by well served clients, who have experienced my deep transformational coaching - who may even be coaches themselves. 

Merry Christmas!