A Perspective on Coaching
During one special weekend in June, I sat mesmerized in front of my television watching the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. As U.S. Opens go, it wasn't that exciting. It didn't have fierce competitors battling to the wire, nor the usual drama that playing under extremely tough conditions often creates. That majestic piece of real estate on the Monterey peninsula brought a field of professional golfers to their knees, except for one. Golf fans were captivated by one particular performance.
Tiger Woods didn't get the memo about the toughness of the golf course, the level of competition or the pressure involved in winning his first U.S. Open. As Tiger walked off of the eighteenth green, prior to accepting his trophy, signifying the accomplishment of another goal, his exchange with his coach Butch Harmon was noted by the commentators.
Why would the number one player in the world have a coach? To some, the idea doesn't make sense, but people who operate at the highest level of any field of endeavour, got there with a passionate desire to be the best and a continuous need to improve and fight complacency.
Is Butch Harmon a better golfer than Tiger Woods? If that were a prerequisite for being Tiger's coach, he wouldn't have one.
As his coach, Butch Harmon has a relationship with Tiger Woods and he has his trust. He knows his goals, his strengths, his weaknesses, the way he thinks and the way he performs. He can see from the outside, things that his client can not see from the inside. The two share a common focus, which is to have Tiger attain his goals. His coaching is designed to bring out the best in Tiger. Their continuing efforts imply there are two people who feel that his best is yet to come.
In recent years, the coaching phenomenon has moved from sport to the arena of people's professional and personal lives, regardless of the industry that they are in. The same principles apply whether you are striving to reach goals that are related to career, family, health, personal development or money. It is possible to do it on your own, but more productive and efficient to have an ally to accelerate and enhance the process. One of the most profound keys to the coaching process is continuous accountability. Most of us have been inspired by a book or an idea we heard at a seminar, but have failed to take it from concept to reality. Through coaching, ideas are turned into action and the follow up enhances learning and change. Some of the benefits that clients report are, more money, more balance, more time, better decision-making and faster development.
I work with people who have high expectations of themselves and the confidence to allow someone else to assist them in striving for a life of excellence and balance. The fact you are reading this newsletter indicates you are striving to achieve your goals. I encourage you to continue the process and think like Tiger Woods!
Kevin MacDonald is a Principal of Clarity Success Coaching a practice based in the Vancouver Area. Tel. 1-604-507-1288 Fax. 1-604-507-1289 E-mail [email protected]
