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How You Can Benefit from Coaching

Cognitive Appraisal

"Your own thinking got you here," is a phrase you may have heard. Cognition refers to thinking, just as you are thinking while reading this article. To appraise means to evaluate or take inventory. Thus, cognitive appraisal during coaching is simply a process of evaluating your own thinking, how it got you where you are, and how it could change to lead you to a better way of working and living. Thinking leads to feelings, and feelings will lead to behaviors and actions that can be seen and measured. How can coaching help with that? Coaching can be useful in identifying how your thoughts and feelings can lead to more productive behaviors and satisfying outcomes. For example, if you think, "My co-worker is irritating," then this could lead to feelings of anger and resentment that affect job satisfaction and productivity. You try to cope with the situation, which involves an attempt to minimize your negative feelings. Yet, our own thinking about the co-worker gets in the way.

Coaching can help with the process of weeding the thoughts and feelings that get in our way. Those feelings stem from a two-part appraisal of an event. First, individuals determine if they should pay attention to a situation (the irritating co-worker, for example). Second, they evaluate potential options available for coping with the situation (or person). Coaching can be useful for both parts of this appraisal, resulting in reduced stress. Thus, the process can assist people in identifying thoughts, feelings, stressors, and potential outcomes. Individuals can begin to view a potentially stressful situation as less threatening, and themselves as more empowered to deal with the situation. Make an appointment for coaching that can help you cope more effectively through cognitive appraisal.

Goal-Oriented Planning and Re-Learning

Setting attainable goals, sometimes through baby steps, can help people direct their efforts in a way that assists them in acting on specific outcomes. Crawl, walk, run is the order of things. Let's say this takes the form of crawling through a boring webinar on time-management that included plans to improve how you manage time in your home office. You thought you could walk away from the webinar and improve, but you're not able to use the tips as planned. Individual coaching to the rescue! You know what to do on an intellectual level. Coaching will help you to overcome barriers to re-learning on an emotional and behavioral level, which refers to undoing bad feelings and thoughts that lead to stress and bad habits. Commit to re-learning, which can produce specific results once you take part in action-oriented planning. This often motivates people to run, not just walk, toward the goals that they set. Accomplishing goals leads to feelings of satisfaction and happiness that enhance productivity and wellbeing. In addition, working with a coach helps individuals focus on positive feedback on their progress.

The way that people contribute, and physical office environments, have changed over the years. With increased stress, complexity in staying connected technologically, diverse workforces, and escalating pressure for bottom-line performance, doing our jobs will require constantly new perspectives and approaches. It will also require individuals to use time-honored fundamentals of effective management — planning, leading, organizing, and controlling. Coaching can help individuals to carry out these elements for greater impact and added value.

SUMMARY OF COACHING BENEFITS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

  • Identify, apply, and maximize skills
  • Increase job satisfaction
  • Explore issues in collaborative creativity
  • Discover new possibilities in thinking and feeling
  • Capitalize on individual insight
  • Balance work and life priorities
  • Create opportunity for open and honest conversations
  • Experience increased personal and organizational support
  • Stretch capabilities for better health
  • Enhance personal commitment to job responsibilities
  • Increase self-awareness (personality, motivated abilities, satisfaction)

Evolve Beyond One-Dimensional with a FREE Consultation

As new markets and social dynamics reshape how we do business, today's professionals cannot afford to be one-dimensional. Consider the added dimension and value of coaching. Dunson & Associates offers video and telephone coaching to expand your options for professional development. Call (937) 854-5940, x 7 to get more information, or to set an appointment for a FREE initial consultation.

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