Yourself, Your Best, At All Times
Many years ago I visited a
friend who lived on the East coast. David
was a young professional who, in a few short years, moved through the ranks of Macy’s department store to become
one of the youngest human resource managers in the well-known chain. Before
the age of 30 he was in charge of hiring, firing, and managing the employees of the Macy’s store in Stamford, Connecticut. On his desk he had a worn and tattered homemade plaque that
read, “Myself, My Best, At All Times”. I knew
David since college and remember this plaque taking a prominent place on his desk throughout his life. And I also remember that he tried to live up to this statement
and encourage others to as well.
What does this have to do with
Coaching?
Everything. David was one of a handful of “natural” coaches I have had
in my life.
Through his example and guidance, he
inspired me to reach higher and helped me realize my gifts and potential in a way that was gentle and kind. This
is what a coach will do for you. We at
PsychSystems want you to be yourself, your best, at all times!
PERSONAL
COACHING
What Is Coaching?
You’ve seen athletes huddling
with a coach.
Coaches help plan strategy, point out
your blind spots, encourage you, and challenge you to move beyond your perceived limitations. Personal Coaches also try to bring out the best in you and
help you achieve results that surpass what you could do on your own. Coaching
is also:
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A trusting, supportive, and collaborative
environment in which personal development and performance improvement occurs
A way to work with both the person (the “Who”) and the problem or goal (the “What”)
A means of helping
you achieve extraordinary performance
A way of “being”
with another individual which
promotes reflection, self discovery, and an openness to taking more effective action
Action-oriented and encourages you to do more than you
would on your own
An investment you make in both yourself and your work
Holistic and personalized – it helps each individual develop emotionally,
physically, intellectually, and spiritually based on your individual needs and desires
An objective assessment of your situation, a structure in which to discover answers, and impartial feedback that is hard to get from friends, family, or others in your life
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What Coaching Is NOT:
The huddle breaks up. The coach goes back the sidelines and the player runs the
play.
As personal coaches we cannot do the
work for you.
After strategizing, teaching alternate
ways to think about things, and giving you support and encouragement to put the play in action, it is up to you
do make it happen.
Coaching also is not:
Directing, controlling, or manipulating others according
to the coach’s agenda (opposite of
collaboration)
Having all the answers and solving problems for others
Being judgmental or punitive
Interacting without mutual understanding and agreement
Providing legal or financial advice
NOT counseling or therapy. We will not treat you for any problem or disorder
Who Can Benefit From Coaching?
Those on the brink of change and ready to take the next step
Those who are “stuck”
and could use gentle guidance in figuring out where and how to start
Those who have a vague feeling that something is not quite right in their lives. For you,
we will help identify your values and goals and what is and
is not working in your life.
What Do I Need to Bring to Coaching?
To get value from coaching you
need to bring a strong desire to work on aspects of your life you would like to change. You also
need willingness to:
Think about things differently
Try new methods of action
Include someone else in the process
Be open to
growth
Be honest with
your coach and yourself
Discuss any concerns about coaching and our coaching relationship
Do your own work
Honor your appointments and financial obligations
Who Are We?
Most of the coaches at PsychSystems
are psychologists.
As psychologists, we are trained to
assess problems, identify goals and objectives, develop strategies to achieve these goals and objectives, and re-assess
the progress on the goals and objectives (and modify the strategies if needed). We are
interested in helping you achieve
positive outcomes to your goals. We also
understand the complexities of human emotion and motivation, and use this knowledge to effectively support and
motivate you to achieve lasting change.
How Is Coaching Done?
We are lucky to live in a time
of various communication options. We can
meet with you face-to-face, as would be done for any conventional appointment. However, more convenient options include:
Telephone calls (You and your coach agree on a date and time and you call
at the pre-arranged time)
Email
Closed chat rooms/Instant
Messaging
Group coaching
Coaching “GYM” (you
contact the coach any time within the coach’s time parameters)
E-Books, E-Courses, Telecourses
What Is My Return on Investment?
How can you tell if coaching
is a worthwhile investment? The only
way to definitively know is to try. At the
end of a few sessions, you will know if it is right for you. Another
way to look at this is in terms of “opportunity cost”. In other
words, what might it be costing
you to NOT have a coach? What
self-knowledge, personal goals, career advancement, more money or time, increased happiness and fulfillment, etc.
are you missing out on by not working with a coach?
EXECUTIVE
COACHING
Like personal coaching, executive
coaching is a collaborative and outcome-driven endeavor. It is
a highly customized and pragmatic approach to building leadership skills in top executives.
Executive coaching can include
working on proficiencies in the following areas:
Leadership
How to coach the managers
who report to you
How to develop self-managing
employees
How to hold employees responsible
and accountable, get their commitment,
and bring out their best
Raise standards,
improve morale
Learn how to have more productive interactions with others
Develop your communication, interpersonal, and team-building skills
Help you to respond more effectively
with staff and problems and deal with difficult people and situations
Recognize the dynamics of the company, teams, and individuals
Understand both how people work well,
and how to work well with people
Personal Effectiveness
Enhance organizational
performance, development, and communications
Strategize your personal development
Work on your challenges and turning them into victories
Improve your personal performance and effectiveness
Build self-awareness, self-regulation, personal motivation,
and empathy
Learn creative thinking techniques
Learn entrepreneurial skills
SMALL
BUSINESS
One of the areas in which we
have been most active is in the small
business coaching specialty. In small business coaching, we help new and experienced
entrepreneurs work towards their professional dreams while keeping their personal lives intact.
Many times, small business ownership is the realization of a life long dream. Yet, without the proper focus, many
competent professionals and trades-people see their dream fade as their business goes under. Why does this occur? It is
usually because the business owner is good at their profession but not good at the day to day issues regarding the operation
of a business.
A small business coach can help this
type of person learn how to objectively look at their business operations so that they can anticipate problems
and deal with the root cause early on. Issue
such as time management, delegation of task and avoidance of burnout are just a few topics that are discussed and
pre-planned during coaching so that the new business person has a greater opportunity to be successful from the
beginning.
I’m not in everyday contact with David anymore. However, the exemplary way he lived his life: striving for
authenticity, doing his best, and acting consistently, continue to inspire and motivate me to this day.
Let us help you strive for more in your life, be it personally or professionally. Call
PsychSystems at (734) 729-7792 x203. We will
help you find a coach that will help you become “yourself”, achieve “your best”, and do it “at all times”.