Being a Coach is
Not For Sissies
(neither is being coached)
One of my greatest fears and ultimately
one of my most rewarding life experiences was working with a coach. The fear factor is obvious; it's truly difficult
to let someone inside your thought process and your innermost feelings. Such a relationship with someone you've not
previously known requires trust beyond what's normal to a new partnership. That trust was quickly developed by Mary.
At the outset of the process, I was not
always comfortable with the honest and to the point feedback I received from her. She always, however, provided a fair and balanced
overview, including skills I could enhance or add to my current management style. Again, this was not always comfortable information
to receive, but it was clearly blended with a mix of existing personal strengths and a
plan to utilize those strengths to broaden agreed upon areas of development. She provided feedback in a fashion
that allowed me to formulate ways to improve my personal management style as well as the
effectiveness and self esteem of my employees and coworkers.
Objectivity and balanced feedback from someone
sincerely focused on improving what you do, who you are, and how you handle
various circumstances are extremely powerful tools. They're also difficult
to find.
Mary provided me with those tools and
challenged me to use them. For that I shall
forever be grateful.
H. Wayne
Foster, Jr.
