Truth About Coaching Myths Unveiled


Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.". ~ John 8:32 NIV

You may already be aware that life coaching is a very popular choice of profession and even more popular for those who want a part time income or "side-hustle" as it's now termed.  And for good reason. Helping others live better lives is a passion for many of us.

Yet, as the coaching industry has grown, we have also seen an increase in coaching myths. It disturbs me when I see the smoke and mirrors presented by some coaching schools and organizations, who seem to prey on well-meaning but unsuspecting students for their tuition dollars. It’s not unusual for us to hear from those students who invested more than what they could really afford, only to eventually face the inevitable realities that they did not learn what they needed to create a successful coaching practice or business.

Even if you only want to learn coaching skills to improve your personal life, use at work or at your church or ministry, understanding the truth about these myths in the coaching industry will be helpful to you, just to put things into perspective.

Some days it seems like almost everyone either is a coach or is attending coach training. The problem with that arises when myths are being propagated and facts are sometimes hidden from those aspiring to start a coaching business. I see this among Christian coaching schools as well as secular organizations and schools. There are aspects of this industry that are hidden from new coaches and I think it’s important to set the record straight.

It takes courage to address these topics and most schools and their trainers will not tell you for fear you might not enroll. But here at PCCCA, I believe in transparency so let’s dive in to unveil the truth about these myths.

TODAY'S TOP COACHING MYTHS

MYTH #1 - Everyone should have a coach.

I personally believe everyone can change and improve if they want to, but some people aren't interested.  Discovering how to identify those who sincerely want change from among those who are only curious can take time and skill. 

In our CCLC program, learning to discern those who are coachable (ready and willing) is pretty straight forward.  I give you 3 criteria that must be met and if even one of these criteria is not met, the person can be deemed as "not ready for coaching yet".  And we need to remember that even those of us who are highly coachable, have times when we are not receptive to coaching.  To avoid headaches and heart-aches over those we want to help, we need to know the difference, because trying to coach someone who is not ready can be a huge waste of time, not to mention a painful experience.

coaching myths blog post part 1

I believe God wants us to sow seed into fertile soil and if someone isn't ready for coaching, they don't offer fertile soil for coaching. There are plenty of people who want coaching and need what you offer so you don’t have to direct your energies toward those who aren’t ready.

MYTH #2 – Coaching is a business in itself

The reality is coaching is NOT a business – rather it’s a communication skill set that you’ll use in concert with your other gifts, talents and experience, to help your client solve their particular problem. Trying to sell coaching still (even after 45 years as a bona fide profession) does not work well. Most people don’t get coaching outside of the context of solving specific problems.

Take for example a baker. If she only advertises her ability to whip up frothy, light batter, how many customers do you think she’ll attract? But when she tells you about the delicious cakes she can bake for you, now it's relevant to you. You get it. So forget about selling coaching itself. Sell your specific solution instead. I get into much more depth on this topic in the Professional Christian Life Coach certification course so you know exactly what to do to attract your ideal clients.

MYTH #3 - A true coach has been coaching even before they knew "coaching" existed.

Many of our students tell me they know they were meant to be coaches because people always confide in them or ask them to solve their problems. They see coaching as professional problem-solving. Once you are in training, you'll begin to see that there are special skills needed in coaching and they do not include necessarily your ability to solve another person's problems. Your goal as a coach is to partner with your client and help them to arrive at their own answers. You do this by learning specific communication skills that draw out answers from your client. Learn to do this well. Then you and your clients will have a lot to celebrate!

WANT MORE?

If you feel called to Christian coaching, I invite you to reach out to us. We're happy to answer your questions either by live chat, that you will find at the bottom right of each page or by emailing our help desk at support@beautifulhelpdesk.com. We love hearing from you and discussing options that will fit your time and budget.

© 2018 Leelo Bush PhD

Ready to increase your skills, get trained and certified?
I invite you to click the button below to visit our courses page to select the program that is right for you.

READY FOR ADVANCED TRAINING?

DID YOU KNOW that when you enroll in the Advanced Professional Life Coach course, you will get 100% CREDIT for every penny of tuition you pay, towards your Master Christian Life Coach program if you enroll in the MCLC within 6 months? Get more details about the Advanced course HERE.

The above image is a visual depiction of the digital course contents you receive.


Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 0 comments
SAVE HERE >