CAREER/LIFECOACHING 105
Because I coach a lot of coaches, among both internal practitioners and out-
side counselors, I’ve come to formulate some strong opinions about which ex-
periences and viewpoints are actually valuable and effective. When you look
at those who find themselves in the career coaching business, some are obvi-
ously ver y gifted, but many have been drawn to the profession because they
had a powerful personal career experience and want to guide others toward
similar revelations. Those in the latter camp tend to be like cheerleaders, often
lacking a depth of knowledge of individual differences and personality char-
acteristics or any real appreciation for the complexities of the contemporary
workplace. They tend to hold a facile perspective, an “if you can dream it, you
can do it” philosophy. Although that may be true in theory and ultimately a
more authentic expression of self, it may also be unwise to encourage someone
to quit their day job.
Another group of coaches includes those who have developed hard busi-
ness skills, which they feel help them to understand the reality of work in an
organizational context. They may have had experience leading a department
or turning around a division. As a result, they have war stories, battle scars,
and a certain degree of empathy for those dealing with the complexities of
work and organizational change. That kind of perspective may help in coach-
ing individuals or teams to better performance, but it’s unlikely that such
coaches will have a sufficient understanding of psychological issues to take a
humanistic, whole-person approach.
To be an effective career coach, I think you need to be an applied social
psychologist to some degree. You must combine an intimate understanding of
the new workplace and its dynamics with an appreciation for its impact on how
people feel and what they need. In other words, you must think in terms of the
nuances of contemporar y life as well as the nuances of individual differences.
For me, there are three principles in enabling people to be effective in
the work world today. People need to know themselves and understand what
they truly care about. They need to find work that speaks to their strengths
and values, that is, their authentic selves. And they must be career activists
to make both of those happen. A career coach is valuable to the extent that
he or she guides and supports that set of capabilities.
Good work is not a privilege, it’s a right. Yet the individual is responsible
for making the decisions and choices that provide the right fit. There’s a lot of
repressed quitting going on in organizations today. People have put their work
desires on hold because of the uncertain economy. I come across two kinds of
organizations in that regard. There are those which really do treat their peo-
ple with care and sensitivity, because they are concerned with attraction and
retention. And there are also those that have very short memories. The latter