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A frequent question people ask is: how can coaching help me? There are many possible answers to this question, but it is my belief that the work with a coach can be particularly helpful in moments of professional transitions. Some people may say that ‘change’ is a non-stop event, not only at work but in life as a whole. They are obviously correct. There are , however, moments of professional change that for their complexity and extreme pressure, have the potential to generate a greater impact in individuals and organisations. Depending on how well (or badly) they are managed, they may create learning and growth that is transformational or confusion and chaos that is highly destructive.

Anyone who has started a job in a new company, has been promoted to a role as a manager for the first time or, as it happened with me, has been assigned to work in a foreign country knows what I am talking about. When I was transferred from Brazil to London, ten years ago, training on ‘habits of English people’ was provided as part of my expat preparation. The issue was: I was ‘left to my own devices‘ when it came to make sense of the new organisational environment and working culture. The high emotional pressure plus the unexpected cultural clash almost caused me to have a ‘nervous breakdown’and I had been close to quitting my job (more than once). Fortunately, I survived! With the support of an ex- boss/mentor, my own persistence and the help of a coach (that I hired and paid for), I was able to re-organise my thoughts and emotions, get my self confidence back, learn a few new things and enjoy an exciting and rewarding corporate career in the following years.

Corporations normally provide training for  professionals in transition. These initiatives, although useful, do not take into account specific needs of each individual and normally concentrate in ‘cognitive’ aspects of the change. They normally cover the theoretical side and provide practical advices. i.e. the focus is on  ‘what needs to be done‘ and not so much on ‘what are the most effective ways of being‘. Because coaching provides focused attention on individual experiences (and needs) and balances reflection & action, it can be a very effective complement for training interventions.

Coaching sessions are structured one-to-one conversations, where the Transition Partner (aka myself) will ask questions, share concepts and propose exercises, to give the professional in change a chance to step back from the day-to-day pressure, understand the new context and reflect about ‘what is really going on‘.  Together, the we will explore values, identity, thoughts, feelings and the actions to be taken so that the personal and professional goals can be achieved. By becoming more aware of own thoughts and feelings people can make more informed decisions on which (skills, behaviours etc.) should be taken to the ‘new world’. Paraphrasing the title of a famous book, when it comes to career changes: “what brought you here, most certainly won’t  take you there“. Among other things, a Transition Partner can help you identify what you should take with you and what should be left behind in this

In the next posts, I will share stories and examples on how coaching can help professionals succeed when going through these powerful and transformational moments: The Professional Transitions.