Dear Community:
Recently, I presented a poster at a surgical leadership conference on the value of coaching. The key takeaway is that voluntary coaching engagements were rated more highly than mandatory engagements.
Many clients come to coaching with a specific goal in mind, but often discover broader areas for growth and improvement. There’s frequently an overlap between professional, personal, and organizational challenges, and coaching provides the space to explore them all.
When an organization refers a client, coaching is often intended as remediation, but we always take a best performance approach by helping clients unlock potential, rather than focusing on what’s “wrong.”
Despite being mandated, coaching engagements still yielded meaningful outcomes and value for clients.
How? Because coaching is versatile, and coaches are adaptable. That’s what makes it so effective and powerful. Coaching is never one-size-fits-all. It adapts to the individual. While I bring personal and professional knowledge—especially around physician burnout and wellness—I never assume I know exactly what a client is experiencing. That’s the foundation of our approach.
In my coaching practice, I follow the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies because they are client-centered and allow for creativity and flexibility.
One of the true strengths of coaching is that each coach brings unique experiences, perspectives, and ways of connecting. And just as coaches are different, so are clients—we’re each drawn to the people and styles that resonate with us. That connection is often where the best work begins.
I invite you to learn more about Cutting-Edge Support: The Perceived Value of Professional Coaching for Surgeons, and to check out the latest resources from the community below.
