Glinda: The Good Coach of the North

“She had the answer the whole time, and if I told her she would’ve never believed me”. 

And so said Glinda,the Good Witch of the North, in a recent viewing of the iconic film The Wizard of Oz as post-Thanksgiving entertainment. 

Glinda was one powerful and wise coach. Who knew?

And what is her coaching superpower?  Honoring one of the cornerstones of Co-Active model coaching: that people are creative, resourceful and whole, and the answers truly lie within each and every one of us.  Glinda connects with Dorothy on her journey and continues to witness her progress.  She challenges her with new goals, ideas and perspectives that create enough discomfort and learning that Dorothy pushes forward, experiences new discoveries and adventures, and eventually finds her way out.

That’s what coaching is all about.

Welcome to 2021!  In the last several weeks, I’ve been in many conversations with prospective clients about their interest in coaching as an investment in themselves.  An investment?!?  What do you mean by investment???  And that’s exactly what committing to coaching is really.  You don’t “pay” for coaching sessions, you invest in the results that coaching brings you.  You invest in…you.

These have been some challenging days friends.  VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) was center stage for the duration of 2020. The question now is, do you continue to reside within it, waiting for something to happen?  It’s been said that “character, temperament and mental toughness define and delineate continued success when there are micro-differences in ability, skill, knowledge, and talent, and direct correlations between results and effort are inconsistent.” It basically means that, at some point, you’ve taken your skills and talents as far as you can go without new learning. It then takes being the toughest, most resilient and vulnerable to make a shift to a new version of yourself. Are you ready to take intentional control of what you want next and step into that space?

Coaching is about the present.  It’s different from consulting, mentoring and counseling.  All of those are wonderful, viable engagements available from many competent professionals. And guess what? You can have one of each if it suits what you want for yourself!  At Soul Patch Hippo: Success Coaching, the Co-Active coaching model is the foundational approach that I practice working with clients.  Additional certifications and experiences in conversational intelligence, ACE Mastery and Myers-Briggs, along with 37 years in corporate and entrepreneurial pursuits, round out the bona fides in what I bring to the table.  

• What are you willing to bring to the table?  
• What are you willing to let go of to move forward?  
• What will your world look like a year from now if you do nothing?  

These questions and many more are waiting for an answer from you right now.  In a coaching engagement you can expect more like this and more that haven’t yet revealed themselves.  My coaching instructors say that “there is no comfort in the learning zone, and there is no learning in the comfort zone.”  Oz was anything but comfortable for Dorothy. Glinda knew it and frankly, so did Dorothy.  Now, pick your destination, choose your wizard (a certified coach will do!) click your ruby slippers three times and let’s get going.  I’ll join you in choosing the direction you want to take and hold you accountable on getting there. Hot air balloon ride optional of course.  

“I guide emerging sales professionals to build trust, become more relevant, and surpass their competitors, thereby creating the ultimate personal, professional, and financial success for them and their businesses.”  What could your next version of you, the emerging sales professional, be like if your approach was to focus on another’s agenda first? Here’s a link to start creating that discussion right now!