When we look at our personal development, it's useful to have some plans and goals in mind. There may be skills that need developing or you may want to start preparing for a new opportunity by dusting down your CV and updating your achievements. Sometimes it's hard to make time for these things when work and personal life are busy. However, here is what Plato the Philosopher said: “The beginning is the most important part of the work” and it's true that once you get started on a task and engage your mind in it fully, you begin to feel you are succeeding already.
Another idea, which you may find helpful as you look to the New Year, is that: “You raze the old to raise the new”. The author Justina Chen said this. The message here is that you sometimes need to let go of something you are accustomed to in order to move on in a new direction. Anybody who has experienced significant change in their personal or work life will recognise that there comes a point when we need to let go of old habits and routines and embrace new ones in order to grow and develop. We sometimes need to do this even if we feel fearful of the next steps.
As a coach, it is interesting for me to reflect on the effectiveness of coaching in supporting personal development and growth. The Chartered Management Institute defines coaching as:
“a method of helping people to develop their self-awareness and their skills and knowledge to improve their job performance or personal growth. Coaching may be undertaken informally by managers as part of their day-today responsibility to develop their team, or under the guidance of a professional coach. Coaching is about questioning and enabling the individual to identify gaps in their skills or knowledge and to plan and support them in addressing these through a range of work-based activities.“
I am always delighted to see the results of my coaching sessions – I notice my clients starting to recognise their own skills and abilities and confidently set their own direction and goals! This usually happens at around session 4 or 5, which is why I always recommend a series of 6 coaching sessions initially.
2015 was an exciting year for me – I qualified with the CMI as a coach and set up my Blue Pebble Coaching business. Measured Brilliance have built a fantastic website for me and in 2016 I’ll be adding more blog entries and video content to the website, which I hope you will find a useful resource. Have a look at www.bluepebblecoaching.co.uk and let me know what you think. And do pass on my details to your friends and colleagues too! I’d love to hear about your own achievements and successes, so do feel free to drop me a message through my website or by email at izzy.ixer@bluepebblecoaching.co.uk
Just a reminder that my coaching services are also available through the Suffolk Coaching and Mentoring Partnership (SCMP) and their website is at https://www.coachingandmentoringpartnership.co.uk. Why not check and see if your organization is a member? And if you have team members who would benefit from coaching in order to improve their skills and performance at work, they can register on the website and find me through that route too.
So, wishing you every success for 2016 and I look forward to hearing about your news!
Izzy Ixer MCMI
Blue Pebble Coaching Ltd