Coach In The Spotlight - Caroline Stagg

Why I like being a coach

I love being a coach because it is a privilege to help people achieve the amazing things that they want to do and because people are fascinating. The bonus is they teach me so much about myself.

How I got into coaching

Having been through some changes in my life, and finding the work that I was doing had become less satisfying and engaging for me, I was wondering what else I could do and how to change my career. I had always worked in communications, mostly publishing, as a managing editor and later as a freelance writer, i noticed myself saying to friends that the only work I was enjoying at that time was the work I did for free!

I had a think about what it was that I actually enjoyed about that work. One of the things I thought about was how you could sit in a meeting with everyone talking without saying anything for ages and then just ask one good question which would completely open up the conversation, and transform the meeting. I realised that what I was thinking about was a type of coaching. It was a lightbulb moment.

I already had a degree in psychology; it just felt right. I got on the internet and found the Coaching Academy and booked myself onto the 2-day certificate course. I then signed up for the Life Coaching Diploma and the Corporate and Executive Programme, as I felt that I wanted to use these skills for business and social enterprise.

My training

I was surprised at how powerful the GROW model can be and fascinated by how your values and beliefs interact with your goals and intentions, helping or hindering you.

I love DISC personality profiling. The themes of DISC were things that I had touched on when doing my psychology degree, but this practical application taught me a lot about myself and my relationships with others.

I didn’t take long to get started with my own practice clients. When you realise that you’re already making a difference to your clients’ lives it is motivating and uplifting. Feedback early on in my coaching helped me to modify what I was doing to improve.
The accelerator days really brought coaching to life. Meeting people at all stages of training and getting an opportunity to hear from the trainers of what works in their businesses is a bonus. Learning about the practicalities of starting a coaching business was vital for me.

My coaching

It took me a while to work out my niche but now I work with clients who are ‘stuck’ in their work and help them  to get ‘unstuck’ and move on, whether by leaving their current company or moving to a new role within their current company; I work with clients on communication, self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

I also lead a team of career coaches for an organisation that empowers young people in schools by coaching them on confidence, motivation and resilience, and provides them with immersive, challenging experiences to try out their new skills.

Favourite coaching question

 ‘What’s important about 'X'…?’ It can mean several things and can draw out values, beliefs, perceptions, aspirations, almost anything.