Coach in the Spotlight - Shefali Bhutani

To gain formal training in the nuances and styles of Coaching, I enrolled with The Coaching Academy in London and graduated in a record time of 7 months with a Merit! I have continued to work with the Coaching Academy to further enhance my skills.

I vividly remember my first coaching session, listening to my client's monologue on relationship issues; career road blocks that they were experiencing.  I became so involved in the moment that I sprung out of my seat to tell them that they were not alone and that there were many other people who were sailing in the same boat.  I had a notion that coaching could not work in circumstances where the individual was emotionally distraught - I also did not have complete faith in my coaching ability.

As I continued my journey; coaching more clients, becoming more comfortable with the process I really started to see the immediate impact coaching has and came to love it. Coaching is conducive to empowering clients; letting them take decisions that are invariably based on their reality. 

The more questions asked, the more the client seemed to come up with a realistic and workable solution. 
The process of questioning empowers the client to make the best choice in the present circumstance - If not, they are challenged to come up with more versatile and creative solutions.  In order to challenge the client and be invited to become a part of their world it is very important to build a rapport that is based on trust and empathy. 

‘It’s so gratifying when the client has that Aha Moment!, as if they were saying to themselves, 'well! Why didn't I think of that!' whilst they did think of the options on their own.  It's befitting to say that 'give a person a fish, you feed them for a day; teach a person to fish you feed them for a life-time'.  Coaching makes the client aware of their strengths and weaknesses; provides them with tools and techniques to eliminate self-doubt’.

The clients respond positively when there is no advice, judgment, opinion or experience shared by the coach. They become self-aware hence start to recognise things in reality.  The coach helps liberate the client from the fear of doing things wrong’.

Providing suggestions is easy, listening, asking relevant and empowering questions is more challenging… 

• Continued knowledge expansion through reading books.  Reading has made me less self-conscious about asking questions which has enhanced my self-confidence. Coaching is both an attitude and behaviour.  With practice I am learning the nuances of listening, the benefits of being non-judgmental and certainly the tips and tools on how to refrain from providing feedback.
  
  I endeavour to invest in my knowledge by reading articles on Coaching, listening to webinars, attending talks and practice to raise the bar of my skills. I do enjoy the holistic approach of coaching; challenge the client on their self-limiting beliefs and helping them to   remove it so that they are able to overcome any obstacles in the future.
  
  
• I have learnt to rely on my instinct and to think outside the box.  What has worked for some will not necessarily work for all.  People come up with different solutions for their situations.  As a Coach, one must stop thinking and start listening. As Dalai Lama said ' “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.”

If Shefali's words have inspired you and you feel that Coaching could be a potential full or part time opportunity for you, or if you would just like to know a little more about what Coaching is and how it can benefit you and the lives of others, please contact our specialist course advisor Jamil by calling us on 0208 996 4830 or emailing: jamil@the-coaching-academy.com

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