What to expect when you work with me for self development
From my experience as an executive head-hunter for the past 16 years and as a career coach, I really believe the only reason we don’t get what we want in life (except if force majeure is at play) is due to the internal stories we tell ourselves about why we can’t get it! Above all else, I genuinely want to help people, serve and contribute to society and help make the world a little better before I get too old and head for the departure lounge. At this stage in my career, I am not working for financial gain. For me it is about making a positive contribution by doing something I love whilst putting a little back into society.
I have come to learn that personal development coaches are not advisers, but rather true active listeners who are not wedded to the outcome of any coaching conversation and act as thought provokers in a client’s life. I always approach any client by putting myself into their shoes to imagine what they are feeling. This allows me to establish their needs and imagine what their internal world looks and feels like. It allows me to fully use my intuition and I find this fascinating.
I think powerful coaching involves holding significant space for a client to allow their personal growth to lead the conversation. I am proud to have played the guitar for 40 years and have learned the space left between musical notes, the pause, the silence, that’s where the real magic happens – this is the same when delivering coaching.
My cognitive behavioural coaching and use of imagery in a session sets the vision that we are going to take a journey of potential. The journey will be full of self-discovery, awareness, fun, identification, changing beliefs and thought-provoking. At times it will be challenging, potentially a little uncomfortable and bumpy, but it’s all part of the process of self-discovery.
As a coach, my style is to really explore where distorted thinking could be causing problems and help to identify new thinking patterns so the client can avoid those unhelpful thinking traps. To reach self-awareness, I truly believe that we need to take onboard is the idea that ‘what we focus on is what we feel’. By leading the client to self-awareness with encouragement and quality exploration, we also bring unhelpful emotions to the surface. Then by focussing on solutions rather than problems the client can grow into a person who is master of their own destiny.
As individuals the challenge is to not get hijacked by our emotions, especially those emotions that don’t empower us or move us forwards towards our goals in life. Instead, those emotions need to be turned into warning signs to be used to your advantage. I work with clients to bring the awareness of the warning sign to the forefront of their mind so they can learn from the experience and continue to create positive momentum.
I really do believe there is a clear reason why we have two ears and one mouth, it is because we need to really listen twice as much as we speak! I also believe that as human beings we make the biggest personal growth in times of pain and hardship. After all, pressure creates diamonds! My coaching style does not exist to change or fix others, it is about moving clients towards a space where they can fulfil their true potential and become fully functional in the pursuit of their higher selves in any area of their life.
For an informal chat about how I could help you to upscale your career, call me on 07748 967500 or email me: peterdavies@selectivecoaching.uk.com
