Why You Cant Coach Yourself

By Dr. Earl R. Smith II

DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com
A good percentage of my new clients have spent
time, effort and money trying to reform! themselves
with seminars, tapes, "oo#s and the li#e. $hey have
tested the proposition that coaching is something that
they can do for themselves. %ost of them have come
to the reali&ation that wor#ing with a coach is a lot
more effective than self-improvement "oo#s, training
programs and seminars.
%ost of them have come to reali&e that money that
spent on motivational seminars, training programs, self-help "oo#s,
and "'siness "oo#s is not money well spent at all. (oaching is #ind of
li#e (hinese food - )'st after yo' eat yo' feel f'll "'t in an ho'r or so
yo' are h'ngry again - the e*perience is not c'm'lative or life
changing. By attempting to self-coach, they forgo the o")ectivity and
perspective that is re+'ired in order to see more clearly, as clearly as
someone can see yo' from the o'tside. $hey also write themselves
e*emptions from "eing acco'nta"le. Both of these are severely self-
limiting.
Self-help "oo#s have many limitations. $hey are inherently one-si&e-
fits-all. (rafty a'thors write in a style that leads the reader to "elieve
that they are tal#ing directly to them - "'t, partic'larly with the "est
a'thors, there are tho'sands of readers participating in the same
ill'sion. %ost readers get a short-term high o't of reading these "oo#s
"'t little or no long-term change.
,f all the "oo#s that yo' have read on self-help, how-to "'siness,
career planning, leadership development, management, personal
growth and wealth, how many have yo' finished reading from cover to
cover- .ave yo' ta#en notes on anything that yo' have read in those
"oo#s or have yo' ever done any of the e*ercises- If so, have yo'
applied the e*ercises and advice to yo'r own life in a meaningf'l way-
Remem"er, in managing change it is change - implementation - not
comprehension that matters.
Self-help "oo#s a"o't advice s'ffer from the same pro"lems that a
"oo# a"o't how to play foot"all! does. /oot"all is not so m'ch a"o't
'nderstanding the game intellect'ally as "eing a"le to play it
effectively. $he 'nderstanding of the game might ma#e yo' a fan - "'t
not a player. If yo' are going to get good at the game, yo' need a
coach and a chance to play. 0o' need someone hovering aro'nd yo'
and charting yo'r act'al progress - someone who will call yo' when
yo' ma#e e*c'ses or procrastinate - a coach who will teach yo' the
finer points of the game.
Since these self-help "oo#s, seminars and tapes do not have "'ilt-in
acco'nta"ility, follow-'p, reminders, and neither goal setting nor the
power of two h'man wills, they often do little more than ta#e a do&en
ho'rs to read and then only a"o't a day to forever forget.
Boo#s have "een aro'nd for a long time and they are an integral part
of self-'nderstanding and cond'cting the gro'ndwor# for positive
change within yo'r life. .owever, it is good to #eep in mind that the
most s'ccessf'l e*ec'tives have always 'sed trainers, advisors, and
coaches. 1'st as yo' can pro"a"ly teach yo'rself another lang'age,
yo' will soon forget it if yo' do not practice with someone else who is
familiar with that lang'age and can help prono'nce the diffic'lt words.
2ith a coach, yo' are 'tili&ing yo'r own personal power of
commitment to create change within "oth yo'r personal and corporate
lives. 0o'r coach will have the same commitment.
Even tho'gh yo' may have read do&ens of self-help "oo#s or attended
n'mero's "'siness coaching and training seminars, none of these will
offer yo' the #ind of personal attention and commitment yo' wo'ld
get thro'gh finding and wor#ing with a coach. A coach will ta#e a
personal and e*tended interest in yo'r sit'ation and will provide yo'
with the necessary tools that will increase yo'r own personal growth
and leadership development. Besides "eing committed to yo'r
s'ccess, yo'r coach will also hold yo' acco'nta"le for yo'r actions in
achieving yo'r goals.
%any of my clients have told me that they made more progress in the
first month that we wor#ed together than in all their years of reading
self-help "oo#s, listening to tapes and attending seminars. If yo' want
to tal# a"o't how coaching can "enefit yo'r life and career, send me
an e-mail and we will arrange a time to tal#.
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Dr. Smith is a proven senior e*ec'tive, s'ccessf'l entreprene'r,
p'"lished a'thor and p'"lic spea#er. .e serves on "oards of directors
and advisory "oards or as a strategic advisor to (E,s. Dr. Smith
speciali&es in t'rnaro'nd management, strategic planning, leadership
development and e*ec'tive coaching. .e also wor#s as an e*ec'tive
and8or life coach in the areas of personal growth and spirit'ality. .e is
the a'thor of Ama&ing 5ace4 $'r"o-charged B'siness Development - a
"oo# that shows how Advisory Boards can dramatically increase
reven'e. Dr. Smith is also the a'thor of Dream 2al#4 5ara"les for the
7iving - a "oo# of Raven $ales and e*ploration.