Thinking About Becoming A Coach? 5 Steps To Get Started

Christi Hegstad October 6th, 2017

“How did you get started in coaching?”

I am asked this question often, sometimes by people simply curious about my path, but frequently by people considering becoming coaches themselves. I am happy to respond, as I believe the more thoughtfully and intentionally we approach a possible career or development opportunity, the more likely we are to make a purposeful decision that leads to fulfillment and success.

I’ve coached many coaches, as well as many individuals who have gone on to become coaches after our work together, and every story is a bit different. If you’re interested in hiring a coach, click here for five things to consider as you seek the perfect coach for you. And if you’re considering becoming a professional coach, consider the following five tips for building a strong foundation:

1. Work With A Coach.

First and foremost, work with an experienced, qualified coach. You will learn so much about yourself and about coaching, and your coach can help you stay accountable and motivated with your goal. When I teach coaching skills to managers and leaders in businesses, I always include practice time; it’s one thing to know coaching theory, skills, and concepts, but to experience coaching is a completely different thing altogether.

Personally, I also believe this is a matter of integrity: How can we expect others to believe in and invest in the power of coaching if we aren’t doing the same? Although I’ve been a certified coach for years, I still always have a coach myself. This supports my professional development, grows me personally, continually stretches me as a coach, and allows me to work in integrity and alignment.

2. Seek Out Reputable Training.

Just because you have experienced something doesn’t mean you are qualified to coach others through that experience. (You could mentor, perhaps, but that’s a different role.) On the path to earning my Ph.D., I was in school – most of it while also employed elsewhere – for over 20 years. I learned a lot and gained tons of work experience as well, but my coach training provided a completely different kind of learning altogether.

The International Coach Federation is a wonderful starting point. In addition to serving as a guiding resource for coaches and ensuring the ethical standards and continuing education of its members, the ICF provides a fantastic list of accredited coach-training programs around the globe. That’s where I discovered the College of Executive Coaching, where I gained my training (a program I absolutely love and still take courses from, by the way).

3. Connect With Other Coaches.

You don’t need to wait until you are a coach, or in the midst of your coach training, before connecting with other coaches. In fact, doing so as you’re exploring possibilities will serve many purposes: You’ll learn where other coaches obtained their training and can hear their experiences, you’ll grow your peer network for referrals and collaboration, and you’ll have a lot of fun because coaches are among the most delightful and welcoming people in the world (in my opinion, anyway! 🙂 )

For a couple of years, I served as President of the Iowa chapter of the ICF. I encouraged (and still do) people just thinking about coaching to attend a meeting and surround themselves with coaches for a while. Many of those individuals have become longstanding members of our chapter, certified coaches, and are now making a powerful difference doing work that they love.

4. Block Time Now For Coaching Work.

Look ahead on your calendar and start blocking time each week to devote to coaching work. You’ll need this once you begin your training program, but in the meantime you can use it in a variety of valuable ways: Read coaching books, arrange introductory meetings, schedule conversations with coaches you may wish to hire, review coaching materials, and conduct some self-discovery (see #5), to name a few.

5. Spend Time In Self-Reflection.

In working with a coach and through your training, you’ll become incredibly self-aware; I don’t think one can become a coach without experiencing this benefit. But you can start now. A few questions to ponder:

Why do you want to become a coach?

What would you love to help others achieve through coaching?

What’s your ideal vision for the world? How might becoming a coach help you make that a reality?

How might you honor your values through coaching?

What might stand in your way of pursuing this? How can you address those obstacles and prepare accordingly?

Ideally, you’ll become a coach because you have a grand vision for other individuals, your community, the world, and your own life – not because you’re wanting to escape a job you dislike or because you’re running away from something else. Questions like these can help you discern your purpose and help your motivation.

“As a coach,” write Steve Chandler and Rich Litvin, “your only mission is to wake up each morning and ask yourself: ‘Who can I serve so powerfully that they never forget our conversation for the rest of their life?'”

If that idea excites you, coaching might be just the thing for you!

You can learn more about my coaching here. And to work with me for a day along with other purposeful people, join me for Spark – click here for details!

Choosing Your Breakthrough Goal

Christi Hegstad September 24th, 2017

Today begins the last week of September, which means we’re heading into the final quarter of the year. What do you want to make happen before 2017 wraps up?

Maybe you have numerous goals, or maybe just one with several moving parts. Either way, now – before the holiday hustle and bustle begins – is a great time to kick things into high gear.

Do you feel ready?

Or overwhelmed?

If you’re ready – go for it! Watch my blog a bit later this week for a tool that will help ensure you do what you set out to.

And if you’re not quite sure what to do next or feel overwhelmed by it all, start with two questions:

1. What do you most want to say about yourself at the end of the year?

2.Which one goal, if achieved, would complete – or propel forward – several other goals?

The first question will focus your attention on what matters most at this time.

The second question will reveal what I call your Breakthrough Goal.

Your Breakthrough Goal

Essentially, your Breakthrough Goal is the one that, if completed, elevates progress on several other goals or desires at the same time. Rather than slowly moving the various chess pieces forward one at a time (a tactic that often works well when time allows, like at the start of a new year), your Breakthrough Goal is like the one move that catapults you – keeping to the chess metaphor – toward checkmating your opponent.

Even if all your other pieces still remain on the chess board.

For example, a new client of mine sought out coaching in part because he hadn’t progressed on his 2017 goals as hoped. Now, with year-end approaching, he’s beginning to worry.

At the start of our partnership I asked about his goals, and he had set several: start his own consulting business within his current field (which he loved), begin a blog of helpful tips in his often-complex industry, publish an article in a trade publication, start a speaking career on the side, and various personal goals as well.

I asked him question #1 above, to which he responded, “To be honest, the writing piece is huge for me. For years I’ve said I want to start a blog, publish articles, and eventually write a book. I’d love to end the year able to say I wrote something for the public.”

Question #2 brought him an interesting ‘aha moment’: “Actually, if I started a blog, I would get writing practice as well as potentially get noticed by my trade publication. It could also position me as a thought leader in my field, which would help get my consulting practice and speaking work off the ground. The blog would set the foundation for everything else. And even just publishing one blog post would allow me to say I wrote something for the public!”

Guess where he has decided to focus his energy?

Maybe, like my client, you have several goals to accomplish and need to put them in a manageable order. Or perhaps you’ve got just one goal but it really needs a boost. Either way, try asking yourself those two clarifying questions: What do you most want to say about yourself at the end of the year? Which one goal, if achieved, would complete – or propel forward – several other goals?

Get clear on your top priority outcome for the remainder of the year, and you’ll likely find your motivation improving, your next best action becoming clear, and your momentum building. Then, tune in to this blog a bit later this week for one of the best tools I know to make your goal achievable!

Want help determining what matters most and how to prioritize it in your work, leadership, and life? Join us at Spark on Nov 3 – click here for details!

Courageous Kindness

Christi Hegstad December 5th, 2016

Complaining and blaming – easy and not very creative. How are you being courageously kind?

“Courage has a ripple effect. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.”

— Brene Brown

Coaching Tip of the Week:
How courageous are you?

We talked about this question quite a bit in the ASPIRE Success Club this year and determined the answer to be, in large part, “It depends.”

For example, if you stepped outside and encountered a wild animal unexpectedly, you might quickly run back inside. Yet if you stepped outside and noticed that animal moving towards your child, you might move forward fearlessly in order to keep your child safe.

What makes the difference? Your purpose. Your why.

Perhaps surprisingly, kindness can require courage. Complaining, ranting, blaming – these are all easy and not very creative. But being the voice for someone who’s been silenced? Standing up for something you value? Reaching out a hand when everyone else seems to slip back? THAT takes courage. Purposeful courage.

This week, be courageous. Be kind.

Take a look at the photo of my journal from earlier this year: Be Kind, Be Brave, Be Awesome. In my opinion, if you follow the first two instructions, you’ve automatically taken care of the third.

What Matters Most (And The Call No One Wants To Get)

Christi Hegstad December 4th, 2016

Do you know your top priorities?

One year ago, driving home from a coaching appointment, my mind wandered: What on earth will I make for dinner? I haven’t heard from Shelly in ages – is she upset with me? How am I going to get everything done? Where are those clothes I need to return? My cell phone trilled in the seat behind me but I didn’t pay much attention.

Until the caller tried a second time. And a third. And a fourth.
I pulled over, reached behind me for my phone, and saw several missed calls from an unknown number appear on my screen. With the last one, he had left a voicemail, of which I only remember key words:

“Mrs. Hegstad…your son…accident…paramedics on their way…”

Those thoughts mulling around in my mind moments earlier? Poof – gone. Replacing them was my current #1 priority: I need to get to my son.

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Can you think of a moment where your priorities become crystal clear? Unfortunately, it often occurs in times of crisis. We can spend oodles of time overthinking and worrying, then in an instant, life becomes like a laser: clear, concise, focused. We wonder why we spent all that time stewing over details that, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really matter.

I coach and speak often on the topic of priorities, and my goal is always the same: To help you decide, proactively and with intention, what matters most – then to adjust your mindset, days, weeks, and life accordingly. To choose where to invest your time rather than having it chosen for you. To feel a sense of empowerment and purpose rather than floating on autopilot or at the whim of circumstance.

Could you use a boost in this area? Try reflecting here for starters:

Look Ahead. What do you most want to be known for, remembered for? When people think of you, what do you want to come to mind? How about when you look back over your own life?

Look Back. Over the past 2-4 weeks, where have you spent your time – honestly? Do those activities reflect what matters most to you?

Start With Today. What’s your Daily Top 3 today: the 3 items that must get your attention, even if all else goes haywire? (Hint: Write them on a sticky note and separate it from your massive to-do list.)

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Getting back to a year ago: I arrived at the school, where my son had been at basketball practice, just before the paramedics. He suffered a dislocated knee and a fractured leg, requiring several months of crutches and physical therapy and doctor’s visits. He’s now good as new, for which I am ever thankful.

But that moment – that voicemail – will remain etched in my mind forever, serving as a beacon when I go astray. (Because I do. We all do.)Decide what matters most.Invest your energy there.Don’t sweat the small stuff.Commit to working with meaning, living with purpose, and acting with intention.If we can do this, consistently and repeatedly, our minds will become clearer, our loads a bit lighter, and our work and lives will be characterized by meaning and purpose.

The Things We Do Not Talk About

Christi Hegstad December 1st, 2016

What things do you not talk about? What would happen if you did?

What do you long to set free but instead bury deep inside? What do you feel you must hide, gloss over, or envelop in secrecy?

What if you didn’t?

My Mom and I used to have long conversations over coffee about anything and everything: Issues that frustrated her, challenges I dealt with, struggles of a relative or friend. “Everyone has their stuff, don’t they?” she’d say. And it’s so true. Everyone has their stuff.

Even that person who looks so perfectly put-together – deep down (or more than likely, just barely below the surface) she’s dealing with a challenge so fierce it’s all but suffocating her, yet we know nothing about it.I see this all the time in my coaching practice. One of the greatest privileges of my work involves holding the space for my clients to process through various experiences and situations. It’s an honor that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Because you know what happens when we talk about the things we’re not ‘supposed’ to talk about? Those things lose their power, their clenching grip, and we can start to breathe again.Take some of my clients, for example. The brilliant woman who ran a hugely successful business while for years had quietly suffered from PTSD. Or the high-achiever who is completely overwhelmed but feels pressure to plow through because “everyone is counting on me.” Or the extraordinary leaders I’ve worked with who are embarrassed to find themselves in tears during a coaching meeting because “men aren’t supposed to cry.”

The walls we build. The shields we create. We think they’re keeping us safe, but are they really just closing us off?

What if we just share the things we’re hiding behind?

What if we hold the space of freedom for someone instead of the cloak of shame they’ve already wrapped themselves in?

What if instead of trying to solve the problem, or one-upping, or saying “At least you have a job / home / running water,” we simply say, “I hear you, and I’m here for you”?

What might happen if we start talking about the things we don’t talk about?

The Sentence That Can Change Your Life

Christi Hegstad November 30th, 2016

I’m always a bit skeptical when I hear about the “one word” or the “one action” that will change my life. How about you?

As you may have noticed, however, the title of this article suggests a similar claim. But mine is different (no, really!). 🙂

Purpose Statement of Sparkler Monica Harrison, shared with permission.

It’s different for one very important reason: YOU choose the sentence.

Let me explain.

No one else can decide what will impact you the most. Sure, the people closest to you may have wonderful ideas – but they are not you. I might offer you a book recommendation (or 20) saying it will change your life – but how could I possibly know? I am not you.

The things that change your life need to come from you.

They come from within.

So, I am not going to give you the words that will change your life, because only you can do that. I will, however, give you the sentence that – once you create it – can transform your work, leadership, and life:

Your Purpose Statement.

I first wrote my Purpose Statement about 18 years ago. Aside from a few tweaks here and there, it’s changed very little since that time – though it’s changed my life dramatically. I review it daily and it reminds me why I’m here, bolsters my energy, and provides an incredible sense of focus. Every morning when I scan it (a process that takes all of 5 seconds), I remember why I’m about to do what I’m about to do. It makes the hard work worthwhile and brings meaning and purpose to my actions and interactions.

Your Purpose Statement succinctly captures your values, passions, causes, and strengths in a single sentence. Among other things, knowing your purpose helps you:

Make decisions. When a request or opportunity presents itself, you can ask, “Does this help me fulfill my purpose?” Your ‘yes’ will be heartier and your ‘no’ will come easier.
Engage in meaningful work, no matter the job! Even mundane tasks become significant when viewed through the lens of purpose.
Build your ideal life. No joke: Once I uncovered my Purpose Statement I lost weight, started my business, clarified my vision, and many more positive ‘side effects’ from the process.

And so, so much more.

Purpose Statement of Sparkler Jodi Allan, shared with permission.

If you attended Spark, review your Purpose Statement and ask yourself how you are living and working in alignment with it. If you didn’t attendSpark and don’t have a written Purpose Statement yet, start with some reflection. Pull out a journal or open a new document and conduct some self-discovery. For example:

What activities light you up?
What makes you lose track of time and feel stronger afterwards?
What challenge, concern, or problem would you love to solve?
What do you most want people to remember about you?
When do you feel at your very best – like you’re doing exactly what you’re meant to do?

See where these questions take you. Ask more of them (check the Journaling Challenge on my Instagram for ideas). Then let your answers start guiding you to work with meaning and live with purpose.

** If you want to uncover your purpose and put it into action in your work, leadership, and life, feel free to contact my office about hosting Spark within your organization, or about coaching possibilities.

Thinking, Doing, and Gratitude – Where You Can Make A Difference

Christi Hegstad May 30th, 2016

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”

Oscar Wilde

Coaching Tip for the Week:

Lately, how often have you thought:

I need to send him a thank-you note.
I want to post a testimonial about their company.
She’s wearing fatigues – I should thank her for her service.
His Facebook posts are so uplifting – why haven’t I “liked” and shared them?

Thinking grateful thoughts is terrific. Acting on them is even better!

This week, give someone the thanks they deserve.

Whether it’s someone who provides above-and-beyond service, who fills his Facebook feed with thoughtful content, who gave you a second chance, who puts themselves in harm’s way in order to keep you safe, who uplifts you with their writing or product or attention…

Say thank you. Write a thank-you note. Publicly thank them via social media. Send an email or text.

Don’t let your grand intentions disappear as fleeting thoughts. This week, act on them!

Who will you thank this week? Share your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Dr. Christi Hegstad coaches you to live, work, and lead with meaning and purpose!

A certified and award-winning coach, author, and speaker, Christi is a recognized leadership and professional development expert. She has received such honors as NAWBO Iowa Business Owner of the Year, Forty Under 40, Forbes Coaches Council, and is current president of ICF Iowa. She is a frequently sought-after speaker and writer, contributing to Forbes, The Huffington Post, Des Moines Business Record, ICF, and more.

Connect with Christi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or by email.

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