International Coaching Week: Is Coaching Worth It?

As I talk with potential coaching clients, the unspoken question is often, “Can I afford this?” In conversations with other coaches, someone will comment, “This person really would benefit from having a coach, but they don’t want to pay for it.”

Christian folks don’t like to talk about money either in the church or as individuals, but let’s set aside our anxiety for a minute and think about this. We can look at this concern from a couple of angles--from that of the coach and from that of the client.

First, most of the coaches that I know are very competent individuals. They bring their own personal experience in working with people to the coaching relationship. The majority have invested time and money in training to practice their craft as skilled professionals. They have invested in being professionally credentialed. Many could be doing other types of work, but they set aside the time to do this specific ministry because they think it is important. As Jesus commented in Matthew 10:9, “The worker is worth of his [sic] keep.” (NIV)

Second, think about this from the client’s perspective. As a worthy disciple, each of us has a mandate to take care of ourselves. As a result, we consult specialists who deal with our various needs-- we have an annual physical with our doctor, we visit the dentist a couple of times a year, we consult an accountant to help with our taxes, and we seek out a lawyer to deal with legal concerns. We do this because we are better when we are healthy, safe, and secure.

In a similar way, we have the opportunity to work with a coach who can help us to be more effective in our lives and ministries. This is not a selfish concern but an effort to become the person that God intends us to be. In so doing, we benefit not only ourselves but others as well.

Although I have many hours of coach training and experience in coaching others, I have a mentor coach who I meet with on a regular basis to help me do better work. This is good not only for me but for those I coach.

If you want to know more about coaching, please contact me at ircelharrison@gmail.com and we can set up a time for free coaching call so that you can learn more.

(This post originally appeared on this blog on May 11, 2017, and is provided here in celebration of International Coaching Week, May 4-10.)

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