Debby Tarrh, My Coaching Progress

Posted on November 7th, 2012 by Debby Tarrh

I like to think about how far I have come since my introduction to coaching. My first introduction to coaching was the Elite course through the DSWA. After just my first day at coach school, I realized that what I had been doing with what I learned in Elite was not coaching, that I was still training but through questions. I was coloring the water by suggesting ideas in questions. I thought I was doing a great job, but what a difference I have seen in the clients (team members) since attending coach school.

I will never forget my first day at coach school, I am a very reserved person and after that first day, I had some perceptions of what coach school was going to be and it terrified me.  I thought I was going to be asked to coach someone in front of the whole class and then be critiqued.  I called home in tears and told my husband that I had made a mistake and I wanted to come home.  I am so glad I did not act on my fears, because this experience has changed my life.

The first day of school did help me realize that what I thought I was doing in coaching my team was not coaching at all. It was thinking I knew what was best for them and using that agenda to form questions to direct the way the “conversation” should go. 

What I discovered is that coaching was helping others to discover that they have the answers and to put action to their discoveries.  I felt a freedom in discovering that I didn’t have to know it all or have all the answers, and to see people as whole and not needing to be fixed.  I have heard time after time how coaching people on my team has turned around negative thinking or helped them to focus on goals, how it has helped their business and helped with communicating with other advisers on our team.

I feel because of coaching school I am growing and developing my people and communication skills, by learning things like verbal and nonverbal communication, using body language, tone and fluctuation of my voice. Learning to speak their language through DiSC and learning how to be a heart centered listener, by quieting my inner voice to listen to the client, instead of thinking I have all the answers and thinking of what I am going to say next to fix it for them.

From my terrified introduction to graduation, the DSWA Coach Excellence program has opened my eyes.