“I don’t suffer with Imposter Syndrome because of it” – 7 years after coaching. How coaching impacted this CTO
“I don’t suffer with Imposter Syndrome because of it.”
That was a comment made to me this morning, which inspired me to write this letter to you.
The comment was made by one of my very first coaching clients, a Chief Information Technology and AI Officer who I originally worked with back in 2019.
We were catching up and chatting about the coaching we’d done together and it was lovely to hear that, seven years later, he still actively uses many of the models and tools I introduced him to. The Wheel of Life and OK Corral being just two (IYKYK 😊).
But it was the comment about Imposter Syndrome that really made me stop and think.
Do you ever hesitate before suggesting coaching to one of your good people because you wonder how they’ll interpret it? Let me know.
When I meet potential coaching clients for the first time, there can still be some uncertainty around what being offered coaching actually means.
Some of the questions I’m asked are: Is it therapy? Is there something wrong with my performance? Does asking for help show weakness? Am I being managed out?
And actually, when you think about what has traditionally been rewarded in the legal profession – knowing the answer, being capable, coping, pushing through – I can understand why those thoughts come up.
You might see someone who's doing really well but who you think would benefit from some space to think and work a few things through. But the last thing you want is for offering coaching to land as, “The People Team thinks there’s something wrong with me.”
It made me wonder whether we need to get better at positioning coaching for what it can be:
an investment in someone because we value them and want them to continue developing, rather than something we introduce because something has gone wrong.
If you’ve got someone in mind but you’re unsure how to introduce coaching without it feeling remedial, hit reply. I’m very happy to share how I’ve seen firms position that conversation well.
To talk about this feels particularly relevant in August. Because annual leave can give someone just enough distance from the day-to-day to start questioning things they've been tolerating when they're busy:
Is this workload sustainable? Am I getting the development I need? Do I actually want the next step if this is what it looks like?
And perhaps the question isn't only:
“How do we keep our good people?”
Perhaps it's also:
“How are we helping our good people thrive and progress here?”
I wonder if you're already having some of those conversations as you look towards September? Is coaching coming up as a relevant consideration?
My conversation this morning was a lovely reminder that the impact of investing in someone's development can last considerably longer than the coaching itself. Seven years later, he's still using it.
If someone has been coming to mind as you've read this, message me and let's have a chat. We can talk about them, what you're seeing and whether coaching would actually be the right intervention.
Warm wishes
Vikki
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Hi 👋🏻 I'm Vikki Pratley, Founder of Skylark and Burnout Prevention Specialist for Law Firms.
Do you wonder why your people seem to be working flat out, yet the firm still isn't seeing the outcomes you'd expect? I help Heads of Department make the transition from being the people who do the work to the leaders who develop the people doing the work - improving performance without relying on constant firefighting or burning people out.
DM me "let’s chat" :-)