Why Coaching Gets Me Fired Up
In my first blog post I shared a bit of the backstory on launching The Ben Kiker Group. I ended that post by netting out what a great coach does: connect with people, understand what’s going on, cut through the noise and identify a path forward.
As I look back over my career, that approach is the one I followed every time. The time I didn’t? I was experiencing a personal crisis that clouded my authentic self.
You could say that I’ve actually been a coach throughout my career!
Why focus on coaching now? Normally I’d talk about “Three Things” (more on that in a later blog post), but I’m breaking with tradition by offering up Five Things:
1) Coaching has always been the favorite part of my job! I believe 100% in the following quote: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
2) I've been fortunate to have many people who helped me throughout my journey, and this a great way for me to 'pay it forward.' A great example: last month I had a call with a former team member who’s gone on to bigger things in his career. He had offers from two great companies, and both roles were big, 'meaty' exec-level positions. We spent an hour going through the “pull up!” exercise (a future blog post, for sure) to help him formulate a path forward in the final stage of evaluation and selection.
3) Work shouldn’t suck! You may not love your job (although I hope you do), but your job shouldn’t be a soul-sucking, fear-inducing way to earn a paycheck.
4) I love seeing people succeed and experience genuine satisfaction in what they’re doing (see the previous bullet; work shouldn’t suck).
5) I know a ton of super talented people who, like me, love to help others and are fun to work with. Working with them isn't really work. I also love connecting them with other high-quality, no drama, GSD people (see #3 again - work shouldn’t suck).
Speaking of talented people, this is a perfect opportunity for me to recognize and thank the incredibly talented team who played an instrumental role in bringing my brand and website to life: Todd Lenz with Lenz and Associates, Andrew Maskall and Dave Powell with the London-based design firm Brand Fusion and my longtime collaborator, Anne Gottlieb with Anne Ruth Associates.
Thanks again for visiting The Ben Kiker Group and for reading this blog. Let’s stay in touch!