Habits of an Effective Coach: Habit 2- Have the End in Mind
HAVE THE END IN MIND: THE NEXT STEP IN COACHING IMPROVEMENT
As a coach, it is your responsibility to mould an ordinary person into a successful individual. Every course of action used by a coach must be beneficial to the person being coached. This is why it is very important to have a clear plan and vision of what success should be, and this is where this second habit comes into play.
A clear vision of the end result
It is always easier to do something when you have a clear idea on what kinds of results you want to achieve, and this is ‘what having the end in mind’ means. As Stephen Covey mentioned in his book titled, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” there are 7 fundamental habits effective people commonly share, and one of these habits is ‘having the end in mind’. Why is it an effective way to become effective yourself and who can use this technique in their everyday life?
Why does having the end in mind help in becoming an effective, productive and successful Coach?
According to Stephen Covey, there are two basic steps of creation and that we create things twice. These are the planning and implementation stages. This is when you act on your plans to create results.
His famous example on this subject is building a house. A carpenter would first create blueprints of the house before hammering away. Everything is planned first. It includes what materials to use, how high the walls will be, where the door will be placed, what kind of window to use and so on. Through conceptualization, the carpenter has already finished the house; he now has the pattern he needs to base everything he will do to implement those conceptualized blueprints. So in a sense, he already has the end result, the house, in his mind.
Knowing how everything falls into place is a great insight which can do wonders in your coaching career. Knowing exactly what will happen in the future is not possible. However, helping others to create their own future and helping them draw plans on how to achieve them is very much possible.
How to apply this method as a coach?
In Stephen Covey’s book, he enumerates the kinds of people who need this kind of habit to better improve their lives. According to him, this habit can be used by people from all walks of life. As a coach, especially a business coach, the ability to conceptualize future scenarios that can lead to success and create methods on how to achieve them is very important. Creating a successful business is the same as building a house. It all depends on how good the plans are for it to become strong and stable.
As a coach, you are the one who will pave the way for your clients. You are the one who is shaping the future and is the main person who will plan their success, which is why incorporating habit 2 of Stephen Covey’s book is essential to become effective. Having the end in mind transforms coaches into guides for people who want to travel the road to success, because for you to be a good guide, you should already know where success is and how to get there.
Create a powerful day!
Cherry A. Collier, Ph.D., MCC, CNLPMC, RCC, CPCC
Chief Collaboration Officer, Master Certified Executive Coach & Inclusion Strategist
Personality Matters Incorporated provides many services including coaching, leadership, and organizational development. It is Personality Matters, Inc.’s goal to help facilitate the necessary resources and tools to help individuals and organizations grow to achieve their goals.
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Sources:
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Free Press: 1989
http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-coveys-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-2012-7#!CbUn4
http://www.businessballs.com/sevenhabitsstevencovey.htm
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