I must thank Dr. John Bethell in Australia for posting this thought provoking comment on a recent American College of Physician Executive's Linked In group site. There are, as of this posting, 25 comments in response to this question. Of course, I couldn't help but add my two cents. The respondents include physician leaders and physician coaches. Questions asked pertain to the inevitable question of "ROI," the distinction between mentoring and coaching, the definition of "need" of a coach, versus desiring of a coach, "what is coaching," and who is capable of being a "coach?"
As I've worked on my own growth as a former nurse and "technician," and as I work with healthcare and physician leaders, I am impressed with the challenge we have of relinquishing our desire to be, and to be seen as "experts," in service to learning and collaboration. As "experts," the idea of asking for help and admitting "not knowing," or vulnerability can be scary. Yet, if we were to look at the research re: medical errors, isn't it the facade of "knowing it all," and complacency that is amongst the higher contributing factors to patient incidents? At what point do we find that balance between knowing as much as we can in service to the patient, and recognizing that we will never "know it all," and our greatest service may be in gaining awareness of the questions and joining others in discovering the answers? And how do we shift gears in being that "expert" for the patient, and a fellow learner with other healthcare colleagues on issues of systems' change to support long term patient health and wellness?
So, back to Dr. Bethell's question......should doctor's use a professional coach to keep them at the top of their game?
The question of "should" imposes some standard or judgment. My preference is to remove judgment and to answer the question of "can you benefit from using a professional coach to stay at the top of your game?" At the risk of your irritation, I'll answer with a question: "How much is it worth to you to be at the top of your game?"
Coaching operates from a philosophy that our clients have their answers... it is the coach's responsibility to ask questions and offer observations to help them discover those answers. I am confident that in your answering the question above, you will arrive at YOUR right answer!
As I've worked on my own growth as a former nurse and "technician," and as I work with healthcare and physician leaders, I am impressed with the challenge we have of relinquishing our desire to be, and to be seen as "experts," in service to learning and collaboration. As "experts," the idea of asking for help and admitting "not knowing," or vulnerability can be scary. Yet, if we were to look at the research re: medical errors, isn't it the facade of "knowing it all," and complacency that is amongst the higher contributing factors to patient incidents? At what point do we find that balance between knowing as much as we can in service to the patient, and recognizing that we will never "know it all," and our greatest service may be in gaining awareness of the questions and joining others in discovering the answers? And how do we shift gears in being that "expert" for the patient, and a fellow learner with other healthcare colleagues on issues of systems' change to support long term patient health and wellness?
So, back to Dr. Bethell's question......should doctor's use a professional coach to keep them at the top of their game?
The question of "should" imposes some standard or judgment. My preference is to remove judgment and to answer the question of "can you benefit from using a professional coach to stay at the top of your game?" At the risk of your irritation, I'll answer with a question: "How much is it worth to you to be at the top of your game?"
Coaching operates from a philosophy that our clients have their answers... it is the coach's responsibility to ask questions and offer observations to help them discover those answers. I am confident that in your answering the question above, you will arrive at YOUR right answer!
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