YOUR SYMPTOMS INDICATE A CASE OF COACHING CURIOSITY

Written by Teresa Malcolm, MD, FACOG, MBA, CPE, CPXP, ACC

You’ve heard your colleagues talk about it. You’ve Googled it. Maybe you’ve even visited a couple of websites, tried a complimentary session or two, but you haven’t committed.

Do you have a case of the coaching queries?

Well, leader friend, by all appearances, you do. Your investigation is a sign of interest that something is rumbling inside, and I’d like to offer some information to soothe your curiosity, like a cup of mentholated tea soothes a scratchy throat. I’m a coach and a physician who overcame my ‘queries’ and have helped hundreds of other physicians remedy their cases of curiosity about coaching.

Here are seven reasons why physician coaching is what the doctor ordered for the inquisitive:

1. Clarity about what matters most.

In every coach’s doctor bag is the mantra to coach the client, not the problem. This means coaching provides time to focus on YOU and your agenda. Designated time to focus on what you want is rare, and coaching is 100% client-focused. What is important to you? What do you want vs. what are well-intentioned people telling you that you should want? Coaching taps into your values and your core motivations to help you gain clarity about what matters to you and then identify what steps to take next.

2. Understand what’s in your way.

You’ve figured out what you want, but an obstacle is blocking your path. What is it, and why can’t you pass it by? Coaching explores your roadblocks – jaundiced assumptions that you have about yourself, a situation, and others. It disrupts base beliefs that stop your success and helps you move away from a binary model of right vs. wrong. By reframing the internal, negative story that is holding you back with an empowering story full of potential, you can tell the saboteur to move aside and get out of your way.

3. Real, honest conversations.

When was the last time you shared a challenge with someone who could quickly get to the heart of the matter without knowing all the details? A physician coach is trained to zoom in and help you see yourself by asking thought-provoking questions. We speak physician speak, share in the physician experience, and know your struggle on a personal level. That saves time explaining extemporaneous particulars because a physician coach is “on-call” for you. We are free of outside distractions during a session and exclusively focused on your goals. The entire conversation is confidential, so you can openly express emotions in a safe space and say what is on your mind. A physician coach will, in turn, validate your emotions and respond with empathy.

4. Inspires actions to further your goals.

We’ve all received a suggestion or a piece of advice prefaced with, “Here’s what you should do to succeed.” Afterward, you think to yourself, “Mmhmm, that does not work for me.” Rather than telling you what to do, coaches invite you to explore multiple possibilities and choose a well-designed action that motivates you. As mentioned earlier, coaching is client-focused, so providing you with the space to design steps aligned with your values and move you closer toward achieving your goals is the coach’s aim. A coach helps you discover your inspiring and intrinsic motivations.

5. Opportunity to strategize with a trusted partner.

Strategy is about decision-making, and two minds are better than one when you have a decision to make. A coach is in your corner and is someone you can trust to deeply listen as you brainstorm or express “think-alouds” without judgment. Coaches excel in pointing out blind spots and shifting your focus from impossibility to possibility. Aha moments fuel strategic thinking. Ultimately, you are responsible for your actions and success, but a coach partners with you in deciding when to say yes and when to say no.

6. Unstick from your area of struggle.

A common theme expressed by my clients is not knowing exactly how to handle a problem or an issue. They have been unable to handle it themselves and feel stuck. For a super smart, high-performing, problem-solving physician like yourself, being stuck is frustrating. Getting unstuck and moving forward is the intention of coaching. It helps you draw from your past experiences and expertise while incorporating inner wisdom so you can take powerful action. Your coach assumes that you possess the resources necessary to address your area of struggle and helps you view it from a different perspective to find a solution.

7. Start with a fresh perspective.

When was the last time you tried something for the first time? How did your inner narrative change from maneuvering around a learning curve? Coaching encourages you to imagine problems from a different perspective and to experiment with new ways of thinking. Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Coaching gives you access to a broader set of perspectives to change how you see the problems and people around you.

I hope this recommended treatment plan solved your case of the queries.

How will you treat your case of curiosity? ☤

Teresa Malcolm, MD, FACOG, MBA, CPXP, CPE, ACC, is a physician executive coach who partners with healthcare organizations to transform their physician community by empowering them as leaders. She is the Founder and CEO of Master Physician Leaders, a coaching firm committed to cultivating inclusivity, compassion, and excellence in physicians.