Is coaching right for you?

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Is it indulgent to spend your time, money and energy on retaining a coach for yourself?

Shouldn't you be able to figure it out on your own?

These are questions you might ask yourself. They're the questions I asked myself before investing in a coach.

Here's my take. You can, absolutely, try to figure it all out on your own. You're smart, resourceful and capable. You may get the results you want. Nobody questions your capacity or ability. However, working with a coach may help you get to the results you want, faster and with greater ease. It may lead you down a path where you discover something you didn't know was possible. Working with a coach gets you out of your head. It gives you outside perspective that you wouldn't have if you were on your own, thinking about - or ruminating over - a longstanding challenge, problem or opportunity.

I have found it helpful to work with coaches when I have made big changes or pursued big goals. I worked with a coach when I decided to leave law to become a coach; I worked with a coach to achieve a goal that was important but not urgent - creating my podcast; and, most recently, I joined a coach-led mastermind to grow my coaching practice. I'm also a member of virtual coaching programs and spend much of my time listening to coaching calls and receiving ongoing coaching.

I don't expect you to jump into coaching to the same degree as me. However, coaching is a practice just like law is a practice. It's performed by professionals who commit thousands of hours to train themselves and perfect their craft. You would not expect a non-lawyer litigant to seamlessly navigate the rules of court or pitch a perfect argument to a judge. Similarly, you would not expect a non-coach to be able to partner with you and help you achieve your goals with the same level of skill or expertise as a professionally trained coach.

What else do you need to know? What's the investment worth to you? Investing in yourself can feel scary, especially if you're not used to it. Like law, coaching isn't a tangible product that you can hold in your hand. It's a service that is measured by your perception of "success". That said, investing in yourself signals that you're serious. When I commit to my coach, I actually commit to myself and to following through on my goals. Perhaps the same would be true for you.

Would coaching help you? If you feel stuck, frustrated, overwhelmed or unsure about your practice OR if you're on the brink of making a bold decision that could change your career in dramatic ways, coaching can help you get the results you're seeking with greater certainty, clarity and speed. You also get the benefit of opening yourself up to a new way of thinking, so that you can effectively coach yourself. 

Here are some telltale signs that it might be time to speak with a coach: 

• You feel yourself seeking permission to say "yes" to a promising but terrifying opportunity.
• You want to know what else is out there.
• You crave validation that, yes, you're in the right place and doing a great job, even if you sometimes second guess yourself.
• You want help getting on top of your practice so that you feel calm and confident instead of rushed and always behind.

If you're thinking about hiring a coach, here are some questions to get you started:

• What decision are you not making right now?
• What about your practice do you deeply want to change?
• What's holding you back from making a decision?
• What would change for you if you made a decision and moved forward?
• How could working with a coach help you do that? 
• What do you want most from working with a coach?

Lawyers come to me for all sorts of reasons. Some examples include:

• Getting more control over your practice
• Better managing your time 
• Overcoming procrastination
• Setting boundaries
• Navigating career transitions
• Strategic career planning 
• Goal setting
• Long term career support
• Developing your skills as a leader
• Overcoming fear, self-doubt and lack of confidence
• Managing stress and overwhelm
• Making difficult decisions
• Improving the overall quality of your professional and personal life

Do any of these resonate with you?

Whether you struggle with a cluttered desk and missed appointments, or you're perfectly organized yet perfectly miserable, I can help. When you work with me, we get beyond surface problems to understand what's really going on. From there, we develop long term solutions that give you lasting results instead of bandaid solutions that leave you reverting right back to where you are now.

How To Work With Me as Your Coach

I coach lawyers virtually by having sessions over Zoom. You come prepared to roll up your sleeves and answer tough questions.  I come prepared to help you get what you came for. Our conversations are entirely about you: your goals, your values, your blind spots and your mindset. We identify steps you can take and I offer resources, tools and strategies to help you make progress between sessions. 

I will tell you that my most successful clients are the ones who come with an open mind, tell the truth and are willing to be uncomfortable in order to grow. Don't worry - you have me to support you, celebrate your wins and give you my undivided attention as you reports about what's happening the trenches.

Based on my experience working with lawyers, I offer the following coaching structures:

1) Deep Dive (90 minutes + 30 minutes)

This option is ideal if you have a discrete goal or problem you want to dive into or you're new to coaching and want to try it out. In our Deep Dive sessions, you will gain clarity, momentum and an action plan, coupled with a follow up session for accountability. 

2) Transition (120 minutes + 5 x 60 minutes)

This option is ideal for you if you want to change jobs, develop a strategy to excel where you are, enhance your leadership skills, transition back to work after parental leave, improve your time management skills, improve your communication skills with colleagues and clients, raise your profile, distinguish yourself through your personal brand, increase your confidence at work or develop strategies to better manage stress and challenges at work.  You'll have the opportunity to uncover your unique strengths and skills, develop clear goals and expand your capacity for growth as you work through your transition with my support.

3) Transformation (120 minutes + 11 x 60 minutes)

This option is ideal for you if you want to anchor internal transformational shifts that go beyond external transition. The difference between transitional and transformational change is the level of depth: you change who you are, not just how you are. Your desire for transformation means that you're willing to answer questions that bring to light your unconscious thinking, assumptions and biases so that you can question them and decide where they fit, if at all, going forward. You are highly motivated to know yourself at a profound level and establish a solid foundation on which you can build your professional identity as a leader and trusted advisor. The goals you set for yourself in our work together go beyond what you want to accomplish. Your transformation will go to the heart of who you need to become to effect the impact you seek to make through your professional work.

Contact me

If you're interested in discussing how we can work together, please contact me for a 30 minute free consult. In addition to the recommended packages, I'm open to customizing options that would help you meet your goals. 

To set up a consult, please email me at pprice@uplevellawyercoaching.com or complete the submission form below.