Rebel in the ranks

From the vantage of the Coach House porch, I’m becoming a bit of a rebel. Just a bit.

See, I’ve trained as a life coach and as a performance coach and I do believe, with the conviction that comes from seeing changes—some small, some startling, some snowballing—that coaching can make a difference in people’s lives.

But I’m starting to be turned off by the entire self-help industry that’s developing. Take the outpouring of books and the promises in their titles and I’m beginning to suspect that something’s out of synch when the shelves are full of the same book— maybe the title’s different except the verb’s in the imperative.

And the jargon! That’s the crunch for me. I am always suspicious of movements that develop their own jargon, creating smug insiders.

I think it should all be a lot simpler. This weblog is me grumbling a little, reflecting on creativity in coaching and waiting for others to chime in on this conversation.