“What do you do?” came that inescapable question from the successful businessman.

“I’m a coach,” I said.

“Oh really, what sport?”

“Life.”

“So can you fix me?” he asked.

“Nope,” I replied, “because you’re not broken.”

He looked disappointed for a moment. I get it. If we are feeling at odds, finding ourselves struggling, suffering in some way, it’s easy to see it as a flaw, being broken.

Wouldn’t it be handy if MacGyver could come along and flip the breaker switch or patch us up with a pencil and a stick of chewing gum?

A core principle of coaching is that we are not defective: instead, perhaps, just stuck in some habitual patterns, operating under unhelpful assumptions or beliefs with potential gaps in our knowledge that altogether are not serving us.

All amendable with enough awareness, tools and support.

Another fundamental rule of coaching is that all the answers we need are already within. We just may not be able to see them clearly.

A coach can help us to dig deep and uncover those buried treasures, but the role is not to advise.

Our personal circumstances and approach are unique so someone else’s experience may not be applicable. Following another’s path also offers little sense of ownership over our results or our confidence to self-manage in the future.

So if it’s all up to the individual, I give no advice and can’t ‘fix’ anyone, what is it I actually do as a coach?

I have conversations: I inquire, listen, offer feedback, show up, challenge, encourage, share.

I try to keep an open mind and an attitude of curiosity and become a mirror so that people can see themselves and their behaviour more clearly. I care about the people I work with.

What’s the benefit?

Sometimes just having the space and time to talk, without judgment, interruption or someone else’s agenda to consider is the win in itself. How often do we feel deeply listened to?

Coaching is an opportunity to hear ourselves think. It is a powerful process putting thoughts into words; equally so, hearing them reflected back to us.

Great awareness comes from recognising what we are or have been saying to ourselves. Seeing our behaviour reflected and being challenged on language, thinking or actions that we’ve become blind to or habitual, allows us greater personal control.

We are then able to take action on it. Accountability often makes the difference between achieving positive change or not.

Having a coach to share successes with and remind us of our personal commitments is great support — especially one who encourages us with evidence of our strengths, which we may be otherwise quick to dismiss.

Limiting beliefs and assumptions can be so deeply rooted they feel like truths.

We often need a sounding board and alternative perspective to see them for what they are.

A good coach can challenge and offer insights as you work towards your desired outcomes.

There isn’t any fixing and no chewing gum required but there is obviously something to it. The number of coaches on the Island has more than tripled since I began practising here four years ago. Bermuda is catching up with the US and UK in recognising the value of coaching for its profound personal/corporate development potential.

Get in touch if you would like to know more about coaching and how it may benefit you.

• Julia Pitt is a trained success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on (441) 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com