Abstract
This study begins by introducing the concept of change and defining transition. The study has chosen two case studies based on career and health transitions and provided a snippet of how a coach would handle these transitions. Further, the study has provided a personal approach to these transitions using different approaches suggested by the researchers. Finally, the paper has given a detailed outline of how these approaches and strategies have impacted the personal perspective of the researcher. It concludes by summarizing all the issues discussed in the paper.
Introduction
Change is the only constant process in the world and is inevitable. According to Zatloukal et al. (2023), the average human experience changes every 12-18 months. This includes moving to a new city, starting a new career, having a baby, starting a new course, and getting into new sports. Change makes people feel off-balance and question their goals, purpose, and sense of self. However, when a transition is effectively done and given the required support, it can lead to a transformation (Sylvain Boet et al., 2023).
Coaching is one of the methods that aid individuals in transition. The International Coaching Federation defined coaching as joining clients in a creative, thought-provoking process to encourage them to maximize their potential (Sylvain Boet et al., 2023). Coaching is done through one-on-one communication whereby the coach listens, inquires questions, and gives feedback to the client on the transition. This paper will evaluate career and health transitions and how coaches can tackle them.
Career Transition
Career transition involves the process of changing and pursuing a new career. Moving from one workplace to start a new career is challenging because of the decisions and sacrifices one must make. One challenge, which clients may experience in career transition, is building a new network (Amitabh, 2021). Most jobs require a solid professional network, which may be difficult to establish in a new job. Another challenge is the fear of starting over again, mainly impacting people with established careers (Amitabh, 2021). This challenge is common for people wanting to quit formal employment and start investment.
For instance, when Jeff Bezos was quitting his lucrative job to start Amazon, an online book-selling platform, he feared starting over. However, he was determined, and when he explained his ambition to leave the top manager position, he was given 48 hours to decide (Amitabh, 2021). Jeff used the regret minimization framework, which evaluates the level of mental regret a person will have after a particular decision. The framework showed that he would regret more in the 80s when he had a business idea that he never gave a trial than he would regret quitting his job (Amitabh, 2021). This led him to quit his job and start his own company, and he is now a multi-billionaire.
In such a scenario, a career coach would be helpful in the transition process to ensure that the client gets to the next career successfully. Whether the client has quit voluntarily or been fired, career coaches are essential in helping them move to their next career. They do this by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the client, helping them create an attractive resume, and then placing them in their next job (Amitabh, 2021). In addition, the coach helps the client with the emotional and lifestyle changes that come with career transitioning, such as moving to new places. The coach can provide the client with general social knowledge of the new work environment and suggest some methods that can be used to create new networks.
Health Transitioning
Health is another life-transitioning chance that has been gaining quick momentum. People have noted the importance of active, healthy living in the last decades; hence, there has been an increased level of healthy eating, physical exercises, and regular checkups. These initiatives help individuals live a healthy lifestyle free from diseases or to prevent various diseases from advancing.
However, this transition may require some lifestyle adjustments, including dropping habits such as eating junk foods, drinking alcohol, and stopping cigarette smoking. Transitioning from the dormant to a new healthy lifestyle may have severe mental and physical consequences for the client (Parry et al., 2021). This is because some unhealthy habits, such as smoking, are addictive and, hence not easy to drop. Therefore, these people need a transition coach to accept their new lives.
A health transition coach is essential in such a situation to ensure a smooth transition from a dormant to an active, healthy lifestyle. The coach would do this by eliminating the transition barriers that the client may experience and facilitating the achievement of benefits (Parry et al., 2021). This coaching process helps put the patient in a state of critical thinking, encouraging them to welcome the transition positively.
What I Would Do as a Professional Coach
Career Transitioning
The first step would be to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the client using psychometric tests to know the kind of person they are. Then, they figure out their dream careers by evaluating their passion and previous jobs to ensure they are realistic about what they want (Terblanche, 2019). I would then help create a career plan that clearly outlines the skills needed in the new career, education level, networking capability, possible companies to work for, and the salary they are likely to provide. Since the client cannot use the previous resume to apply for the desired career, I would help them develop an updated resume. Career transition coaches have proved essential in helping people develop professional resumes (Terblanche, 2019).
If the client is seeking another job, the career coach will help them find the right organizations to find the desired jobs. This will ensure they can easily search for the desired job at the right place to reduce wasted time. The next step will be to teach my client how to network because it is essential to change in the workplace (Terblanche, 2019). This includes helping the client connect with people who can help them with their professional relationships and determining how to utilize them to become successful.
The other step would involve assessing the interview skills of the client. It would involve teaching them how to answer common interview questions and how to impress the panel (Terblanche, 2019). Once the job is offered, it is crucial to negotiate the salary and ensure the client is paid the desired or most feasible salary for their services. It is essential to include other benefits, such as insurance and retirement packages, which shall be included in the salary. Finally, I will conduct follow-ups to ensure clients do not give up on their careers. This will be by providing inspiration and guidance on how these people can achieve success.
Health Transitioning
In the case of health transitioning, the first step would be engaging with the client to know their current medical conditions. This conversation gives clients more confidence and trust to talk freely about their issues (Lin et al., 2021). In addition, this will allow the client to let go of the transition coaching. This is whereby the client accepts to take the first step in a healthy direction when they realize that the best decision is to let go.
After the client has accepted health transition coaching, the next step would be goal setting, whereby the coach and the client will work together to create a path of interest (Lin et al., 2021). These goals will act as a guiding path toward achieving healthy lies. For instance, if the client wants to lose 20 kilograms, their progress will be determined by the processes they can take to lose those kilograms.
The next step is analyzing the client by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses, values and beliefs, and past behavioral patterns. I will then build a vision with the client to empower them because it is essential for their mental health (Lin et al., 2021). As a coach, I should be able to show my clients and walk them through the future. For instance, if it is losing weight, I need to show them how life will be after they lose weight and become healthy. The final step is implementing transition coaching, which will include keeping clients accountable for their happiness and teaching them the steps to take further. For instance, they can start hydrating often, going to the gym, avoiding junk food, and stopping smoking and drinking alcohol.
Personal Reflection
The coaching topics discussed above will help to improve the coaching process. I have learned that different types of transitions require different coaching styles and procedures, which make them more effective (Parry et al., 2021). For instance, in career coaching, studying the strengths and weaknesses of a person comes at the firm stage; in health coaching, it comes at the middle stages. This shows that the procedures are different depending on the scenario experienced. I will use this implication in my coaching session to ensure that I am flexible and adjust to the different procedures based on an individual’s transition.
Another important lesson is that the coaching process has to cater to the emotional well-being of the clients. The main reason these clients require transition coaching is that they are changing from their previous everyday lives. This change comes with many emotional changes, so the coach must learn to understand and help the client’s feelings (Sylvain Boet et al., 2023). Coaches do this by empowering the clients, ensuring that their clients experience a smooth transition. Finally, these approaches will positively impact me because I will learn how to overcome transitions. In addition, I am more aware of the main challenges I will likely experience in case of a transition, which shows that I can better manage them.
Conclusion
Change is inevitable, and it is best to get ready to accept and embrace it. Different types of transitions include career, retirement, education, and health. All these come with different challenges; therefore, a transition coach must know the correct approaches to use when helping clients in these transitions. This paper has focused on career and health transitions by providing a guideline for coaching through them. It is important to note that the different transition models require different approaches. This is because of the difference in the dynamics of the transitions and the type of help needed. This study finishes by reflecting on the topic and its implications.
References
Amitabh, U. (2021). The right way to make a big career transition. Harvard Business Review. Web.
Lin, S., Xiao, L. D., Chamberlain, D., Ullah, S., Wang, Y., Shen, Y., Chen, Z., & Wu, M. (2021). Nurse-led health coaching programme to improve hospital-to-home transitional care for stroke survivors: A randomized controlled trial. Patient Education and Counseling, 12(2). Web.
Parry, C., Johnston-Fleece, M., Johnson, M. C., Shifreen, A., & Clauser, S. B. (2021). Patient-centered approaches to transitional care research and implementation. Medical Care, 59(Suppl 4), S330–S335. Web.
Sylvain Boet, Etherington, C., Dion, P.-M., Desjardins, C., Kaur, M., Ly, V., Manon Denis-LeBlanc, Andreas, C., & Abi Sriharan. (2023). Impact of coaching on physician wellness: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0281406–e0281406. Web.
Terblanche, N. H. D. (2019). Transformative transition coaching: a framework to facilitate transformative learning during career transitions. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(2), 1–28. Web.
Zatloukal, L., Matulayová, T., Jurníčková, P., Matulayová, N., Doležel, J., & Šlechtová, H. (2023). Using solution-focused coaching in social work practice with the long-term unemployed to promote their well-being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6). Web.