Want to get great at something? Get a coach!

We all have our blind spots – things that we normally overlook or don’t know about ourselves. How we see ourselves is always different from how others see us. This is part of the human condition, part of what it means to be human. Yet there is a highly effective solution: Get a coach!

Effective coaching provides a person with an additional point of view. It allows them to see parts of themselves that they would not otherwise see. My intent in working with anyone is to help them see parts of themselves that they might otherwise not notice or be able to see. With that additional perspective they are free to decide whether they wish to make any changes or not.

Dr. Atul Gawande is a highly accomplished individual and great at what he does. He was also interested in the question of how others become great at what they do, and he made a serious effort to understand this.

Dr. Gawande gave his answer in a TED Talk delivered in Vancouver, BC recently. I invite you consider the arguments he makes in his talk and see if you agree.

I coach software engineers and engineering teams. I provide them with a view of how they are doing what they do and ideas that they can try on if they wish to do so. If you would like to discuss coaching for software engineering professionals, either for yourself or for others, please contact me.

I look forward to talking with you!