Coaching for veterinarians: what it is and how to know if you need it

What is coaching?

Coaching is professional training designed to help a veterinarian produce extraordinary results in their life, career, business or organization, by helping them close the gap between where they are now and where they want to go.

Coaching is a powerful human relationship in which experienced coaches help a veterinarian design their own future. A coach helps the professional build a vision and goals for every aspect of their life and create multiple strategies to support reaching those goals. Coaches recognize the brilliance of each professional and their personal power to find solutions, with accountability and a positive mindset.

How does a coach's work actually unfold?

The coach's responsibility is mainly to uncover the veterinarian's professional goals · encourage self-discovery · bring clarity to the solutions and strategies the client envisions for their professional growth.

This process helps the veterinarian dramatically improve their career prospects while sharpening their leadership skills and unlocking their full potential.

Where did the concept of coaching come from?

Historically, there have always been coaches in every society. They might have been the town priest, the shaman, an elder (a grandparent, an uncle) or some other mentor. Before professional training evolved, coaching was a term used mostly in the arts, in athletics and in the corporate world. Many executives hired outside consultants as coaches or mentors to give them an external, impartial view of their business strategy and also to get support with their personal lives.

Today coaching spans an enormous range of disciplines, and the general public can find a personal coach to help them reach their biggest personal and professional goals and aspirations.

What is the philosophy behind coaching?

The philosophy behind coaching is that we, as human beings, carry immeasurable energy, wisdom and abilities that need to be set in motion. We can build the life we want quickly and easily by partnering with a coach who helps us tap into those resources and reach our full potential.

Positive psychology and solution-focused therapies are the forerunners of modern coaching. Instead of seeking to cure a pathology, these approaches focus on behavior change through awareness of the choices we make, in order to reach the desired outcomes and find solutions to current problems.

Why has coaching grown at record pace?

We are at a moment where the practice of coaching keeps growing and evolving. Why? Simply because it works.

A 2014 study found that, among people who received help from a coach: 80% improved their self-confidence · 73% improved their personal relationships · 72% improved their communication skills · 70% improved their performance at work · 61% improved their management ability · 57% began managing their time better · 51% improved their team's performance.

A veterinarian can benefit from coaching's holistic approach to build a more rewarding, fulfilling life and to find and reach their dreams.