5 reasons why you can achieve more with a coach

A coach guides people who want to make progress in their personal or professional life. Traditionally, the coachee reaches out to the coach and sets the goals. At Exellys, we go about coaching in a different way. It’s more of a two-way street: of course, consultants can bring up topics or issues to their coach, but the coach will play a more active role in defining ambitions, talents, objectives and key results. That’s why we don’t refer to them as ‘coaches’, we call them ‘Talent Development Managers’ (TDMs). Their mission is to help you develop your talent. Their goal is to help you thrive and set you apart from your peers.

Maybe you think that you don’t need guidance or coaching, maybe you think you’re perfectly equipped to make it on your own. That may be true, but we’re convinced that everybody can benefit from having a Talent Development Manager. Here are five reasons why having a TDM is better than not having one.

1. Our coaching model is a stepping stone to help you reach new heights.

The Exellys coaching model is like a stool with three legs. The three legs offer stability, but if you take one away, you won’t get the same support as you try to reach for the moon. Following the Three-Legged Coaching Model, the Exellys TDM simultaneously focuses on:

1. Your project (the present): looking at the day-to-day, how is your performance? What’s going well, what have you learned? And what are the points of improvement you should focus on right now?
2. Your career (the future): even if all is going well in the day-to-day, there are always things to be learned and improved. What are your long-term ambitions, which steps do you need to take to get there? How do we fill the gaps in your knowledge and experience?
3. Your goals: Writing down the points from a and b, how can we bring them together into smart objectives and key results (OKRs)? By defining these objectives and linking them to measurable results, you can take steps towards your goal and keep track of your progress on a personal and professional level.

2. A TDM will help you progress faster and further.

There is always room for growth, personal and/or professional. Maybe everything is going perfectly at your client and there are no points of action to improve your project. Then, we look at your ambitions for the future, and your goals on a personal level. When you set your objectives, dream big – that way, there is always something to do, a step to take, a skill to improve. Your TDM will help you understand yourself better, find out where your greatest talents lie and push you to reach your highest potential. He/she will also make sure that on a professional level, you will grow in terms of responsibilities and added value for your client.

Don’t forget, your TDM has your back. He/she will go to your client and see to it that you’re getting enough challenge out of your assignment, so you can keep growing and developing your skills. Your TDM is a neutral third party. As an outsider, they have a helicopter view of the situation. They’re not a direct stakeholder, so they can really look at what’s best for you and your client both. Let’s say you want more responsibilities, and your client claims to have the right challenge for you. Your TDM will take a step back and make sure you also feel that it’s perfect and that you’re not left with a bunch of questions.

3. A TDM will challenge you at every step.

Wait, what? Why would you want that? Well, because your TDM is looking out for your best interest, even when you get in your own way. Maybe you’re the type of person who tends to quit a little bit too easily when the going gets tough. Your TDM won’t just give you a free pass and say: okay, here’s another challenge for you. They will dissect your unhappiness to find the root cause, so you can work towards a more sustainable solution together.

Alternatively, maybe you’re the overly ambitious type. After a few months, you might think you’ve learned all there is to learn, and you’re ready to take on a managing position. Then your TDM might give you a reality check, grab you by the ankles and put you back with your two feet on the ground.

A TDM will also help you broaden your view. Maybe you have certain misconceptions about specific roles or domains within your field. Maybe you’ve always dreamed for working in a dynamic start-up environment, while your personality actually thrives in a more structured, stable environment. Your TDM will offer you a new perspective, or maybe even make you look at something you had never thought of before.

Basically, your TDM won’t always give you what you want, but they will try to give you what you need.

4. A TDM is more than a coach. They’re a mentor and a confidant.

A big difference between a Talent Development Manager and a regular coach, is that your TDM will give you advice based on his or her own experience as well. Our TDM’s are certified coaches but also professionals with hands-on business experience in consultancy or engineering. They’re a treasure chest full of expertise that they’re willing to share.

In a classic coaching relationship, topics and goals are set by the coachee. With Exellys TDM’s, it’s a two-way street. You embark upon a journey of discovery together, to find out where your unique talents lie and how to cultivate them to your best abilities. The TDM not only has a relationship with you as a consultant, but with your client as well. He can take the feedback from both sides and whip it into an action plan with concrete initiatives to help you along the way.

Your TDM is also a trusted advisor, he or she is the person you can go to with anything that’s influencing your job performance – even if that’s something personal that has nothing to do with work. Sometimes you need to work through a personal issue before you can go back to focusing on work – your TDM will stand by you for these things as well.

5. You’re in the driver’s seat, your TDM is your co-pilot.

No two coaching relationships are the same, because we are all different. Everybody is on their own unique journey, and a Talent Development Manager is by your side for the ride. He/she is your guide and your co-pilot, sitting in the passenger seat. You’re behind the wheel, you call the shots. The TDM will only give you advice and maybe hit the brakes or pump the gas when necessary, or suggest a new itinerary. His/her goal is to help you define your ambitions and map out a realistic path to get there at your own pace. Not to take over and control your journey.

About Exellys

Exellys is a Tech Talent Incubator. We match ambitious companies with the finest tech talent. Are you ready to drive the innovations of tomorrow? Ready to make an impact and become a future-fit digital leader?

Whether you are a graduate or (young) professional, Exellys will unlock your full potential by guiding you to a challenging work environment that perfectly matches your personality, expectations and ambitions.

On top of that, you are enrolled in one of our very own training and coaching programs (based on your personal and professional ambition and experience). This means that, while working as an Exellys consultant, we are helping you to bridge your ambition to excellence.

Through intensive training and coaching, you’ll gain the essential skills, competencies and knowledge necessary to become the highly effective professional you aim to be. Become an Exellyst and get in touch with us today!