Why not you? Your own Professional Performance Coach

I had the privilege recently of speaking with the graduating class of an allied health discipline. As I looked out at a sea of one-part excited and one-part apprehensive faces, I knew just how eagerly their graduation and registration as AHPs would be awaited by prospective employers. There is absolutely no shortage of jobs right now. Yet, these are the concerns I heard from these fresh new entrants to our workforce –

How do I know if I’m making a career choice now that will have negative implications for me in the future?

How do I know if an employer will offer me “enough” professional support?

How will I keep myself energised and physically and mentally well for work? How will I prevent myself from burning out?

And it’s funny, I hear these concerns from allied health leaders too, both clinical supervisors, team leaders, clinical managers and practice owners, framed as –

How do I know if what I’m doing now is the best thing for the people I supervise, and the people I lead?

How do I know if I’m doing “enough” to support the people I employ, and the people I manage?

And how do I summon the energy in the New Year to work another year with passion, resilience and creativity to adapt to challenges that I probably cannot yet even imagine will come my way?

If you find yourself in the role of developing others, whether it be as a clinical supervisor, mentor, coach, team leader, clinical manager or employer, I recommend investing in yourself as a priority.

We cannot pour from an empty cup.

If we wish for our colleagues to cultivate resilience, find passion in their jobs, innovate and flourish in their careers in the community sector, we must role model this through self-leadership. There is no way around it – we have do the work of optimising our own performance, through self-reflection, challenging ourselves to do things differently and to hold ourselves accountable to take those actions.

If you are coming to the end of this year feeling like you are limping to the finish line, I invite you to consider putting your own plans in place for optimising both your professional performance and your personal well-being for work as you head into 2023.

I invite you to book a complimentary online coaching session during December or January, if you would like an opportunity to get clear on your professional goals for next year. This session will enable you to understand the role of a Professional Performance Coach and the impact coaching can have on your professional success in your allied health career.