Can a blog, defined as publication of an author’s articles online,
serve as a coaching tool?
I hadn’t known the answer to this question until I started my own blog and published my very first three articles. At the same time, the exact purpose of this blog was to coach
my future followers, primarily my colleagues. Let me explain first how I came up with the idea. Talking to my colleagues, exchanging personal experience with them and learning about challenges that they face I realized this: Challenges that they face today are either similar to or exactly the same as the ones I have faced in my long career, and have managed to overcome;
People need the help of a leader to tackle their challenges; When leaders address these matters they usually address symptoms and not the causes; and People are eager to learn and adopt know-how, and more than willing to experiment. It’s clear that we need changes in certain behavior, and coaching is one of the best tools for change. They say that with any condition it’s essential to make the correct diagnosis
and then the therapy will quickly have the desired effects. In this case, there is a diagnosis, but the quick and efficient therapy for such a high number of ‘patients’ is
almost impossible. The diagnoses that I have pinpointed are the blog topics and they are all tied with the content – coaching. I see coaching as a powerful tool to influence
behavior, change mindsets and change the world around me. I came up with an idea to try and provoke a reaction. In other words, to achieve the ‘mirror reflection’ effect – the effect that we have in everyday conversations, where I share my experiences and people start wondering if what I’m saying makes sense to them and how they would address a challenge with what they have learned.
The blog seemed an ideal solution for provoking the reaction.
A blog which would pursue the essence, real challenges, solutions verified through personal experience, and at the same time bold, naked and honest. A blog which would search for inspiration for topics among its readers and would be dedicated to them.
Have I succeeded?
Time will tell. Just like in coaching. Coaching is a lasting process, but much more efficient than mentoring or training. Speaking of processes, the coaching – blog connection seems obvious. The essence of the coaching process is four key elements:
Establishing the connection with the client and gaining the client’s trust. A blog has the same element – connection to readers and credibility.
Asking powerful questions. Questions can be tricky and provoking, but at the same time they initiate thinking processes. When writing a blog, I try to make the readers recognize the exact situation they have experienced, or at least suspect or anticipate
this kind of situation.
Starting the thinking process and reflection. Questions asked in the right way provoke a flood of emotions and cognition. In my blog articles, I try to make the readers ask themselves if they could have done anything differently.
Call for action and commitment. In coaching, provoking cognition and willingness for a change of current state is followed by action and commitment to yourself. Writing the blog, my mission is to move the readers towards action. This mission is reflected
in asking additional questions to myself and searching for support. Some people are just quietly working on this.
Coaching is a process equally applicable in business and personal life. This is why reactions to my blog come not only from my colleagues in leadership roles, but also from readers with no connection to my business field, such as athletes, students, and
professors.
If you speak Serbian, you are welcome to visit by blog page www.retailisdetail.com. A word of recommendation is that you first read the ‘O Blogu’ page (About the Blog), and then the other articles. If you like them, my advice is to subscribe to get email
notifications of new articles. I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions on the posted articles.
Finally, an exclusive piece of news for this issue’s readers: I have decided to make the blog bilingual, accepting followers’suggestions.
The English version of the blogs will soon be available to potential readers.
Published at Business Coaching Magazine.
