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A Coach's Coach

The Coach
Have you ever had a person in your life who helped you achieve something that might have been out of your reach? Or maybe, this person helped you achieve an important goal faster than you might have achieved it without the help.
We all know people that we look up to that can bring out the best in us. To better help you think of the person that best describes your coach, let me quickly tell you about a person that recently pushed me to excel in my professional life.
My Coach
Have people ever asked you how you could possibly work for a boss that has an abrasive demeanor? Yet, this might not paint the total picture of who that person is. If someone ever asked me those questions or thought that about my coach, I'd say they were wrong.
My coach has almost all the degrees, such as his undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as many certifications. He is intelligent, has a passion for measuring and improving processes using Lean and Six Sigma techniques, but has a tendency to speak his mind. That is one thing that I've found that doesn't bother me and it's not because I speak my mind. This is really about what he is questioning and how he is speaking his mind. My coach is unbiased in many situations and I've recognized that more and more now that I'm learning about critical thinking. He is not afraid to make the hard decisions, but he has the data and foresight to understand the solutions that are needed. All of these traits might make someone else think my coach is cocky or arrogant, but again, I'd say they were wrong.
Why my coach
Well, before I tell you how it came to be that I was with my coach, first I need to tell you what I was trying to achieve and how my coach helped? For starters, my coach hired me! So how about that for a start? I was in between jobs when I was connected with my coach. Then when I came on board with my organization, it was in a new role that I had only held once at a much smaller company in a different industry. I had a lot to learn and not much time to learn it. My coach took me aside and started to get my organized so that he could load me up tasks and keep me on my toes. My performance was accelerated because he gave me the freedom and independence to complete my assignments, showed me tough love when I needed it, but was supportive all the way. He asked a lot of me, but he fought for me and eventually promoted me. 
Near team coaching
Now that I've moved into a different role, it's requiring me to stay organized so I can continue to take on more work. As I take on a new educational requirement, having a certified coach in my corner is really going to help me accomplish more of my goals. The biggest of those goals now is to complete every one of my courses with excellent grades. If I can manage to stay sharp, be open and free with my new coach, I believe that it will help me reach my objectives. 
That's what I would call a coach's coach.

 Marques Thomey
September 12, 2019

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