90,000 Hours
If you knew you were going to spend 90,000 hours of your time or approximately 1/3 of your life doing this, wouldn’t it make sense to have this time be as rewarding, satisfying and productive as possible?
That 90,000 hours, that is the time we spend --- over our entire lives -working.
Given how much time this is --- and given the importance it plays in our happiness and prosperity, what can we do to make this the best of times – not the worst of times?
Well aside from winning the lottery and never having to work again, another idea would be to focus on the self-care of your career.
Would you think twice about engaging someone for childcare? Elder care – Dog care? I don’t think so. But the moment we say the word self-care and we are not talking about doctors and dentists; we often think twice.
Somehow for many self-care SOUNDS selfish….
An important career self-care tactic can be getting a Coach.
So, what is a coach? The first thing we think about is a sports coach – that person who is on the field, who helps the team to work together, to be their best, play their best and to ideally win.
An Executive Coach or Leadership Coach does the same thing, but they do it for you or your organization. Don’t let the various titles confuse you – Executive – Leadership – Career. Regardless of their title, the idea for all coaches is to get you from where you are now to where you want to be. They become your thought partner to help you move forward.
Coaches will not tell you what to do; the magic is when they ask you the questions that lead you to see something that you yourself have not seen before, and as a result you take action to move forward. A good combination of self-knowledge and action.
There is a lot of focus now on coaching for individuals and for organizations. Why now? Well two reasons – Firstly, the pandemic taught us a lot about the connection of work to our day-to-day lives. And second, there is more and more research available that demonstrates the benefits of individual coaching and corporate-sponsored coaching programs. Entities like ICF (International Coach Federation) and the IOC (Institute of Coaching) through Harvard University are releasing new coaching research on a regular basis. Consider these statistics from the ICF.
70% of people who have coaches improve their work performance and their communication.
60% of companies have some type of coaching program and it has led to happier and more engaged employees.
68% of individuals who hired coaches were able to quantify their return on investment. The investment in themselves – this self-care paid off.
Having a strong thought partner to help you through the tough patches can be very beneficial. And even keeping up the momentum when things are going well, makes a lot of sense.
How do you know if you need a coach? Look at where you are and where do you want to go? Do you know how you will get there? Do you know what you need to get there? And how are you going to handle obstacles? If you know all of this, good for you --- you may not need a coach, but if you don’t, you may want to think about checking in with a coach. Coaches are easy to find. The best way to find a coach is to ask someone who has one and talk to them about their coach and how they like it. I suggest that people who are seeking a coach talk to at least 3 coaches. You need to feel comfortable and respect your coach. In this relationship chemistry is important.
When we spend 13 years or 24 hours a day each and every day at something, wouldn’t you want to make sure you make the most of it? After all, 1/3 of a lifetime will be spent here. Can you afford not to take care of your career or your employees?
Springer Alvarez is a team of executive coaches working with companies and professionals who are navigating the new world of work. Their work includes insights into current trends in talent management, leadership development and preparing for a future of work that is mutually beneficial to both employers and employees.
© Eileen Springer, Christine Alvarez September 2023