Most people are familiar with the idea of a coach when it comes to sports, either from their own personal experience on a team, or from the perspective of being a fan or spectator.
But do you know how coaching can benefit you as you embark into practice in the “real” world?
Coaching has been part of the business world since the 1980s, when techniques from the sports world were employed to help business leaders unlock their best potential. You may have even received coaching in your residency program, as much of the work of a good program director is working with each resident to help them grow as an ophthalmologist, helping you identify what kind of ophthalmologist you want to be, and setting goals regarding jobs or fellowships.
Why should you consider career coaching? Talking with a coach helps you to reflect on your performance, set goals, identify resources and continue to grow as a professional. You can talk with your coach about an upcoming meeting or difficult conversation, or role play and practice the best way to address the issue. This is useful for complex patients, a co-worker you want to learn to work better with, or a meeting with your supervisor. Coaching gets you out of your own head and allows you to consult with someone who helps you become the best version of yourself at work.
Where to Find a Coach
There are many ways to find a career coach — you can find them through online resources, your state or local medical society may have a list of career coaches they have worked with. If you are employed by a larger health care entity, career coaching may be available through your employer.
Do not expect your coach to have all the answers but do expect them to ask you questions that will help you to arrive at solutions. Most professional coaches are not physicians or ophthalmologists, after all. The coaching relationship is more about communication and relationships in the workplace than having specific answers to ophthalmology questions.
That said, coaches can help with issues like surgical anxiety. Especially during times of transition like moving and starting work in a new environment, career coaching can help you on your path to professional fulfillment.
I personally tried coaching a few years ago when a friend of a friend was taking a coaching course and needed to log a certain number of hours practicing her coaching skills to earn her certification. It also happened to be a particularly tough time in my practice due to the disruptions of the pandemic. Talking with the coach helped me to strategize around the things that were under my control and to realize things that I needed to accept that were beyond my control.
It also made me realize the coaching skills that I personally have from being a program director for over a decade and that no matter how far you are in your leadership journey, you can benefit from having someone to help you grow, reflect and strategize.
Further Resources
Where can you learn more? Classic books on the topic are
- “Coaching for Performance: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership” by Sir John Whitmore
- “You Coach You: How to Overcome Challenges and Take Control of Your Career” by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
- “Co-Active Coaching: The Proven Framework for Transformative Conversations at Work and in Life” by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, and Laura Whitworth
Many of these authors have recorded talks about their work available online.
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About the author: Laura K. Green, MD, FACS, is the vice chair for faculty development at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is an Academy trustee-at-large and associate secretary for State Affairs and chair of the Ophthalmology Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. |