Carolina Paralegal News

By Camille Stell, Special to CPN 

In order to find renewed inspiration at work or to take your career to the next level, we have discussed working with a career coach. In my November column, I shared the experience of someone who did just that. Now, I’ve talked with two coaches about how to maximize the coaching relationship.

Marirose Steigerwald serves as president of Elinvar, an integrated leadership solutions company. I spoke with her, and one of the questions I asked was how to find a reputable coach.

According to Marirose, there are many ways to do that, including word-of-mouth referrals, referrals from certifying bodies or working through organizations like Elinvar, where they don’t have coaches on staff, but have “alliance partner” relationships with many coaches that they know and trust.

When deciding whether to hire a coach, check out their certifications, which (if any) assessment tools they use, their education and their experience. Ask for references and call them. 

Cost might be a concern when considering whether to hire a coach. Should a reputable coach provide a free initial consultation? According to everyone I spoke with, great coaches are worth every penny of their fees. However, most career coaches should and will have an initial conversation at no cost.

What kind of homework should you anticipate as you work with a coach? Most coaches will provide exercises, including behavior modification, in between sessions. 

“We can talk all day long about making changes – actually doing the new behavior is what creates the real change,” Marirose said. “And change should be the reason we seek coaching. I use the analogy of a gifted athlete. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have incredible talent and are the best in their fields. They use coaches every day – to hone their skills, to develop a different mental approach and to continue to improve their craft.”

Marirose spoke at the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association’s annual seminar in October about dealing with changes in the workplace brought on by the down economy.

“This is a challenging time. I encourage anyone who is frustrated in their job to seek the joy in every day. Find a part of the job you love and focus on that. Look for creative ways to make a difference in your organization, using your gifts and talents. Sometimes we get stuck in our job descriptions – and stuck in the idea of needing to be paid for everything we do. True work joy is doing what you love – and the money comes later, or amazingly, doesn’t matter,” she said.

I also spoke with Ben Quinn, a certified business coach with ActionCOACH Business Coaching. Ben says the purpose of a coach is to:

• Draw out your best skills, interests or talents.
• Focus your actions.
• Provide feedback and accountability.
• To ultimately magnify your results.

Ben said what’s interesting to him is that his best and most engaged clients are already extremely accomplished people. What they have realized over time is that coaching magnifies their abilities. If you find yourself in a point in your career where you need to grow your results and talents, a coach can often accelerate that process.

Ben also encourages people to meet with a number of coaches. Ask yourself, “Does this person have the skills and training to help me achieve the specific goals I want to accomplish, and do we connect with each other on a personal level?”

One additional thing to look for is congruency. “I do everything I teach my clients to do. I have a business coach,” says Ben. “You want to work with someone who believes so much in the process of coaching that they use one as well.”

Another thing people agreed on: Coaching takes time. It is an investment. If you are going to hire a coach, talk up front about the time commitment to the process. By choosing the right person and process to begin with and giving yourself time to explore the change you want to experience, you will be well on your way to seeing transformation both in your life and career.

Here is the contact information for the coaches listed in this series:

• Stefanie Zizzo: (919) 744-9722 or stefaniezizzo@yahoo.com
• Ben Quinn: (919) 321-1321 or benquinn@actioncoach.com
• Marirose Steigerwald: (919) 256-1901 or marirose@elinvar.com.

Next month, we are going to talk about developing our leadership skills. What skills are necessary to be a good leader? You can contact me at camille@lawyersmutualnc.com or CPN Managing Editor Diana Smith at diana.smith@nclawyersweekly.com.

Editor’s note: Camille Stell is director of client services for Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience in the legal field, Stell has worked for law firms as a paralegal, legal recruiter and business developer. She can be contacted at (800) 662-8843 or Camille@lawyersmutualnc.com.

camille.stell COLUMNS, Overheard at theWater Cooler Camille Stell, Overheard at theWater Cooler

By Camille Stell, Special to CPN

Do you wonder what it would take for you to find renewed inspiration at work or to take your career to the next level? Working with a career coach could be just what you need. Here’s a conversation I had with “Lauren,” who is employed at a North Carolina law firm and has been working with a coach for several months.

CPN: What made you decide to hire a coach?

Lauren: I felt like I didn’t have a plan for “what I wanted to be when I grew up.” I wasn’t sure about my long-term career aspirations, or where I hoped to be 10 or 20 years down the road and needed some help developing a vision.

CPN: What kind of coach did you hire and how did you find your coach?

Lauren: I was referred to my coach, Stefanie Zizzo, from a friend who raved about her services. Stefanie is a professional certified coach, has a certification in life coaching through the Institute for Life Coach Training, a Master of Science in counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

CPN: Any tips you would share for finding a good coach?

Lauren: My advice would be to get referrals from people you know and trust and make sure you have a great connection with your coach right off the bat.

 CPN: What were your goals going into the process of working with a coach? Have you met those goals? Did your coach help you establish goals, results or milestones?

Lauren: My first goal was to figure out where I want to be in 10 years and work backward from there to make sure that the things I am doing now are setting me up to achieve that vision. 

Another goal was to create more balance in my life. For this, we set smaller weekly goals (almost like homework) to make a big, obtuse goal more manageable. For example, one week I might plan to leave the office for lunch at least three times, not check my Blackberry after 7 p.m., make time to exercise three times or try a new recipe. My coach and I worked together to set these goals.

CPN: Do you think you are getting your money’s worth?

Lauren: Absolutely. Coaching is an investment, but like anything, you get out of it what you put in. If you hire a coach and expect them to say “this is the job that is going to make you happy and the exercises that will make life perfect,” you will be disappointed. It is a process.

My coach had me complete exercises in a workbook to determine my values and passions. I spent a lot of time outside of our sessions working on these activities and putting thought into what I want out of life. You have to be willing to do the work and step outside of your comfort zone in order to make changes in your life that will make you happy.

Before each session, I complete a coaching prep form to provide an update on my action items and whether there are new issues I’d like to discuss or problems to work through. This assures our sessions are focused, maximizing my time and money.

CPN: Would you recommend the process of working with a coach?

Lauren: Yes – if you are willing to examine yourself and commit to growth.

 CPN: What is the best takeaway you have received from your coach?

Lauren: The energy that you project affects the way your message is received. I did an exercise where over the course of a week I observed my body language and tone when talking to people I didn’t particularly enjoy talking to versus people that I loved talking to. I then tried to model the same engaged posture and positive tone when talking to everyone. It made a big difference.

Also, after doing the activities to determine my interests and passions, we talked about ways to do more of the things that I enjoy at my job and volunteer groups. Even if you are happy with your job, but are feeling burnt out or frustrated, a career coach can help you find ways to feel more engaged and enthusiastic, both at work and in your life. Working with my coach has helped me take a holistic look at my life and realize the connections between work, friends, family and volunteer activities.

Author’s note: In January, we are going to talk with some coaches about coaching qualifications and what to expect from working with a coach. If you have a personal experience in working with a coach, I’d love to hear your story to share with our readers. You can contact me at camille@lawyersmutualnc.com.

Editor’s note: Camille Stell is director of client services for Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina. She worked as a paralegal for 20 years, taught ethics and law office management in the Meredith College Paralegal Program and served as president of the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association, the North Carolina Paralegal Association and as District II director of the National Association of Legal Assistants.

camille.stell COLUMNS, Overheard at theWater Cooler Overheard at theWater Cooler