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Are you looking to break into the computing, IT, or cybersecurity fields? Are you looking at how do you move forward into your profession? Do you need someone to help you reach your dreams?
The world of technology and cybersecurity careers is a complicated web of confusion. With over 20 years of experience running cyber programs, I know what employers are looking for.
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then an appreciative career coach such as myself is what you need to move forward in your life and career.
Learning to become a professional or progress in your profession
Learning to become a professional or progress in your profession is not easy but the training, hard work, dedication, and be committed to the process I provide will get you to your dreams. I am hopeful it will lead to success. I know from experience that success does come but it will not be easy. You are at the beginning of this journey. However, I know that hard work, dedication, and perseverance bring success because I have experienced it many times in the past.
Learning is a journey, requires dedication and hard work, and lasts a lifetime. It is never going to end. We will explore the process of learning and the role of an appreciative coach in this article.
Learning to become a Jedi
\”Do or do not; there is no try.\” – Yoda. Here\’s a video of Yoda and his most famous quote from the original Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. https://youtu.be/p_tYQRP4QWM.
At the beginning of that scene, Luke crashed his ship into the swamp. Luke was learning to use the force to lift a rock and Yoda instructed him to lift the ship out of the swamp. Luke doubted his ability to do that and Yoda was not happy with him as the video shows. Yoda was trying to teach Luke a valuable lesson here. That you must fully believe you can do it and not doubt your abilities.
Luke is an apprentice learning to become a Jedi. The Jedi is a community of practice. Luke is a peripheral member of the Jedi in the beginning and over time becomes a full member of the community through perseverance, dedication, and hard work. Luke is participating in the activities of the community, which is the rigorous training he is undergoing in the movie. He is not only practicing but he is also putting the training into action throughout the movie. His training had its up and downs in the movie. He had high points and low points.
Learning to become a professional
Does that not sound familiar in learning to become a professional? We all start out as apprentices and as our engagement and learning increase, we are more and more active participants in the community. We are constructing our identity as we are going through our learning journey and we are putting that learning into action.
We just have to find our way! We cannot let the doubts and setbacks cripple us. Each of our experiences brings a different skill set to the community. The diversity of ideas and thoughts is awesome. What is nice is the ability to bring that diversity and the support we get from our coach and peers is awesome.
We all need to be accountable to someone. There is lots of research on positive behavioral change that shows better success with the change when you have someone to be accountable to than not having someone. Some people do not need that accountability but the majority of us do need it. As a member of my coaching community, you will find that I can be your coach, and let me help you be accountable. I can help you work through the doubt that may spring up from time to time. Just as Yoda scolded Luke we need someone to scold us when we stop believing.
What is an Appreciative Career Coach?
Appreciative coaching is a new and emerging form of coaching which focuses on the strengths and talents of an individual. It is based on Appreciate Inquiry.
An appreciative career coach will help you identify your personal strengths, values and interests so that you can find your ideal career path.
Appreciative coaching is different from traditional coaching in that it focuses on what the individual wants to achieve rather than what they don\’t want to be or do.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?
Appreciative inquiry is a strengths-based, positive approach to organizational development. It is an educational model that focuses on the importance of building on what already works in order to strengthen organizations. The model was created by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva, professors at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. I am using this approach in my coaching practice in order to strengthen individuals.
How does the Appreciative Inquiry process work?
The appreciative inquiry process is a simple yet powerful way of creating positive change. It\’s one of the best tools for engaging and motivating people. The process includes asking questions that are oriented towards finding out what is working, rather than what is wrong.
What are the principles of Appreciative Inquiry?
The principles of appreciative inquiry are as follows:
- THE CONSTRUCTIONIST PRINCIPLE
- Words create worlds
- THE SIMULTANEITY PRINCIPLE
- Inquiry creates change
- THE POETIC PRINCIPLE
- We choose what we study
- THE ANTICIPATORY PRINCIPLE
- Image inspires action
- THE POSITIVE PRINCIPLE
- Positive questions lead to positive change
Source: Appreciate Inquiry
Benefits of Appreciative Coaching
Coaching is a process of helping someone to meet their goals by providing feedback, guidance, and support. Appreciative coaching focuses on the strengths of the person being coached and helps them build on their strengths.
This type of coaching has many benefits such as:
- Helps people find meaning in their work
- Builds confidence
- Improves performance
- Encourages employees to take ownership over their work and make decisions that are best for themselves and the company
What to Expect When Working with an Appreciative Coach
A coach can help you find your focus, set goals, and then work with you to achieve them. A coach will support you in any way they can so that you can reach your full potential.
A coach is there to help you think about what’s important and how to get there. They are not going to tell you what to do; they’re going to teach you how to do it yourself.
How does Working with an Appreciative Career Coach work?
Working with an Appreciate Career Coach is a process that will help you to develop your skills and talents. You will learn how to use your strengths to make the best of yourself. And you will also learn how to work with your weaknesses.
The first step is finding out what your strengths are. For this, you need to identify what you are good at and what brings joy in the process of doing it. The next step is finding out how these strengths can be used in the world around us. The third step is about learning how to deal with our weaknesses, which we do by understanding them, accepting them and developing strategies for dealing with them. The fourth step is to develop a plan on how you are going to reach your goals both short-term and long-term.
What is the Appreciative Career Coaching process?
The following figure illustrates the Appreciative Coaching Process:
The phases of the Appreciative Coaching process is as follows:
- Definition –The goal of the definition phase is to create a coaching framework to allow us to work together effectively.
- Discovery – The goal of the discovery phase is to appreciate the best of \”what is\”. I will be exploring reflective questions with you to help me understand you. Another goal of this lesson is to assist you in discovering promising examples of your desired outcomes, both past, and present.
- Dream – The goal of the dream phase is to link your positive past to the present and cultivate and support your dream of a positive future.
- Design – The goal of the definition phase is to create a coaching framework to allow us to work together effectively.
- Destiny – The goal of the Destiny phase is to innovate \”what will be\”, to recognize your dream in the present, enable you to expand your capacity to create the dream, and support you in achieving your dream.
Why You Should Consider An Appreciative Career Coach Today?
In general, the world of work is changing. The traditional workforce is transforming into a gig economy. This means that employees will be more mobile and flexible, as they go from project to project. This new style of work is not only making it difficult for companies to hire and retain talent, but also for employees to find satisfying work.
An appreciative careers coach strategy can help you in this new world of work. It can help you attract and retain top talent by providing them with opportunities that align with their passions and interests.
Conclusion
Learning to become a cyber professional or progressing in your profession is more than just learning through the training. That is one piece of the puzzle. It requires us to put that training into action too. We also need to monitor our progress and adapt and adjust along the way too and not be afraid to change. We also need a coach, someone who can hold us accountable. Good luck to all of you and to your success!
