LinkedIn is a great professional networking site. It does a great job but, you need to work it.

I think a lot of people go into these sites and neglect to work them. Many expect having their profile up will drive referrals. You need to get active with LinkedIn. You need to get noticed. One great way of doing it is answering questions and also asking your own.

I started subscribing through Bloglines (my RSS reader) to the question portion of the site. I review all the questions asked by members and answer the ones I feel competent. It serves a two fold process, first you read about other people’s concerns and points of views. It also helps get your profile out there.

I think online networking sites have a value but you must put in the work. I know I can go on LinkedIn and dig around to find valuable industry players. The most important part is to be active.

I feel as if everything I have done has built me up to become a coach.

As much as I hates fads and fashion, I am a little leery to think people might consider coaching a fad. I love coaching and as soon as the dust settles, coaching will become a truly recognized profession. It will make sense to everyone, from kids to senior adults. And it should.

I have always been good at consulting, advising, mentoring people. People have always come to me. I always felt a sense of respect for them and touched to be trusted. Some stories can really make you humble. Even the most unlikely people come to me and confide. It’s a warm feeling and I never let it go to my head for some reason. When I consulted, I loved coming up with strategies. They seemed to obvious, probably because I was sitting on the outside. Business and Life coaching seems like a natural progression in my life. It leverages my natural talent, that of being people oriented. I question myself always, I look for my truth and as so, I turn to others to see how they do it.

I heard it say that life coaches are like personal trainers for the psyche. Business coaches are personal for the psyche in the work environment. Where do you want to go? Where do you see yourself? What makes you tick? You can go from good to great, even at work…

When you coach people, you stress adaptive and coping skills. Contrary to psychotherapy which focus more on issues like anxiety and depression, coaching might look at past issues but clearly looks ahead. We never linger on old wounds. We become aware and move onwards. This makes it a very powerful tool in life.

The other day I heard a client say that I gave her permission to do what she wanted. I told her not at all. She gave herself the permission to do what she wanted. On some deep level she might have needed to see what it was like not to allow herself her aspirations, who knows. She gave herself permission to do what she wanted again. And there are very little things that are as great as seeing someone say: “OK, I am giving myself permission to do it”

In the end, I believe Business and Life coaches are filling a niche for people don’t need psychotherapy. Sometime, all you need is a little space. One thing I am keenly aware of if noticing when someone actually needs to go into therapy. That is another tricky topic.