To go far at university, try taking the coach
UNIVERSITY IS a place of personal growth. Or that is what we are led to believe. It is not a new idea but, with tuition fees set to rise this academic year again, it may be wise to back up the claim with some empirical data. What personal growth occurs at university and why is it important?
I have been studying the phenomenon of personal growth for my PhD in psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. Twenty undergraduates at UCL volunteered for the study and each was given six personal coaching sessions by professional executive coaches over the academic year 2014-2015. They were interviewed on four occasions about their personal growth.
What they had gained from university varied according to their life experience so far. However, several themes emerged. The most pronounced growth was in focusing on their longterm goals. Participants formed clearer ideas about their career aims and what they wanted out of life in general and were able to take positive and specific steps to fulfil them. One student, for instance, had identified an ambition to work in film and TV. He had made a short film and successfully applied for TV internships. Before university, he had considered himself to be “not good enough” but by building up his creative portfolio and helping to run the TV station at university, he gained valuable experience, as well as confirmation that this was the sector in which he wanted to work.
As his self-belief grew, so did his talent and positive mindset, which shone through in his job applications and interviews.
Others who had lacked confidence in the past identified that they had grown in physical or psychological wellbeing. Many found that their analytical approach to situations and dilemmas had changed, in that they felt more confident in their own decision-making. They all reported growing in competence and ability in a variety of skills, including academic and organisational. Their university experience broadened their horizons, from an appreciation of different cultures to the realities of budgeting. They all gained a greater understanding of interpersonal relationships, with their families, friends, professional contacts or romantic partners.
The coaching was motivational and helped them with many areas including time management, life plans and positive outlook.
All but one of the students reported that the coaching greatly accelerated what they would have learnt about themselves anyway, which meant they were able to set things in motion much earlier and reap the rewards from this head start. This, in turn, meant they had a more enriching university experience and were able to make a greater impact in career and personal development during and after university.
They felt they were more successful in landing a job that played to their strengths or finding a fulfilling relationship as a result of their “speeded- Birkbeck College: research shows career benefits of coaching up” university experience provided by coaching.
Some students had more profound experiences, where a gain in confidence enabled them to excel in ways that previously seemed impossible. The emotional baggage we carry around from years of people telling us we are not good enough is like a fetter on our capabilities.
By engaging in new experiences and showing themselves that they could do it (whatever the “it” was for them), the students were able to blast away these fetters and reclaim their confidence,
Emotional baggage is a fetter on our abilities’
with tangible evidence of their newfound abilities.
The students were given the option of continuing their coaching into a second year, allowing further analysis to take place and the majority chose to do so. The results of this will be available at in the coming months. Coaching for students is increasingly offered by universities. However, it is not yet widely available. Natalie Lancer provides private coaching, 07747 612 513, natalie@natalielancer.com, natalielancer.com