For an organization to grow, its people must be growing. Professional development, however, demands different things from employees at different stages of their careers. The reason is simple. As people progress professionally, their needs and roles change. Certain evergreen skills can help a person improve professionally through any stage of their career. Whether someone is entry level, a first-time manager, or even a senior leader, professional coaching can model and empower such skills. Coaching is a game-changer in unleashing new levels of growth and performance.

According to the 2022 Global Consumer Awareness Survey (GCAS) conducted by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), 30% of respondents reported that coaching helped them expand their professional career opportunities, and almost a quarter (23%) also indicated their coaching engagement accelerated onboarding to a new professional role.

Professional coaches help their clients contribute to their organization in new and more significant ways. As such, it can be a powerful approach to invest in so that high performers and growth-seekers can make an even bigger impact as they advance.

Here are a few of the most common ways a coach can help professionals at any level reach their full potential.

1. Heighten Self-Awareness and Build on Strengths

It is nearly impossible for a person to be fully self-aware all the time. Coaches can act as a sounding board and ask powerful questions that help them explore outside perspectives and bring attention to things they may not have considered before. Professional coaches not only can raise new ideas and challenges but also work with clients to address them through carefully considered thought and experimentation.

Blind spots can also cause a person to overlook or undervalue their greatest qualities. With an improved sense of self-awareness, a professional, aided by a coach, can gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and ways to build upon them. As a result, the client becomes better equipped to identify where they can make useful contributions to the organization and simultaneously make work more personally satisfying.

2. Enhanced communication

The most common benefit of working with a professional coach is improved communication skills. According to GCAS 2022, 42% of respondents said that they were better able to communicate with their colleagues after working with a coach.

For example, someone may have great ideas, but they struggle to be clear when they are sharing their thoughts with others. A professional coach empowers their client to communicate their ideas through thoughtful preparation effectively. This results in a better dialogue with their team members about what is needed and how to advance in a collaborative fashion. Often, this alignment through communication is what truly produces phenomenal business results.

3. Powerful reflection

Sometimes professionals become caught up in navigating their own careers and forget to reflect and look at the bigger picture. Coaching is a proven way to help someone explore not just their personal ideas and perceptions but also the thinking behind them. Through reflection, a coach can help the client identify unproductive thought patterns, challenge assumptions, and build critical thinking skills for more strategic decision-making. This process also supports understanding of how one can make the most powerful contributions, not only for themselves but also for the people around them.

4. Adopting a posture of leadership

Anyone can be a leader, regardless of their age, title, or career experience. Each person has something to bring to the table that adds value. The most effective leaders are soft on people and hard on the metrics. For current leaders, this requires balancing relationships–actively listening to team members to provide the support they need while also holding them accountable to ensure they do their part in achieving business goals.

Even young professionals can show up as leaders by making space for everyone’s ideas, listening to others, adding to collaborative efforts, and making a meaningful impact toward the organization’s mission. Coaching unlocks these skills within a young professional now, so they can develop int the future. 9

5. Finding satisfaction in the work

Coaches help clients to achieve their goals while staying true to themselves. Professional coaches can help people dig deeper to find meaning in the career goals they pursue by clearly defining their purpose at work. This leads to feeling more passionate and fulfilled in one’s job–while empowering them to provide more focused and significant input. When employees find meaning and satisfaction in their work, they are more likely to remain with an organization longer and feel a greater sense of belonging overall.

Coaching Builds Skills that Last an Entire Career

It is an eternal challenge for employers to meet the development needs of professionals across the various phases of their careers. A young professional’s needs can be very different from those of a seasoned leader. Yet, there are skills and traits that any professional can benefit from, no matter what part of their career journey they are on. Improving communication, strengthening the ability to reflect, adopting a leadership posture, and finding satisfaction in work all advance one’s career and facilitate productivity throughout the organization. Coaching can be a powerful professional development tool to help people maximize their full potential at any stage of their careers and achieve meaningful outcomes.