Credentials
As a Learning Coach, my job is to help you build on your strengths and talents as they pertain to three areas: spiritual maturity, personal/career development, and emotional growth. Your performance in every area of life will fall within one of these three key areas, and be determined by your awareness and use of personal strengths and gifts.
In addition to many years of ministry service, I have also earned an Associate's Degree in Practical Biblical Theology from Calvary Cathedral Int'l Bible School, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from National American University (NAU); a Master of Science in both Psychology and Leadership from Grand Canyon University; and a Graduate Certification in Coaching.
As an author, I have published eight books, 18 Leadership articles with Ezine Articles, receiving the designation of Platinum-level Expert in the field of Leadership. I have also published over 100 spiritual growth podcasts through Word Wisdom program over the Blog Talk Radio platform, as well as managing the Leader Development website where I continue to publish numerous articles on leadership and other personal development issues.
Why Coaching?
Coaching is one of the most unique and powerful forms of service help that has come along in decades. Many people think that it is just another form of counseling, and nothing could be further from the truth.
First, coaches do not fix people that are broke, like counseling. That's not to say there is anything wrong with counseling because sometimes we are broke, and we do need fixing. But coaching is about helping people who are healthy be even better and achieve more. It isn't like the sports coach that tells you what you need to do. We help people find their own way by asking great questions that increase their awareness so they can see their choices.
You see, when we are stuck and perhaps anxious, fearful, whatever, we are likely to see our choices. It's like those who see their glass half full, always see more options than those who see their glass half empty. What we do as coaches, we ask you questions to help you get beyond the blockage, until the light comes on. And that is a wonderful feeling to watch someone's light come on.
That's why coaching is growing at such an incredible pace.
Diana D. Williams
Master Learning Coach
Speaker - Author - Workshop Facilitator
Building your future around your Strengths
As a coach, I am a firm believer in working to build a future around one's strengths, as opposed to working to fix one's weaknesses. Here is an example of how that works, using my own personal top three GALLUP strengths.
My top three GALLUP strengths are: Individualization, Input, and Futuristic.
Individualization -- which is my top strength, means that I hold a high regard for the unique and individual gifts and talents in each person. It bothers me to see people generalized, because I understand that we all have our own ways of learning and doing; and I enjoy adapting in relationships. It is my way of honoring you and your difference. As a coach, it means that as I work with you to bring change or increase awareness, or whatever our engagement may be, you can expect a very individualized approach. This is crucial as a Learning Coach because everyone does not learn by listening to a lecture or reading a book. Because of my individualization strength, I am constantly looking to understand how you best learn so that I can structure my coaching approach in a way that works best for you.
Input - my number 2 strength is spot on for me. It means that I am naturally inquisitive, which is a primary skill used in coaching. I will come up with questions, and it is only questions that reveal answers. Input also makes me sort of a pack-rat for saving and storing things like research, books, articles. I have a larger library than most people, and tons of research I have saved over the years. Why do I save these artifacts? Because they are good stuff that I may need to help someone else at some point in the future -- which takes me straight into my 3rd dominant strength.
Futuristic. I am absolutely fascinated by what can be in the future, and what should be. As I look at the individual innate gifts and talents of people, I have a unique ability to imagine creatively what they can do with those gifts and talents; how they can be maximized. Maximizing encompasses development, and genuine development requires learning.
As you analyze these three dominant strengths, it draws a rather vivid image of why I am a master learning coach.
My Personal Coaching Philosophy
My coaching philosophy revolves around three ideas.
You are the expert of your life. I am your learning and awareness partner. My job is not to give you answers, but to assist you in the discovery process of increasing your own awareness of the answers that are already within you. No one else can tell you what you want, or what you should do. Those are questions that only you can answer. My job as your coach, is to help you answer those questions through skilled inquiry.
We always work toward some desired outcome. Coaching is a tool that helps you set and reach specific and desired goals and outcomes. Those goals and/or outcomes may involve career changes or decisions, performance issues, managing specific emotions, developing relationships, or eliminating unwanted habits . You choose what you desire to accomplish, and that becomes the focus of our session.
Self Mastery. I am only successful as a coach, when you as my client are successful. That means helping you not only achieve the desired outcomes, but also transferring and building your skill with coaching techniques that will empower you to engage in skilled inquiry on your own. I want to increase your ability to master the obstacles that prevent you from being everything you desire to be.
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