In this article I would like to introduce my peer-group coaching concept and explain how this can help you to boost your personal development and to improve your life quality.
INTRO
Back in early March 2020, I finished my systemic coaching education. We were lucky because our course was just finished before the lockdown in Germany. Coaching is very popular these days; one can get coaching and training in abundance and become overwhelmed by coaches or coaching offerings in various areas, e.g. business coach, career coach, agile coach, mental coach, NLP coach or even survival coach.
As a newly qualified coach, I wanted to make a mark in my chosen area of practice. My passion and drive are in the field of personality development. Thus, my focus is clearly on being a “Life-Coach” or developing myself in this direction. Immediately after my education I truly wanted to develop and create a coaching-concept, which derives from my own personal development and my personal experiences. The question was how I could use this concept to help colleagues to make the best of themselves. The whole concept is combined with various coaching techniques and tools. After weeks and months of planning, I designed a “journey” where the participants build up a trusted peer-group and work on that journey together for several weeks.
In May, I named my concept “Be-Your-Higher-Self” (BYHS) and piloted it with international colleagues from 7 different countries. In June, I launched the journey, offering two tracks in parallel, one in English and one in German language.
TEASER
I use following statements as teaser to gain attention before explaining the concept.
If some of these statements are true for you, the “Be-Your-Higher-Self” journey can help you:
- I want to work on MYSELF and develop my personality.
- I want to find my WHY and life purpose (“IKIGAI”).
- I want to gain more self-confidence and train my WILLPOWER.
- I want to work on my bad habits, leave my comfort zone and develop a daily routine.
- My actions are oriented towards recognition „from the outside“.
- I would like to have more discipline and resilience to pursue my goals consistently.
- My job is OK, However, if I were not dependent on money, I would shape my life differently.
- I want to be surrounded by INSPIRING people and be connected to colleagues who have the same passion to develop their personality.
- I want to “re-invent” myself.
WHAT
The “Be-Your-Higher-Self” is an empowering concept in personality development with its core message “AS INSIDE, SO OUTSIDE”. It is a guided journey with trusted peer-group of 7-14 “champions”. It takes 9 weeks, every week there is a virtual meeting for 60-70 minutes. Additionally, the participants invest some time for weekly exercises and challenges.
The journey includes many practical exercises such as:
- assess your “Wheel-of-Life” and define personal values
- identify habits to eliminate and develop new ones
- focus on strengths and affirmations
- create your positive inner voices, boost self-confidence
- defining your life purpose and goals
- train on willpower and resilience etc.
Key topics of each week and other contents are listed in this image below.
The journey does not just cover 9 sessions with content, but provides continual development exercises, reflections, challenges and exchanges between sessions for the entire period providing an all-encompassing experience. Challenges mean everyone should pick at least one challenge between the sessions. Everyone has plenty choices with more than 30 challenges given.
Also, the group is empowered with guidance with my “life know-how”, experiences and lessons learned from setbacks. The key element in each session is not just introducing the topics, but to connect and empower people, share our developments and to inspire the group with my personal stories and experiences.
The following three elements are core pillars for BYHS journey. As mentioned, apart from the CONTENTS and impulse part (pillar Nr.1), there are two other important elements: DOING and ENVIRONMENT. DOING tells that the journey is 100% doing journey. It means the participants are always invited to do exercise by using the given templates and do the challenges constantly. In that way we do practice and train our willpower and discipline to get the next level.
3rd pillar ENVIRONMENT is perhaps the most important. Because you do the journey together with other passionate colleagues, you will never feel left alone during the journey.
You can certainly develop your personality with similar content, reading books, listening to podcasts and watching tutorial videos on your own. But the success is not guaranteed and is certainly enhanced when you have peer-colleagues or mentors who can guide and motivate you. That is because why we ideally need trusted supporters when trying to develop new habits and maintain them successfully.
BENEFITS
Apart from the initial statements I listed, the participants benefit and gain empowerment in the following three key areas.
CONFIDENCE
The journey includes many exercises to gain self-confidence and empowers you to live your dream. With “champion-mindset” and personal responsibility, you develop yourself to “SHAPER”, instead of being in “victim” role.
WILLPOWER
Willpower is a muscle and not a skill. You will train your willpower to beat your “inner-temptation” and build resilience you need. With willpower you can reach any goal and it makes you “unbeatable” and resilience. Doing challenges and practicing empathy mean also building up discipline you need.
MINDSET
Mindset matters! The journey helps you to develop your mindset and to invest in your mind, so you can master any situations, failures and setback. You create “winner-mindset” to focus on your important goals and embrace the “Higher-Self” attitude.
REFLECTION
Today more than 60 colleagues completed the entire journey and listed as “BYHS-champions”. In other words, 7 peer-groups or tracks (4 in English and 3 in German) went through the 9-weeks empowerment successfully.
In fact, the peer-groups continue their journey. It means the champions exchange and empower each other even after the 9-week program. Most of them come together once a month exchanging their developments and experiences, which is an excellent way to keep commitments on track. They became micro-communities and are completely self-organized.
I have received many inspiring comments in feedback and quite moving messages when colleagues complete the journey. These compliments and the positive recognition make me feel incredibly honored and appreciated. Also, during the journey, I often hear inspiring stories and great progresses from the BYHS-champions. Of course, every new step and leaving your comfort-zone requires resilience and take time, hence we also experience stagnation and setback. In these moments, me and others are there to help them and we empower each other.
Uno para todos y todos para uno!
Shijir Purevdorj
December 2020