We are coming up to the end of the year, and you might be thinking… I want a break.
But clients sign up, and you have to work.
As coaches, our primary goal is to empower our clients to achieve their goals and unlock their potential (or whatever it is for you).
However, without clear boundaries, you risk becoming overextended, leading to burnout, and you can diminish your professional effectiveness and credibility. Not to mention, the lack of clear limits can intrude into personal time, leading to stress and dissatisfaction.
Boundaries serve as a structure to maintain a balance between supporting our clients and ourselves.
We all have a love to serve…. And difficulty saying no to people when they need you.
Boundaries can be thought of as the invisible lines that define the limits of what is ok and what is not ok.
Can’t you dissolve your emotional charge and everything be ok?!
There are still behaviours, actions, and interactions in any relationship, including the coaching relationship, that you will or won’t want.
Boundaries include time, personal space, communication, confidentiality, and the scope of the coaching relationship.
In our coaching journey, various factors can blur the lines of our boundaries, making it challenging to maintain clarity and integrity as a coach.
External pressures, such as expectations of how many clients, what to charge, what not to charge, and societal expectations of how much you should and shouldn’t work, which may impose unrealistic demands and expectations on our time and energy, leading us to overextend ourselves in an effort to meet perceived obligations. AKA at the loss of self.
If there are personal insecurities or a desire to please others, it can cloud our judgment, causing us to compromise our boundaries in favour of seeking approval or avoiding conflict.
It’s essential to recognise these factors and explore how they influence our boundary-setting process, allowing us to identify and address potential triggers or vulnerabilities.
Establishing clear boundaries begins with a deep understanding of our own needs, values, and limitations as coaches.
Take the time to reflect on what is personally meaningful to you and where you draw the line in terms of your time, energy, and emotional investment.
What are your boundaries in specific terms, covering areas such as scheduling, communication protocols, confidentiality, and your role as a coach?
By defining your boundaries with clarity and precision, you create a roadmap for navigating the complexities of coaching relationships while honouring your own well-being and professional integrity.
Not knowing our boundaries often stems from a lack of awareness of our own needs.
As coaches, we may prioritise the needs of our clients above our own, believing that self-sacrifice is synonymous with being of service.
However, neglecting our own needs only leads to resentment, exhaustion, and, ultimately, burnout. It’s essential to recognise that honouring our own needs is not selfish but necessary for our well-being and sustainability as coaches.
So know it is ok to create and maintain coaching boundaries over the next month.
Make sure you manage expectations by communicating with your clients. Let them know you’ll be away so they are informed.
And then, the time comes to practice those boundaries when a client rings and wants an emergency session on the 28th of December.
Tanya Cross
Leadership Coach & The Coaches Coach
Master Certified Demartini Method Facilitator
BAppSoSc (Counselling)
