A good part of my coaching practice is focused on coaching people in high-stakes professions. But what exactly is a high-stakes profession? To me, it’s a field of work that places an inordinate amount of stress on the professional because of what is at risk for both them and their own clients or consumers if they fail. Generally, these are jobs in which the public depends on the practitioner to maintain the free and safe functioning of society as a whole–doctors, nurses, lawyers, fire fighters, police officers, and many of the supporting roles around them.
Most of these positions not only bear the ethical weight of knowing they hold others’ lives and/or livelihoods in their hands, but also bear a higher legal burden. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility, and this higher fiduciary duty is entirely appropriate, and even necessary to help prevent abuse and increase public trust, in this author’s opinion. But it is a burden different from the stress and pressure of a lower-stakes, lower-risk, job. Every time these professionals extend a helping hand, they are also taking a risk–not only of losing their job like anyone else, but their reputation, their licensing, their health, and even their lives.
I’ll write more about why I choose to coach these individuals in the future. In the meantime, if yours is a high-stakes profession, know that I’m here for you to work on making progress in your life and career. You can apply for Professional Life Coaching with me at http://carriericoaching.com/lifecoaching.html, or fill in your information below, and I will contact you soon.
