coach

Developing Purpose

“Development in this vector refers to the ability to articulate directions and goals, which define the individual’s purpose. This includes assessment and clarification of interests, educational and career options, and lifestyle preferences.”-From an Introduction to Student Development Theory on Central Michigan University’s Office of Residence Life.

As someone who spent just over 15 years working in Student Affairs, I spent much of my time and energy encouraging students to figure out who they were, how they wanted to live, and how to cultivate a sense of purpose. As an administrator, I spent more time than I care to recall in management staff meetings, talking about the vision for our department, how to connect it to our mission statement, and developing strategic plans that integrated both. We spent a lot of time muddling through these conversations, disagreeing about various points, looking for a middle ground, and discussing proper wording. I was also responsible at different points for conducting assessments to gauge how well we were living up to these things, and writing our department’s annual report.

These experiences were all great preparation for becoming a coach. I already had a master’s degree and a generation of experience behind me when I decided to take the leap and strike out on my own. But I never would have gotten where I am today if I hadn’t spent time as a younger man dwelling on what I was supposed to do with my life.

I wish that, during college, I had asked myself more critical questions, and explored my interests and skills more deeply. I wish I’d questioned myself on the paths before me as well as the path behind me. As a student affairs professional, I spent a lot of time asking students about their aspirations, sharing perspectives, and telling them about the faith I had in their abilities. I wish, looking back, that I had asked each student more questions that might have led to an articulation of purpose, creation of compelling visions for the future, and good solid, planning.

As a coach, I’ve realized that it’s not enough to express faith in someone, you have to help them fulfill their promise! This means asking hard questions in a sensitive and supportive way, providing structure, and giving feedback and advice that honor their interests and skills.

In the workbook from my coach certification course, there is a reprint of a portion of Laurie Beth Jones’ book The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life. She shares three simple elements to a good mission statement.

1. A mission statement should be no more than a single sentence.
2. It should be easily understood by a twelve-year-old.
3. It should be able to be recited by memory at gunpoint.

In Mickey Fitch’s last post on our other blog, HigherEdCareerCoach.Com, “What Do You Value?,” she encouraged job searchers to try to align their job searches with their values.

Some questions worth considering and working through as you work toward understanding your life purpose include:

• What do you love to do? Why do you enjoy it?
• What brings you joy (or pain)?
• When people spend time with you, how are they affected by your presence?
• What would you do if you knew you would not fail?

I’d love to read your comments about purpose and how we express life purpose in our careers, as well as your thoughts on helping students develop a sense of purpose. How do you connect with your life purpose? And how should we as professionals, help our students discover their own?

Sean Cook spent 15.5 years working in higher education before becoming certified as a Life Purpose and Career Coach through the Life Purpose Institute. He owns Cook Coaching & Consulting, Ltd., which he runs out of his house in Athens, GA. readers can connect with him through email to sean @higheredcareercoachcom