FAQ: What Kinds of Doctors Need Coaching?

As physicians, we are trained to acquire clinical information for a careful history and physical examination that allows us to create a preliminary list of diagnoses. Using additional information from laboratory and imaging tests, we methodically remove from the list those diagnoses that are obviously wrong, to come up with a working diagnosis. Our next challenge is coming up with potential treatments, analyzing each of them using yet more information from the literature and from expert colleagues to formulate a treatment plan.

Solving business challenges is a completely different process and requires different communication skills, influence techniques and leadership styles from those used to in clinical care.

Having a coach benefits any doctor, in medicine or surgery – the main requirements are trust and curiosity, from both client and coach.