In the Chinese language the word and symbol for crisis is the same as the word and symbol for opportunity.

Literally translated it is 'crisis is an opportunity riding on the dangerous wind.'*

This means it comes down to perception. How do I see this issue, this customer, this current economic downturn, my life, my career, my future, and your life.

In light of all that is in the media--which is either negative or fear based--it’s not easy to shift your perception. That is not to say that there isn’t reality in some of what’s being reported. Scams, layoffs, bankruptcies, and companies, pensions, bonuses, even people who used to be count-on-able seem to be no longer.

What I see as happening is people are in ‘frozen mode’ not making any changes, no investment in yourself.

With all the uncertainty out there, there is someone who is count-on-able and that is you. And when this time in our history passes—which it will—you (and I) will still be here and who we are and how we handle ourselves will get us through.

I believe this is the time to take great care of yourself, of your teams, your co-workers, your peers, your customers, and your family.

And one certain count-on-able way is to hire a coach, someone who is your mentor, your cheer leader, who pushes you out of your comfort zone and supports you in reaching or surpassing your goals.

Here are some of the results of the Landmark ICF Global Coaching Client Study Released in 2009

-- 96.2 % of coaching clients report they would repeat their coaching experience.
-- 82.7 % of coaching clients report they are "very satisfied" with their coaching experience.

The top three motivations for obtaining coaching are:
1) 40.9% Self-esteem/Self-confidence
2) 35.6% Work/Life Balance
3) 26.8% Career Opportunities

Demographics include:

The purposes of coaching to my way of thinking include, but are not limited to:

In business applications, benefits recorded in a study conducted by Manchester Inc reflect:

Tangible Business Impacts

I think it bears repeating that these are tangible, measurable results as reported by executives.

Again, when you take great care of your people, they take great care of your customers.

About the Author
Rosanne D'Ausilio, Ph.D., industrial psychologist, President of Human Technologies Global, Inc., specializes in human performance management for contact centers, providing needs analyses, instructional design, and customized, live, world class customer service skills trainings.

Known as 'the practical champion of the human, she authors the best-sellers, Wake Up Your Call Center: Humanize Your Interaction Hub, 4th edition, Customer Service and The Human Experience and Lay Your Cards on the Table: 52 Ways to Stack You Personal Deck, and hot off the press How to Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch: 101 Insider Tips as well as her popular ‘tips’ newsletter on How To Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch! available at http://www.HumanTechTips.com. Reach her at Rosanne@human-technologies.com.