While personal development programs are often discussed, they are sadly misunderstood by most. Frequently they are considered to be a kind of course or retreat that focuses on the development of a personal trait of character to the exclusion of anything else. Conversely, others believe them to be great business tools that help anyone – from the entry level blue collar worker to the top executive of the company – to prepare themselves for climbing that next rung on the corporate ladder by teaching the latest business gimmicks and buzzwords. Neither is completely true while at the same time both contain valuable kernels of truth. Personal development coaching affects both a person’s private as well as business persona by focusing on a specific need the employee may have in a business area which is nonetheless rooted in the personal sphere. The Challenge of Public Speaking Most commonly associated with the realm of personal development is public speaking – the bane of most any business person’s existence. While on the college level this is sought to be conquered, the fact remains that during those years public speaking is accompanied with many nervous giggles and college levity that will be conspicuously absent in the business world. There is much about becoming an adequate and even good public speaker that cannot be taught in a class – there is the mindset, the projection of the voice that is borne from confidence, and of course the ability to reach an audience, any audience. Some aspects may be learned in the classroom, such as the organization of the speech, how to dress, how to stand, how to address a group of diverse individuals, and also the proper use of grammar and language. Personal development coaching picks up where the college level courses left off. In a personal development class that speaker to be will learn how to communicate with the audience rather than just talk at them. She or he understands the nuances of persuading addressees and some business people find that they actually begin to like this aspect of their jobs. Dealing With Anxiety and Self Doubt If public speaking is the bane, then anxiety is the feeling that fuels it. Anxiety is experienced in a wide array of different everyday life situations, such as meeting a date, going to a party and entering a room filled with people, boarding a bus where everyone is looking up, going on a job interview, applying for a loan, and of course pitching a new idea to the boss. Personal development coaching seeks to help individuals deal with their fears and worries and instead focus almost exclusively on the defeat of self-doubt borne from an ability to recall instantly one’s abilities, strengths, and likeable qualities while at the same time remembering that the person across the desk is just as human as oneself. While this may sound like common sense, it is a concept that is revealed, studied, and honed in on during a personal development class. Becoming a Self Starter Nothing impresses a boss more than an employee who shows initiative and is self motivated. As a matter of fact, a perusal of the want ads quite frequently brings up the term “self starter” which is a not so subtle hint that the employers are looking for something who will not wait around to be told what to do, when to dig deeper, how to go further, why to aim higher, but instead want someone who sees a problem and will work on the solution, finds a working process and seeks to improve on it, and notices a job that was left undone and will go ahead and finish it. This kind of attitude is what propels the entrepreneur and the go-getter on the fast track to promotion. Personal development coaching will help you transcend your wait and see attitude and instead enables you to attain a level of self motivation you might not have known was in you. Sharpening Your Focusing Skills If there is one thing the manager detests at a lengthy business meeting is watching an employee doodle and stares out the window. Equally, there are those who seem to be lost within minutes of a particularly boring speaker. On the other hand, much admired is the employee who can sit through even the lamest presentation and concisely grasp the fine points, focuses on the strengths, and hones in on the weaknesses. Personal development coaching offers many mnemonic devises as well as attitude primers that will help you to harness your wandering mind and sharpen your focusing skills. Increased concentration will make you a most valuable asset in your professional life and with personal development a goal easily attained!