HELP! Do self-help books help?

With the run-up to Christmas and everyone running out of time, people are after quick fixes in practically every area of their lives. The publishing industry has certainly cottoned onto that idea with a quarter of top selling books now being in the self-help genre, enticingly promising to make you happier, slimmer, improve your finances or manage your time better. Recently, a respected broadsheet produced a 14-day series of booklets entitled Success at Work. Will twenty-page leaflets help you build your confidence at work, show you how to make effective presentations, improve the way you think, influence others and even start your own business?

There are of course some subjects such as IT that are relatively easy to learn via the printed page, and many have become computer experts by studying manuals from beginning to end. Self-help volumes are often bought from a vague sense that ‘things just aren’t right’ but, more seriously, by people in desperate need of help, support and direction. Many of these books promise mind-blowing personal development, inspirational life-enhancing information and phenomenal life-changing success. Apologies for a touch of unseasonable cynicism here, but from my professional perspective, this approach is doomed to disappoint.

The plethora of these books does show there is enormous demand for information, advice and encouragement. The problem though, is that the written word is literally in black and white and doesn’t allow for the endless subtleties, nuances, sensitivities and complexities of each individual. Instead of addictively buying self-help books, it’s far more instructive and effective to treat yourself to professional coaching. That way you have a dedicated supporter who brings perspective to any feelings of unease, teases out actual and imagined issues, helps with practical coping mechanisms, checks your understanding of things past and present and, most importantly, challenges you to make manageable changes for the future. So, that really is a sustainable present for the New Year!

For a complimentary, confidential session to explore areas of concern, and experience the benefits of professional coaching for you or your Company, contact Caroline Lloyd-Evans 01223 355148, 07885 187895 caroline@cleconsulting.co.uk www.cleconsulting.co.uk

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