When my generation was in high school, one of the career opportunities that was not even on the radar screen was barista as in “one who makes expensive latte drinks at chain coffee shops”. Another is “life coach” as in “someone who helps one navigate life’s sea of change – be it career, personal or otherwise”. Back in those days, you made coffee on your stove top perculator and if you needed help with life’s vagaries, you talked to your friends at a diner or bar. Coaches stuck to the sport they knew.

Given the economy, and the fact that at least one national coffee house chain is closing outlets, baristas are no longer in the demand they once were. Life coaches seem to be multiplying exponentially, though – as are the certification programs to become one. My friend Bob recently emailed me that “there is not enough ‘life’ for all the coaches out there”. He may be right.

If you google “life coach certification programs” you will find a plethora of avenues to become a certified life coach. Here is what I observed when I did just a little bit of digging. First, the programs range from a day-long (or less) program to a several month course of study – and at the end of either extreme one becomes a “certified life coach”. The variability of the length and the content of the courses suggests that there is no agreement of what constitutes the preparation for a life coach.

Second, these certification programs can cost several thousand dollars – and for many it is hard to even find out how much the program costs. Again, a pretty suspect fact. Makes one think that the “certification process” itself was created by a few as simply a money-making proposition.

Finally, I found little evidence in my quick search of either a threshold for entry into the program – that is, an application process – or a demonstration of competency at completion of the program. What tends to be emphasized is the lucrative opportunity that waits for certified life coaches. My question is, does anyone ever wash out of these programs and if they do can they just try another?

Now that I have raised the above warning flags, I do know several executive coaches who are excellent. And there are probably some credible life coaches as well. However, in the absence of agreed upon standards of what makes a great life coach, my advice to all is that if you have exhausted your friends’ patience regarding your life issues and you really need a life coach, check references!

From time to time I come across a quotation that captures my attention.  Here is one of my favorites:

I decided to start anew-to strip away what I had been taught, to accept as true my own thinking. This was one of the best times of my life. There was no one around to look at what I was doing, no one interested, no one to say anything about it one way or another. I was alone and singularly free, working into my own, unknown-no one to satisfy but myself. I began with charcoal and paper and decided not to use any color until it was impossible to do what I wanted to do in black and white. I believe it was June before I needed blue.”

-Georgia O’Keefe

I think one of the characteristics of organizational life is that sometimes we end adopting a style or way of working that is not our own but instead is the one that the organizational culture calls on us to use.  I think it can be useful for each of us to take the time “to work into our own” and discover what our unique gifts happen to be.

Today’s USA Today has a cover story in the Money section titled, “Hi, I’m Joan, and I’m a workaholic. The article talks about extreme workers , some of whom attend Workaholic Anonymous meetings in cities around the country. The premise of the article is that the workaholic’s behavior impacts relationships, health, and general well being. It goes on to cite the technological advances of cell phones, laptops, and the Internet that make this extreme work behavior possible. As I walked about the streets of Arlington, VA yesterday, the number of people NOT attached to their cell phones or blackberries struck me. And I am really amazed by the number of men continuing to talk on cell phones or engage in text messaging while in the men’s room! So there certainly is something about technology that makes extreme work possible. However, there is something to which the USA Today article alludes but glosses over. And that is the subtle or not so subtle message that business organizations give to workers that encourages and even rewards this extreme worker behavior.

In the organizations that I visit, I would be hard pressed to tell you what normal business hours are , I see people coming to work before 7AM and staying in their offices until late in the evening. Organizations today do talk about work-life balance. Yet, I will often receive emails from people in those organizations that were sent in the middle of the night.

As someone who also works long hours and spends a great deal of time traveling for business, I am the last person you will hear preaching about extreme workers and the organizations in which they work. But here is my worry conversation. I worry about how sustainable a workforce can be whose effectiveness depends on continuing to work extreme hours. I know that I need to give myself time to recover after I’ve had a particularly intense period of work. I wonder if there is a breaking point at which both productivity and worker satisfaction begin to suffer. Time will tell.