Coaching…What it
is & How it works
What is Life Coaching?
Professional
coaches:
• Work with clients to set and reach powerful, effective, meaningful, relevant
goals.
• Ask their clients to go beyond where they would have gone on their own.
• Help clients sharpen and maintain focus to more quickly produce results
• Provide the tools, encouragement, support and structure to accomplish more
than ever.
What is the basic philosophy of coaching?
You'll be more powerful and effective in any
or all areas of your life when you have a trained, experienced coach who brings
fresh perspective, stimulus, ideas, and structures for accountability.
Why do people decide to hire a personal/professional
coach?
• They want more. They want to grow. They
want it easier.
What happens when you hire a coach?
The moment you hire a professional or
personal coach you begin to take yourself more seriously. Your actions
immediately become more effective and focused. You stop putting up with nagging
things that have been dragging you down. You begin to create momentum. You set
goals well beyond those you would have set. Results come more easily. And you
receive and relish the acknowledgments you earn and deserve.
Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because the synergy between
the coach and client creates momentum. Better goals are set - ones that
naturally pull you toward your goals, rather than goals that require excess
energy and resources to achieve. You develop new skills. These skills translate
into more success. And you discover an increase in what you can accomplish when
you have a coach holding you personally accountable to your goals.
How long must I commit if I start working
with a coach?
Most coaches ask for a three to six month
commitment, but usually let you stop immediately if coaching is not working for
you right now...or if your goals are achieved sooner than expected. Some
coaches ask for a written agreement or contract as a reminder of your original
commitment and intent. For the corporate client, however, a signed agreement is
simply good business.
How Does Coaching Begin?
Coaching starts with an initial
"Discovery Session" generally followed by 2 to 4 Coaching
sessions per month. The initial Discovery Session, typically done by telephone,
lasts approximately 2 hours. During this session, we explore your values, your
dreams, and what you truly want in your life. We also design how we will work
together, and how you'd like to be coached by me.
How Often Do Coaching Sessions
We generally coach 2 to 4 times a
month. Coaching is NOT a "quick fix", but more of a long-term
journey of self-discovery, learning and growth. Some clients see immediate
results in their lives, and others notice a more gradual shift over a period of
time. The speed of results depends primarily on your level of commitment, and
your specific goals and life situations.
Why Is Coaching Done Over The Phone?
Coaching over the phone is highly effective
because it eliminates the initial uncomfortable feeling that arises when you
start to "open up" in front of someone you are not familiar with. You
will immediately be at ease, plus it is highly time efficient. You call in at
your specific appointment time, from a completely private place where you feel
comfortable.
What
Every session is different. However, you are
asked to bring forward whatever is "present" for you. It may be
something more pressing and immediate that is happening currently in your life
or it might be something more specific to your main long-term goals. A Coach
will work with you on whatever you decide to bring forward – remember coaching
is all about you and what you want. Your coach will ask you powerful questions
and listen to both your spoken and unspoken words. Coaches use a variety of
different coaching skills and techniques as needed to deepen your learning and
move you forward with purpose. At the end of each session, the Coach will often
give you a "homework" assignment, and ask you for accountability.
However, you are ultimately the one in charge and you decide what is best for
you in each session. Most importantly, your Coach will bring a supportive,
nurturing, creative and fun energy into the coaching session. Your coach will challenge
you....and celebrate success with you!
Does a coach work on personal goals or
business/professional goals?
Both. With the line between personal and
business life blurring in the new Millennium, your personal coach is a
professional trained to work with all aspects of your life: your job/business
and money; friends, family and relationships; health and vitality; your various
environments, and your spiritual side.
HOW IS COACHING DIFFERENT?
From consulting, therapy, sports coaching, or your best friend?
Different from Consulting….Coaching is a
form of consulting, but the coach stays with you to help you implement the new
skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen.
Different from Therapy… Coaching is not
therapy. Coaches don't work on "issues" or get into the past or deal
much with understanding human behavior. Rather, they help move you forward with
focus on setting and achieving personal and professional goals that will
provide the life you really want.
Different from Sports Coaching... Personal
coaching includes several principles from sports coaching, such as teamwork,
going for goals, 'being your best'. But unlike sports coaching, most
professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. Coaches strengthen
your skills rather than focus on beating the other team. It's a 'win/win'
focus.
Different from your Best friend… A best
friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional whom you
can trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or
business? Does a best friend know the right questions to ask? Can a best friend
provide meaningful distinctions, and point you in the direction of valuable resources?
Will a best friend push you beyond your limits? Have a best friend • and a
coach.
WHY IS COACHING BECOMING SO POPULAR?
• Shoulds vs. Inner Needs: Many people are
tired of doing what they feel - or have been told they "should" do.
They are ready to do something they decide is special and meaningful with their
lives. But they are not sure just what that is. Or, if they have an inkling,
they can't see a way to reorient their life around this new focus or direction.
A coach can help.
• Real Accomplishments: People are realizing
how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have
felt out of reach or like a pipe dream. A coach is not a miracle worker
(although they frequently occur that way!) but a coach does have a large 'tool
kit' of distinctions, questions and ideas to help that 'Big Idea' become a
Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in
themselves in this kind of growth.
• Spirituality: Many people are searching
for a way to be more spiritual, but they are not sure just what that means or
how to achieve it. A good working definition of spirituality is the way a
person connects with their inner selves, with people around them, and with the
universe in general. The coach can help the client explore any or all these
arenas, and to connect more
powerfully to each.
• Complexity and Change: Finally, the world
is becoming more complex by the day; and the pace of change is accelerating
rapidly. Many clients are unsure of themselves in a constantly changing world
which directions to take, how to tackle unusual new challenges, how to achieve
on a constantly changing playing field. A coach is trained to ask the kind of
questions that help clients understand themselves and their world, make the right
decisions, and move forward with confidence.
MORE ABOUT COACHING…
A personal coach does what an athletic coach
or music teacher does, only in a more complete and comprehensive way. A coach
challenges you and takes the time to find out what 'winning in life' means to
you. A coach is your partner in living the life you know you can accomplish,
personally and professionally. A coach is someone to hold you accountable for
your life, to make sure you really do live up to your potential. No matter
where you are in life, there is always a desire for more: more success, more
money, and more friends. But there is also a desire for something different:
new ways to approach old challenges; relationships that are deep and powerful;
a deeper feeling of meaning in life; new kinds of achievement that really do
make a difference in your world.
People frequently struggle with how to get
more from life. Most were taught to believe that "hard work" and
"doing it on your own" are the keys to finding the life, success,
money, or happiness. But they often pay a price to attain what they want poor
health, insufficient time to enjoy life's true riches, strained family
relationships. And so 'more' in many ways becomes 'less.'
Athletes and performers know about this
trap. They know they need someone else, a trained outside observer to help them
discover real needs, set meaningful goals, and maintain balance in their lives
while they work to achieve excellence, and to make a difference. No serious
athlete, musician, dancer or actor would expect to progress very far without
hiring a coach. No one has ever won an Olympic gold medal without one.
DO SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE NEED A COACH?
They might or they might not. But before one
decides, one should thoroughly explore these key questions:
• Are you doing what you most enjoy?
• Are you putting up with things you'd rather not?
• Is your life as easy as it might be?
• Is your life well balanced?
• Are you going to be financially independent within the next 15 years, or when
you need to be?
• Do you have what you most want?
Often, there is much more people can get out
of their lives than they realize...and often their needs are not self-evident.
Coaches are trained in the process of exploration. They guide the potential
client through an examination of the balance in various areas of his/her life.
They provide invaluable perspectives. They help you see the things about
yourself you cannot see. But the rule of thumb is that the more you want from
life, the more a qualified and competent life coach can help you.
