Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions Answered
What is coaching?
Coaching is fairly new and represents a melting pot of professions and bodies knowledge from psychology, organizational and leadership development, and change management to adult learning theory, neuro-science and emotional intelligence. This method of facilitating positive change for a person, group or team is a partnership with a coach in a thought-provoking and creative process that improves performance and quality of life.
Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because of three unique features:
Synergy: Client and coach become a team, focusing on the client's goals and needs to accomplish more than the client would alone.
Structure: With a coach, a client takes more action, thinks bigger, and gets the job done, thanks to the accountability the coach provides.
Expertise: The coach knows how to help others expand their thinking, make better decisions, design the most inspiring goals, and encourage the client's motivation to change when they have not before.
What do clients work on with a coach?
Here is what the client and coach work on together:
Communications (listening, presence, influence, constructive confrontation)
Work-life balance
Inspiring leadership practices
Turning around a difficult situation
Building confidence
Discovering a purpose-driven career
Making key decisions and designing strategies
Prioritizing and taking actions
What should I look for in a coach?
The right coach brings out your best, consistently. To do this, the coach you select should pass the following three tests:
Does this coach have a track record of helping someone like me accomplish the goals I want?
Do I feel good and motivated to act when with this coach?
Will this coach keep up with me—and stay ahead of me—as I grow?
I believe that certification by the International Coach Federation, which requires the coach to have completed a rigorous training program, a minimum number of coaching hours and an exam, is an important consideration.