FAQ
WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is a powerful process, based on trust and commitment between two or more people, designed specifically to create and maintain lasting change. It’s an extraordinary and truly special relationship. When matched perfectly, it can be a transformational experience for both client and coach. How cool is that? It can truly Change Your Game!
A coach helps clients to set targeted, more rewarding goals, develop a strategy to achieve them, and provide support throughout the process. The achievement of goals is something that comes more quickly as a result of the coaching partnership, along with the awareness of what may be holding them back from reaching those goals.
Coaching is NOT consulting. Consultants tell clients what they need, and what they intend to do, in order for the client to get what they want. Coaches ask powerful questions and engage clients in dialog, empowering them in creating their own solutions and helping them get into the driver’s seat to their own success. This in turn allows clients to accomplish results on their own.
Coaching is NOT counseling. Counseling becomes necessary when one is looking to resolve either mental or psychological events of the past. The focus of conversation is to resolve the problem. Coaching is results-oriented work meant to focus on current situations and planning for the future.
WHY DOES COACHING WORK?
Coaching works when there are two factors present:
1. The client is willing to do the work in order to grow.
2. There is a gap between where the client is now and where they want to be in the future.
Successful coaching clients know the value of sharing ideas with someone who understands them. Talking about options with someone who can listen without judgment makes a big difference.
WHERE DO YOU START WITH A COACH?
Most coaches begin with a meeting or call to help both coach and client get to know each other. The coach wants to hear about the client’s dreams, goals and challenges. The client wants to get comfortable with the coach, his or her style, and from there, an action plan is mutually agreed upon.
HOW DO THE COACHING SESSIONS WORK?
Coaching is usually done over the phone. Frequent and regular contact makes it easy to stay in the “coaching relationship”, since the client can call from their office, home, car or hotel.
The focus of the call is determined by the client. The coach helps them to find their own answers to their challenges and make the most of their opportunities. When clients are missing a principle or distinction, the coach draws one so they can see a lot better. When clients take on a large goal, the coach works with them to design, project and offer the support and structure needed to make sure it gets done. The coach brings out the client’s best by deep listening, providing insight and awareness, expecting a lot, helping them strategize and celebrating the wins. There is often “homework”, where the client tries on a new way of thinking or being, to gain a new perspective or approach that challenges the person in a new way. Each of these things can create the agenda for the next call or meeting.
Coaching works because of three unique features:
SYNERGY: Client and coach become a team, focusing on the client’s agenda, goals and needs and accomplishing more than the client would alone. This is an absolutely confidential relationship, where the client can feel completely safe.
STRUCTURE: With a coach, the client takes more actions, thinks bigger and gets the job done, thanks to the accountability and encouragement the coach provides.
EXPERTISE: The coach knows how to help people make better decisions, set the best goals, develop new skills for communicating and restructure their professional and personal lives for maximum productivity.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START WORKING WITH A COACH?
· You take yourself and what you want more seriously.
· You take more effective and focused actions immediately.
· You identify and stop putting up with barriers that get in your way.
· You create momentum to do more, become more balanced and live more authentically.
· You set personal goals that are clear and that meet your needs.
· You communicate about what you need and want from others in a more responsible way.
What is the Energy Leadership Index (ELI)?
The ELI is an attitudinal assessment, which is based on an energy/action model. This assessment differs from personality assessments as it is not intended to label a person and have them work well within that label. Instead, it measures your level of energy based on your attitude, or perception and perspective of your world. Because attitude is subjective, it can be altered. By working with a coach using the ELI, you can alter your attitude and perspective, make a shift in your consciousness, and increase your energy as the result. Once you realize that your level of consciousness is directly related to your actions, you can move from functioning effectively to functioning optimally.
Now that you know more about coaching, I welcome the opportunity to discuss these things with you further? Talk to me.