Why would I need a coach?

You may feel stuck, frustrated or overwhelmed with your current place in life. That could be your career, work/life balance, or simply wanting more out of life. Coaching is a great way to be supported on that journey, as well as being listened to in a non-judgmental and open space that allows you to explore potential new paths. Coaches don’t have an agenda or end game. Your goals and fulfillment are what matter most. A coaching relationship helps bring clarity and motion to life when indecision and stress feel paralyzing. No one NEEDS a coach, but a coach can help inspire new confidence, belief, and potential that creates limitless opportunities for you to explore.

Some specific reasons one might work with a coach:

• Something urgent, compelling or exciting is at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity)
• A gap exists in knowledge, skills, confidence or resources
• A desire to accelerate results
• A lack of clarity with choices to be made
• Success has started to become problematic
• Work and life are out of balance, creating unwanted consequences

What are the benefits of coaching?

An active coaching partnership can bring new perspective, clarity, and confidence to new challenges in life as well as help clients reach their potential in their life’s purpose and work. Along with these new habits and awareness, coaching can help establish action plans to be more effective and awaken one’s inner leadership qualities and ability to live a more passionate and balanced life.

How is coaching different than traditional therapy?

Here is an oversimplified but sometimes helpful metaphor that a mentor shared with me:

You walk up to a bicycle. There are three people there to help you, a therapist, a consultant, and a coach. The therapist asks what emotions and feelings come up from your past when you look at the bike. The consultant rides the bike down the street, comes back, and hands you a report with the most efficient and valuable way to ride the bike. The coach says, “jump on the bike and start riding, I’ll run alongside you and we’ll help you figure it out together.”

A Life Coach would be able to offer guidance by:

• Clarifying and achieving personal and professional goals
• Creating business plans
• Working to improve communication skills
• Achieving financial independence and security
• Achieving a work/life balance
• Starting a new business or growing a current business

A medically trained therapist, on the other hand, focuses their conversations on ways to:

• Recover from past traumas
• Explore why past relationships (business or personal) have been destructive
• Work through depression or anxiety that affect your ability to function at home or work
• Survive a divorce or loss of a loved one 1

What can I expect in a coaching engagement?

All coaching engagements begin with a Discovery Session where we hash out what is currently going on in your life and establish a great foundation from which to move forward. We will clarify and dig for values you currently honor or have been neglecting in your life that may contribute to your frustrations or stress. We will also discuss how to move past self-limiting beliefs, and learn how to slow down and listen to your inner leader/wisdom that will help provide clarity to live on purpose.

Most coaching engagements are a minimum of three to six months to identify and establish sustainable change and growth. We will meet over the phone or video-call every few weeks based on the package you choose. There will be accountability and some homework, whether introspective or specific actions completed to support growth and achievement of your goals. It takes commitment and effort on both sides of the relationship to realize true potential and opportunity. Coaching is not consulting or mentoring. Your greatest results will come from what you bring to the table and are willing to commit to change. THAT is why it works and is powerful. You are the one flying the plane, a coach is simply the one helping you create the flight plan.

How long does a coach work with an individual?

The length of a coaching partnership varies based on the needs and preferences of the relationship. For certain types of focused coaching, six months of sessions may work. For other types of coaching, it may be beneficial to work with a coach for a longer period of time. Factors that may impact the length of time include: the types of goals being pursued, the ways individuals or teams prefer to work, the frequency of coaching meetings, and financial resources available to support coaching.

Within the partnership, what is the role of the coach? The individual?

• The coach acts like a talking mirror that reflects the client’s current perspectives and beliefs as well as the potential that isn’t yet seen. The coach is fully engaged in listening non-judgmentally to the client's circumstances, dreams, and goals, maintaining professional boundaries in the relationship including confidentiality and adhering to the coaching profession’s code of ethics. The coach is a real and honest voice to help push through current barriers to realize a life and performance level you desire.

• The individual shows up with and leads the agenda and topic for each coaching session, committing to being honest, vulnerable and taking courageous actions to realize goals. They must show up ready to take responsibility and see new perspectives. It may become uncomfortable and be challenging to live in that change, but you will be supported in committing to tackling new steps and living in growth and opportunity.

What should you look for when selecting a coach?

The most important thing you should look for in a coach is that you can relate to their style, personality, and feel like you are truly being heard and challenged. You will be creating a powerful, honest, and vulnerable partnership with this person, and you want to say “Hell Yes” to the desire to have your next conversation.

Here are some great questions to ask when having that initial conversation:

• What are your qualifications or credentials?
• Do you hold an ICF Credential, or are you enrolled in an ICF Accredited Training Program?
• What type of clients do you usually work with?
• How do you run your shop and sessions?
• What are some of the successes you’ve been part of with clients?