What is coaching? How does it work? How is coaching different from consulting, therapy, sports coaching, a best friend? Please, give me some context about coaching . . . Why is coaching becoming so popular? What happens when you hire a coach? Can I hire a coach just for a short-term project? How long must I commit if I start working with a coach? What is coaching? Coaching is a new profession. Coaches: Help people set better goals and then reach those goals. Ask their clients to do more than they would have done on their own. Focus their clients to produce results more quickly. Provide the tools, support and structure to accomplish more. back to top How does it work? The coach and client meet two to three times a month by telephone for 45 minutes. E-mails and short telephone calls between sessions are included at no extra charge. back to top How is coaching different from consulting, therapy, sports coaching, a best friend? Consulting: Coaching is a form of consulting. But the coach stays with the client to help implement the new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen. Therapy: Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past. We help the client move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life they really want. Sports Coaching: Coaching includes several principles from sports coaching like teamwork, going for the goal, being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen the client's skills as opposed to helping them beat the other team. It's win/win. Best friend: A best friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional who you trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend and a coach. back to top Please, give me some context about coaching... A personal coach does more than an athletic coach or music teacher. 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 have, 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 (e.g., more success, more money, closer relationships, a deeper feeling of meaning in life). Most people believe that "hard work and doing it on your own" are the keys to finding the life, success, money, or happiness that they seek. They believe that a price must be paid to attain what they want, and often that price is poor health, not having enough time to enjoy life, strained family relationships or lessened productivity. The saddest part is that, even though this effort may result in more of something, it is often not the something you had in mind. You are back where you started, or worse, further from your real intentions. Athletes and performers know about this trap. They know they need someone else (a trained person) to help them set goals, discover real needs, and work effectively toward ultimate goals of excellence. So they hire a coach or a teacher. No serious athlete or musician would expect to progress very far without one. back to top Why is coaching becoming so popular? Many people are tired of doing what they "should" do and are ready to do something special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. Problem is, many can't see it, or if they can, they can't see a way to reorient their life around it. A coach can help them do both. Also, people are realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have felt out of reach. A coach is not a miracle worker (well, they are, sometimes), but a coach does have a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in this kind of growth. back to top What happens when you hire a coach? Many things, but the most important are: You take yourself and your goals more seriously. You take more effective and focused actions immediately. You stop putting up with what is dragging you down. You create momentum so it's easier to get results. You set better goals that you might not have without a coach. back to top Can I hire a coach just for a short-term, special project? Yes. Some clients hire a coach to help them accomplish specific goals or projects. Usually, however, the client keeps working with the coach after that because there are even more interesting things to accomplish. back to top 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. Very few coaches ask for a written agreement or contract. back to top Adapted from the International Coach Federation home - about coaching - about susan - services and fees - resources