Is Coaching For You?

More and more people have less and less time, but have greater demands both personally and professionally. This situation has resulted in the emergence of personal coaching within four basic areas: Financial, Physical or Fitness, Life or Career and Executive Performance.

FINANCIAL COACHES help individuals with the myriad of financial decision facing today's working and retired population. Just a few years ago, these people viewed themselves as financial advisors or consultants. Coaching appears to be less intimidating and more supportive.

PHYSICAL COACHES assist individuals to build or rebuild their physical health.

CAREER or TRANSITION COACHES help individuals to identify the obstacles that prevent future growth and excellence. Many career coaches promote their credentials because they have achieved some certification program.

EXECUTIVE COACHES also, assist people in reaching that next level of excellence and growth. However executive coaches differ from career coaches in that pre-determined benchmarks are identified. These coaches identified specific measurable benchmarks and help to align the personal and professional lives of their clients. Additionally, there is research that suggests this type of coaching can deliver significant return on investment and dramatically improve productivity. In one Fortune 500 company, the absence of coaching after training demonstrated a potential loss of new skills by 87%.

If are you considering coaching, these 10 tips may help you select a coach to best fit your needs.

1. Identify - Before you pick up the phone, search the Internet or ask a friend, identify why you desire a coach. Be as specific as possible. Try to answer the following question: What has kept me from achieving or getting me to where I want to be or go?

2. Referrals - Ask for someone who can validate measurable results. If you are thinking of hiring a coach and believe that you have found a coach to your liking, then ask for referrals. Your questions to the referral may be: Did you achieve your desired results? How long did it take for those results to be achieved? What was the best experience from this coaching process? Are you still a client of this coach? Would you recommend this coach? Why did you hire this coach over another coach? Were the sessions engaging and fun?

3. Time frame - Begin with a minimum of 1 hour sessions to 2 hours. Sessions should be scheduled to provide opportunities for reinfocement, feedback and practice. Coaching is usually scheduled before or after the workday for the "coachee." This type of scheduling respects the productivity of the "coachee."

4. Curriculum - Relevant, proven and promotes measurable growth. If possible, audio reinforcement should be available to maximize the forthcoming coaching session. Research suggests that a one time exposure to a learning event generates 50% retention after 24 hours, 25% after 48 hours and 2% aftr 16 days. Space repetition or what some call rote memorization strengthens cognitive, long term memory retention. We all know what 10x10 is without thinking, but answering what 23x24 is takes far more time.

5. Tools - Provide a means for turning the words into positive measurable outcomes. A well structured Action Plan helps to build balance and provides a place for all written goals and reflective journaliing. Additional handouts or activities help to make the necessary connections between learning (the acquisition of knowledge) and performance (the application of knowledge).

6. Opportunity - For ongoing sessions after initial sessions have been completed. Reinforcement is critical as it takes time to change 10, 20 or even 30 years of the previous, conditioned behavior. These sessions are shorter usually 15 to 30 minutes and provide a vehicle for accountability.

7. Fees - Range from $50 to $200 per hour and up. Determine what your benchmarks are and use those benchmarks to help determine your return on investment. Ask if a money back guaranteed is available. A positive return on investment should be secured within 6-12 months.

8. Credentials - Use references because the "proof is in the pudding." Many coaches promote their credentials, but research suggest that many business, career, transition or executive coaches actually earn less than $25,000 annually. The focus should reside on the outcomes from the coaching that you are expecting and not the credentials of the coach.

9. Complimentary Session - Ask for a complimentary session to see if you like the coach and feel that the coach understands what you are attempting to achieve. In many cases, these sessions are at no charge.

10.Check - Before you hire a coach, check to make sure that you are committed to doing what you need to do. Coaches are a resource for individuals and not what some believe are a magic pill. The success of any coaching relationship is dependent upon both individuals.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith is President of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, The Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business and education experience, she partners with her clients to connect the 3P's of Passion, Purpose and Performance to affect sustainable change in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation with a variety of industries. Her ROI solutions align the strategies, systems and people to develop loyal internal customers leading to loyal external customers. She is the co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential:Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for June 205 release. Leanne also speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please call Leanne a call at 219.759.5601 or email leanne@processspecialist.com if you are seeking sustainable results for your business or yourself.

Copyright 2005 Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com

Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Coaching Information:

Related Articles

How to Choose the Right Coach for You
So you want to hire a coach but with so many choices it's easy to feel overwhelmed. How do you find the coach that is right for you? It can seem like a daunting task so here are some guidelines to help you make the right decision for you.
The Difference Between Approval and Appreciation
Having worked with individuals, couples, families and business partners for 35 years, helping them learn to resolve conflict, I have often been faced with the difficulties that occur when people are confused about the difference between approval with appreciation. Have you ever wondered about the difference between approval and appreciation? Most of us have never actually thought about it, yet if we do think about it, we realize that we feel very differently when we receive approval as opposed to receiving appreciation.
Dont Be Jealous - Be Inspired
When we see people do things we cannot do, or have things we don't have, it might be tempting to be a little jealous. But, jealousy doesn't lead to anything except resentment, and that isn't going to help you.
Negotiating Difficult Life Transitions
Life is a process of beginnings and endings. In both life and nature, there are times when things move slowly and don't seem to change very much.
Do You Trust Your Mentor(s)?
It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust." - Samuel JohnsonI was on a tele-seminar recently with International Health Coach Jeremy Likness and he asked a very interesting question about Trust.
Friends?
I met my friend when we were in graduate school, and we enjoyed hanging out together outside of classes. After receiving our degrees, we both left school to live in different states.
How to Make $100,000 Dollars as a Personal Trainer - Part A for Attitude!
My name is Greg Ryan. For the last twenty years I have counseled thousands of personal trainers, fitness directors and gym owners on how be successful in the health and fitness industry.
Some Business Coaches are in Error
Many business coaches deny the power of suggestion while using it. For instance a corporate inner circle will be told that they have inner conflicts with ethical practice due to the stockholders coming first, the customers coming second and employees coming third.
Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words
Has it ever occurred to you how much you are saying to people even when you are not speaking? Unless you are a master of disguise, you are constantly sending messages about your true thoughts and feelings whether you are using words or not.Studies show that your words account for only 7% of the message you convey.
What Does It Take To Have It All In Life?
Many people have asked me why I wrote my book, 'The Street Kid's Guide to Having it All', and I realized that some people simply do not believe that it is possible to 'have it all'. Well, I am here as an ambassador to dispel that rumor once and for all.
4 Underused Hot Spots for Your Personal Branding Iron
I'll never forget what my mentor told me: "Don't communicate in any way to any person without the stamp of your personal brand."Everyone has a personal brand, whether they know it or not.
Difficult Challenges? -- What If?
Sometimes life can seem like one long series of unsolvable problems. I know there have been times when I would much rather find something else to do and quit whatever I was doing simply because it was too much trouble to continue.
How to Create Your Ideal Life - Excerpt from Individual Power
When I lost it all, I felt powerless. During my darkest hours, I wrote letters to God asking "why?" I received answers in writing.
Your Personal Treasure Chest
Sometimes it is helpful to review several of the basic components of THE ENCHANTED SELF. That's what I've decided to do this time.
Get Out What You Put In!
During a recent coaching session with Mark, I was briefly reminded of how it feels to give your all to your business and have it spit in your face."I just don't get it! I'm putting all my time and energy into this business, and I'm still scraping by.
3 Secrets to Developing Superior People Skills
1. If What You Are Doing Is Not Working Change Your ApproachWhen I was in school I always had a small group of close friends but I never found it easy meeting new people.
Using Audio Programs to Increase Your Knowledge and Productivity
If you do any significant amount of driving, a simple thing you can do to increase your productivity is to listen to audio programs in your car. If your commute time to work is 45 - 60 minutes each way, you can easily listen to at least 1 book each week.
How to be Your Authentic Self
Most of us play many different roles in the course of any given day. We could be Mom, Boss, Employee, Student or Friend, to name just a few.
Leadership Coaching - Easier Said Than done
Recently at a Pharmaceutical meeting in Europe, one of the presenters shared the results of a recent study that demonstrated that Managers who were trained in Eight Step Coaching Skills were out selling DM's who were not trained in the program. This quantitative data seems to support that the cornerstone of success lies in effective leadership coaching and diagnosing the needs of the Representatives.
Do You Need a Performance Coach?
In today's fast paced world, we are often confronted with the issue, "I want to get in shape, but I just don't have the time!" We all have faced it at one time or another. So, when we finally decide to get in shape we go to the gym, and then another decision hits us.