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

Curbing the Public Nuisance (Part 2)
Yes, that pillar of society that has been with us since that slithery dude threw humanity for a curve in the Garden of Eden - that cornerstone of society has been automated.I am speaking, of course, of the public nuisance ( I wrote about him in Part 1 at http://www.
Crisis: Danger or Opportunity?
I have often heard motivational speakers say that the word crisis in Chinese means both danger and opportunity. In investigating the facts, I have found running arguments on the web as to whether or not this is true.
Pecked to Death By Ducks
Ever been in a situation where it seems like minor criticisms are all you hear? Sure, there are things you could improve, you know that . .
How Does Sports Coaching Differ from Corporate Coaching?
Athletes Versus EmployeesMost athletes are young, open to improvement, eager to learn and anxious to receive what a coach can provide. For the athlete, there is a defined season and something tangible to compete for.
Attention! Thought Crossing! - Or, The Secret of What's Between Your Ears
What are you thinking - right now? 'I'm reading your article!' you say. Well, take a little bit of a closer look.
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.
A Numbers Game!
Three years ago, Paul left his corporate job to launch his freelance writing career, and he's done relatively well. He has a group of regular clients that keep him going, and they are happy with his work.
How to Get a Grip on Your Money
Most people have no idea where their money goes. They earn it and they spend it.
Five Steps to Vocational Passion: A Disciplined Plan for Major Mid-life Changes
There's a famous song lyric that asks: "Is that all there is?" Every seven seconds, an American turns 50 years old. So there's a good chance that song is running through some of their heads.
The Right Time and Place
(Channelled)Roy?I am sending you this quote from Sōtō Zen, Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki, please read it.Once someone advised Dōgen to go to Easter Japan if he wanted to see Buddhism prosper.
Dont Settle
Settling is about not embracing what is best for you, and accepting what you really don't want. When you settle, you accept less than you deserve.
Just Listen, Please!
When did you last do that? When did you last listen to yourself? Is there a small voice inside you calling out "Just listen to me" Just listen. Please".
Personal Development Profiles
Personal development profiles, also known as personality profiles, are a tool I frequently use before starting a course of coaching with a client. The client answers a series of questions about preferred behaviour styles and their responses generate a report which outlines their strengths, areas for improvement, blind spots, their contribution to the team, ways they could improve their communication and how to deal with challenging people.
The Story "From the Chicken Coop"?
Many years ago my grandfather, had a small farm andchickens. One morning he sent me out to the chicken coop tocollect fresh eggs.
Parts that Make the Whole? or Not
There are many parts that make up you.There's the Musical You, the Friendly You, the Amazing You, the Genius You, the Calm You, the Peaceful You, and many more parts that make up who you are - much like an identity check list:All round good guy/gal part - checkUniquely amazing you part - checkWitty and intelligent part - checkLovable and charming part - checkMoody and indecisive part - who me??? Never?Selfish and greedy part - not me! Never?Self opinionated - Nope, not me! Never?We all have wonderful attributes; we also have parts not so wonderful which we'd rather keep hidden but really, it's okay to acknowledge we have both.
5 Tips to Improve ANY Performance
Seeking improved performance at work? Wishing you could finally achieve your sports-related goals? Merely looking for a way to get more out of everything you do? What follows are five basic skills (basic in that all top achievers know these skills and apply them in some form on a weekly basis) that will dramatically improve your performance.1.
Receiving Thanks and Praise - The View from the Other Side
We demand more from those who provide to us and because we are frequently in roles which deliver goods and services ourselves, we are on the receiving end too - of complaints, frustrations and generally poor behaviour.Why is it that when we are on the receiving end, we miss the fact that we ourselves, when we hang up our service-provider-hat at the end of our shift, often end up as 'customers behaving badly' too?Why do we take our own frustrations out on others, the way it has been taken out on us? Why do we sometimes become the Hyde from our normal Jekyll?So, when someone goes the 'extra mile' to say 'Thank you', or appreciate the actions you have taken? What do you take from that and how do you react? You feel good, I guess.
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.
Are You Addicted To Your Activities?
Activities - such as sports, creative projects, reading, work, TV, meditation - can be a wonderful way to relax, express yourself, or connect to yourself. Or they can be an addiction.
How To Overcome Stuck States In Personal Growth
Although many of us use self-help tools like affirmations, visualizations, NLP techniques, and spiritual invocations, we sometimes find that nothing happens. This, to say the least, is disheartening.