First Class Coaching

Published Monday, October 24, 2011 9:22 PM

Coaching, a segment of the personal development and training industry, has exploded in popularity over the last decade. Once the province of the CEO-set, coaching has gone mainstream and is now widely in use by all segments of the professional workforce.

Snapshot

In this short course, we'll examine what coaching is and is not; provide an overview of the different types of coaching and offer resources for finding a coach. We'll also provide tips for getting the most out of a coaching session and give an overview of a typical coaching session.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a relatively new industry that has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years. Workplace coaching is the process of working with individuals or groups to identify and reach specific goals. Broadly defined, coaching has three established categories:

  • Executive: Coaching clients in their workplace, typically a corporate business environment.
  • Business: Coaching the founder/leaders of a small to mid-size businesses to aid in growing their business and meeting personal goals.
  • Personal/Life: Coaching individuals from any walk of life seeking to make lifestyle and professional changes and to achieve unmet goals.

Coaches can help clients:

  • Identify goals
  • Clarify and outline specific steps needed to achieve goals
  • Create long-term developmental growth
  • Enhance problem-solving, interpersonal and leadership skills
  • Identify obstacles that are preventing the relization of goals

Coaches provide unbiased, third-party feedback and guidance. Coaches also challenge clients to push themselves and stretch their skill sets. Coaching is results-oriented rather than an intellectual or emotional exercise.

What Coaching is Not

Coaching should not be confused with therapy; it does not fix or change behavioral problems. Traditional therapy often focuses on the past, or the source of problems or negative emotions. A coach focuses on how to solve problems and move forward. While coaches do often cross over to work on interpersonal dynamics, the focus is generally more "top-down" and solutions-oriented than therapy. A good coach will tell you what to do, a good therapist will not.

A coach is not a cheerleader or a mentor. Coaches provide constructive, unbiased feedback and action-oriented advice. While coaches may not have the hands-on experience in specific industry, good coaches posses a keen understanding of what drives successful people and how individuals can harness those qualities to produce tangible results. 

Coaching is also not a must-have for advancement or success; don't assume working with a coach guarantees professional advancement or better honed skills. Coaching works best with clients who need refinement of skills, help moving to a new level or assistance navigating a transition.

Getting Started

To begin, determine if working with a coach is the best solution for your needs. Coaches work best with clients who are open to suggestion and training, who are smart, curious and persistent learners and who are truly committed to making a change in lifestyle. If you fall into this description, working with a coach can pay dividends.

Next, it's time to find the right coach, which can take some leg work. To begin, check with your company's HR department to see if they have a coaching firm on retainer or if they have names to recommend. Network with industry colleagues for additional references. Finally, consider expanding your search to coaches credentialed by one of the following industry associations:

Coaches come in a variety of categories.  Make sure you work with one suited to your particular needs. Categories include:

Executive Coaching: The process of working with an individual to reach a specific goal in their professional development. Executive coaching can be helpful during career milestones such as transitions or succession grooming. Areas of coaching may include interpersonal and professional communication, performance management, organizational effectiveness, managing career and personal changes, developing executive presence, enhancing strategic thinking and conflict resolution and team building.

Executive Coaching: The process of working with an individual to reach a specific goal in their professional development. Executive coaching can be helpful during career milestones such as transitions or succession grooming. Areas of coaching may include interpersonal and professional communication, performance management, organizational effectiveness, managing career and personal changes, developing executive presence, enhancing strategic thinking and conflict resolution and team building.

Life Coaching: Life coaching is a practice that helps people identify and achieve personal goals. Goals may include better personal relationships, improved parenting skills, increased productivity and organization, greater aptitude in managing time, money and life decisions. While personal coaches help clients work towards certain general professional goals, they will not usually offer business-specific advice. 

Business Coaching: The practice of coaching an individual or group to help them recognize ways to grow or improve the effectiveness of their business. Coaching can include one-on-one or group coaching sessions and large scale organizational work. Goals often include increasing revenue and improving productivity.

After you've found a coach who looks good on paper, take time to interview that person. Ask prospective coaches the following questions:

  • How much do they charge?
  • How long have they been coaching?
  • What is the income range of their clients?
  • Do they have a particular area of expertise (e.g., specific jobs or industries)?
  • Are there any clients they haven't been able to help?
  • Do they take on all clients or are they selective?

 

Finally, make sure you are comfortable with the person. You will be working closely so be sure you click.

What to Expect from a Coaching Session

Nearly all coaches offer their sessions over the phone. Typically, phone sessions are conducted weekly and last 30 to 60 minutes. While every coach has their own style, a typical call might run along these lines:

  • Exchange of greetings
  • Review of long-term goals and outlining goals for that specific session
  • Exploration of goals and issues in depth, strategizing about necessary steps to take to realize the client's goals.
  • Review of any "homework" such as exercises or action items previously assigned
  • Assigning of new homework and action items
  • Recap of the clients immediate, short-term, and long-term goals

Some coaches may let prospective clients listen to a taped session with another client. Ask your potential coach if this is a possibility; this can be an instructive way to see how the coach works.

Making the Most of Your Sessions

Professional coaching is a two-way street. To make the most of coaching sessions, clients need to be active participants, engaged listeners and open to suggestion and change. Additionally, clients should:

Focus: Zero in on your goals: don't be distracted by side issues. Strive to bring your complete attention to each session and carve out time to implement new strategies or suggestions.

Do your homework: Complete all assigned action items and homework. Successful change requires time and effort so schedule blocks of time to devote to homework and your coaching strategies.

Implement the program: Coaching requires clients to walk the talk. It is not enough to identify goals; clients must take concrete steps to realize all goals.

In Review

Coaching has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years. Professional coaching is the process of working with individuals or groups to identify and reach specific goals. Coaches offer unbiased, third-party feedback and guidance and challenge clients to push themselves and stretch their skill sets. Coaching should not be confused with therapy; it does not fix or change behavioral problems. Coaches come in a variety of categories: make sure you work with one suited to your particular needs. Coaches work best with clients who are open to suggestion and training, who are smart, curious and persistent learners and who are truly committed to making a change in lifestyle.

Extra Credit

Additional resources about coaching can be found here:

 

 

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