Life Coaching: 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
decisionfacing 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).
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