Coaching is fundamentally about facilitating desired change.

Coaching is oriented toward action and the future. Coaches work with people who are designing their futures, learning new skills, seeking personal and professional fulfillment and more balance in their lives.

Coaching assists the client in identifying, prioritizing and implementing choices.

Everyone can benefit from working with a coach during times of transition, and personal and professional growth.

There are two main areas in coaching:

• Life coaching helps you deal with personal growth issues and make transformations in your life; for example, having better relationships with others, or asking what life is calling you to do. Life coaching looks at ways to create the life you want to live. Life coaching can also help you manage life transitions.
• Executive coaching focuses on individuals, entrepreneurs and executives who seek coaching either independently or through their organizations. It focuses on enhancing management and leadership skills and increasing emotional intelligence; as well as improving performance including communication and presentation.

How does coaching work?

Coaching is conducted either in person or via the telephone. Coaching sessions range from thirty minutes to one hour per week. At the beginning of coaching a mutually acceptable agreement will be established, stating fees and frequency of meetings. The contract guarantees complete confidentiality.

Is coaching for me?

People who come for coaching are looking for more direction, balance, joy, authenticity or fulfillment in their lives. They want better results than they have been able to achieve on their own.

Coaching helps you become clear about what you want in your life and face the challenges of making change happen. If you know you’re not performing at your best or that your company is not as competitive as it needs to be in today’s evolving marketplace, coaching makes change possible and gets results faster than you may be able to achieve otherwise.

Coaching is about taking on change with real outcomes. It’s about changing your present in order to create a better future.

 

Am I ready to commit to coaching?

Circle the number that comes closest to representing how true the statement is for you right now. Then, score yourself using the key at the bottom of the page. Your coach needs for you to be at the place in life where you are coachable. This test will help you discover how coachable you are right now.

Coachability Index

<- Less True – More True Statement ->

1  2  3  4  5	I am fully willing to do the work involved in coaching.
1  2  3  4  5	I’ll give the coach the benefit of the doubt and “try on” new concepts or different ways of doing things.
1  2  3  4  5	I will be honest with the coach.
1  2  3  4  5	If I feel that I am not getting what I need or expect from the coach, I will share this as soon as I sense it and ask that I get what I want and need from the relationship.
1  2  3  4  5	I am willing to eliminate or modify the self-defeating behaviours which limit my success.
1  2  3  4  5	I see coaching as a worthwhile investment in my life. I am aware of the financial commitment and can be relied upon to honour all arrangements.
	TOTAL SCORE (add up all numbers)
Scoring Key 0 – 10  Not coachable 11 – 15  Coachable, but make sure ground rules are honoured 16 – 25  Coachable 26 – 35  Very coachable; ask the coach to ask a lot from you! Modified from Coach U Inc., 1999

Why have a coach?

Think of your coach as your own personal advocate, champion, mentor and partner as you work toward establishing a new truth about yourself. Whether it’s improving your personal skills, developing a high-performance team, creating a strategic vision for your company, telling the truth about who you are, or kicking a bad habit, the focus is always on you.

A coach helps you clarify your goals and keeps you on track to achieve them. Eventually, you should be able to maintain the results on your own, but until you’re comfortable making the changes or have the ability to get refocused, a coach is there to support you. The coach will work with you at your own pace.

Coaching accelerates personal and professional growth, as efficiently and effectively as possible.