What is professional coaching?
The ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:
- Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
- Encourage client self-discovery
- Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
- Hold the client responsible and accountable
Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has
How can you determine if coaching is right for you?
To determine if you could benefit from coaching, start by summarizing what you would expect to accomplish in coaching. When someone has a fairly clear idea of the desired outcome, a coaching partnership can be a useful tool for developing a strategy for how to achieve that outcome with greater ease.
Since coaching is a partnership, also ask yourself if you find it valuable to collaborate, to have another viewpoint and to be asked to consider new perspectives. Also, ask yourself if you are ready to devote the time and the energy to making real changes in your work or life. If the answer to these questions is yes, then coaching may be a beneficial way for you to grow and develop.
How is coaching distinct from other service professions?
Professional coaching is a distinct service which focuses on an individual’s life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change management. In an effort to understand what a coach is, it can be helpful to distinguish coaching from other professions that provide personal or organizational support.
Therapy: Coaching can be distinguished from therapy in a number of ways. First, coaching is a profession that supports personal and professional growth and development based on individual-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is forward moving and future focused. Therapy, on the other hand, deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or a relationship between two or more individuals. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past which hamper an individual’s emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with present life and work circumstances in more emotionally healthy ways. Therapy outcomes often include improved emotional/feeling states. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. The emphasis in a coaching relationship is on action, accountability and follow through.
Consulting: Consultants may be retained by individuals or organizations for the purpose of accessing specialized expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, there is often an assumption that the consultant diagnoses problems and prescribes and sometimes implements solutions. In general, the assumption with coaching is that individuals or teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks.
Mentoring: Mentoring, which can be thought of as guiding from one’s own experience or sharing of experience in a specific area of industry or career development, is sometimes confused with coaching. Although some coaches provide mentoring as part of their coaching, such as in mentor coaching new coaches, coaches are not typically mentors to those they coach.
Training: Training programs are based on the acquisition of certain learning objectives as set out by the trainer or instructor. Though objectives are clarified in the coaching process, they are set by the individual or team being coached with guidance provided by the coach. Training also assumes a linear learning path which coincides with an established curriculum. Coaching is less linear without a set curriculum plan.
Athletic Development: Though sports metaphors are often used, professional coaching is different from the traditional sports coach. The athletic coach is often seen as an expert who guides and directs the behavior of individuals or teams based on his or her greater experience and knowledge. Professional coaches possess these qualities, but it is the experience and knowledge of the individual or team that determines the direction. Additionally, professional coaching, unlike athletic development, does not focus on behaviors that are being executed poorly or incorrectly. Instead, the focus is on identifying opportunity for development based on individual strengths and capabilities.
What are some typical reasons someone might work with a coach?
There are many reasons that an individual or team might choose to work with a coach, including but not limited to the following:
- There is something at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity), and it is urgent, compelling or exciting or all of the above;
- There is a gap in knowledge, skills, confidence, or resources;
- There is a desire to accelerate results;
- There is a lack of clarity, and there are choices to be made;
- The individual is extremely successful, and success has started to become problematic;
- Work and life are out of balance, and this is creating unwanted consequences
- One has not identified his or her core strengths and how best to leverage them.
What has caused the tremendous growth in the coaching industry?
Coaching has grown significantly for many reasons. Generally the world has changed a lot, and coaching is a useful tool to deal with many of those changes. For example, coaching is a great tool for today’s challenging job market. There is more job transition, more self-employment and small business. Some of the real life factors include:
1) Rapid changes in the external business environment
2) Downsizing, restructuring, mergers and other organizational changes have radically altered what has been termed the “traditional employment contract”-companies can no longer achieve results using traditional management approaches
3) There is a growing shortage of talented employees in certain industries-to attract and retain top talent, companies must commit to investing in individuals’ development
4) There is a widening disparity between what managers were trained to do and what their jobs now require them to do in order to meet increasing demands for competitive results
5) There is unrest on the part of many employees and leaders in many companies-people are wrestling with fears around job insecurity and increased workplace pressures to perform at higher levels than ever before
6) Companies must develop inclusive, collaborative work environments, in order to achieve strategic business goals, and to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction
7) Individuals who have experienced the excellent results of coaching are talking to more people about coaching. In short, coaching helps people focus on what matters most to them in life: business and personal. People today are more open to the idea of being in charge of their own lives. Coaching helps people do just that; so the industry continues to grow.
How is coaching delivered? What does the process look like?
The Coaching Process-Coaching typically begins with a personal interview (either face-to-face or by teleconference call) to assess the individual’s current opportunities and challenges, define the scope of the relationship, identify priorities for action, and establish specific desired outcomes. Subsequent coaching sessions may be conducted in person or over the telephone, with each session lasting a previously established length of time. Between scheduled coaching sessions, the individual may be asked to complete specific actions that support the achievement of one’s personally prioritized goals. The coach may provide additional resources in the form of relevant articles, checklists, assessments, or models, to support the individual’s thinking and actions. The duration of the coaching relationship varies depending on the individual’s personal needs and preferences.
Assessments: A variety of assessments are available to support the coaching process, depending upon the needs and circumstances of the individual. Assessments provide objective information which can enhance the individual’s self-awareness as well as awareness of others and their circumstances, provide a benchmark for creating coaching goals and actionable strategies, and offer a method for evaluating progress.
Concepts, models and principles: A variety of concepts, models and principles drawn from the behavioral sciences, management literature, spiritual traditions and/or the arts and humanities, may be incorporated into the coaching conversation in order to increase the individual’s self-awareness and awareness of others, foster shifts in perspective, promote fresh insights, provide new frameworks for looking at opportunities and challenges, and energize and inspire the individual’s forward actions.
Appreciative approach: Coaching incorporates an appreciative approach. The appreciative approach is grounded in what’s right, what’s working, what’s wanted, and what’s needed to get there. Using an appreciative approach, the coach models constructive communication skills and methods the individual or team can utilize to enhance personal communication effectiveness. The appreciative approach incorporates discovery-based inquiry, proactive (as opposed to reactive) ways of managing personal opportunities and challenges, constructive framing of observations and feedback in order to elicit the most positive responses from others, and envisioning success as contrasted with focusing on problems. The appreciative approach is simple to understand and employ, but its effects in harnessing possibility thinking and goal-oriented action can be profound.
How long does a coach work with an individual?
The length of a coaching partnership varies depending on the individual’s or team’s needs and preferences. For certain types of focused coaching, 3 to 6 months of working with a coach may work. For other types of coaching, people may find it beneficial to work with a coach for a longer period. Factors that may impact the length of time include: the types of goals, the ways individuals or teams like to work, the frequency of coaching meetings, and financial resources available to support coaching.
How do you ensure a compatible partnership?
Overall, be prepared to design the coaching partnership with the coach. For example, think of a strong partnership that you currently have in your work or life. Look at how you built that relationship and what is important to you about partnership. You will want to build those same things into a coaching relationship. Here are a few other tips:
Have a personal interview with one or more coaches to determine “what feels right” in terms of the chemistry. Coaches are accustomed to being interviewed, and there is generally no charge for an introductory conversation of this type.
Look for stylistic similarities and differences between the coach and you and how these might support your growth as an individual or the growth of your team.
Discuss your goals for coaching within the context of the coach’s specialty or the coach’s preferred way of working with a individual or team Talk with the coach about what to do if you ever feel things are not going well; make some agreements up front on how to handle questions or problems.
Remember that coaching is a partnership, so be assertive about talking with the coach about anything that is of concern at any time.
Within the partnership, what does the coach do? The individual?
The role of the coach is to provide objective assessment and observations that foster the individual’s or team members’ enhanced self-awareness and awareness of others, practice astute listening in order to garner a full understanding of the individual’s or team’s circumstances, be a sounding board in support of possibility thinking and thoughtful planning and decision making, champion opportunities and potential, encourage stretch and challenge commensurate with personal strengths and aspirations, foster the shifts in thinking that reveal fresh perspectives, challenge blind spots in order to illuminate new possibilities, and support the creation of alternative scenarios. Finally, the coach maintains professional boundaries in the coaching relationship, including confidentiality, and adheres to the coaching professions code of ethics.
The role of the individual or team is to create the coaching agenda based on personally meaningful coaching goals, utilize assessment and observations to enhance self-awareness and awareness of others, envision personal and/or organizational success, assume full responsibility for personal decisions and actions, utilize the coaching process to promote possibility thinking and fresh perspectives, take courageous action in alignment with personal goals and aspirations, engage big picture thinking and problem solving skills, and utilize the tools, concepts, models and principles provided by the coach to engage effective forward actions.
What does coaching ask of an individual?
To be successful, coaching asks certain things of the individual, all of which begin with intention. Additionally, clients should:
- Focus-on one’s self, the tough questions, the hard truths–and one’s success.
- Observe-the behaviors and communications of others.
- Listening-to one’s intuition, assumptions, judgments, and to the way one sounds when one speaks.
- Self discipline-to challenge existing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors and to develop new ones which serve one’s goals in a superior way.
- Style-leveraging personal strengths and overcoming limitations in order to develop a winning style.
- Decisive actions-however uncomfortable, and in spite of personal insecurities, in order to reach for the extraordinary.
- Compassion-for one’s self as he or she experiments with new behaviors, experiences setbacks-and for others as they do the same.
- Humor-committing to not take one’s self so seriously, using humor to lighten and brighten any situation.
- Personal control-maintaining composure in the face of disappointment and unmet expectations, avoiding emotional reactivity.
- Courage-to reach for more than before, to shift out of being fear based in to being in abundance as a core strategy for success, to engage in continual self examination, to overcome internal and external obstacles.
How can the success of the coaching process be measured?
Measurement may be thought of in two distinct ways. First, there are the external indicators of performance: measures which can be seen and measured in the individual’s or team’s environment. Second, there are internal indicators of success: measures which are inherent within the individual or team members being coached and can be measured by the individual or team being coached with the support of the coach. Ideally, both external and internal metrics are incorporated.
Examples of external measures include achievement of coaching goals established at the outset of the coaching relationship, increased income/revenue, obtaining a promotion, performance feedback which is obtained from a sample of the individual’s constituents (e.g., direct reports, colleagues, customers, boss, the manager him/herself), personal and/or business performance data (e.g., productivity, efficiency measures). The external measures selected should ideally be things the individual is already measuring and are things the individual has some ability to directly influence. Examples of internal measures include self-scoring/self-validating assessments that can be administered initially and at regular intervals in the coaching process, changes in the individual’s self-awareness and awareness of others, shifts in thinking which inform more effective actions, and shifts in one’s emotional state which inspire confidence.
What are the factors that should be considered when looking at the financial investment in coaching?
Working with a coach requires both a personal commitment of time and energy as well as a financial commitment. Fees charged vary by specialty and by the level of experience of the coach. Individuals should consider both the desired benefits as well as the anticipated length of time to be spent in coaching. Since the coaching relationship is predicated on clear communication, any financial concerns or questions should be voiced in initial conversations before the agreement is made. The ICF Coach Referral Service allows you to search for a coach based on a number of qualifications including fee range.
What is EliteProCoach Professional Coaching?
International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as a thought provoking and creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal, professional, and/or academic potential. Having a Professional Coach is a badge of honor and drastically different from having a therapist. Our definition of what a Coach is has absolutely nothing to do with any type of psycho-therapy. Therapy signifies that there is a problem and coaching is quite the opposite. Coaching identifies a need to achieve and a support system to reach higher highs. The most successful among us employ a professional coach to aid in their awareness and support their personal and professional development. All superior athletes have coaches guide their every movement and focus – sport is 90% mental and so is the game of life and business. Professional athletes need coaches to aid their development and professional business people need a coach to bring their careers to the next level. A business professional has multiple levels of involvement and the higher up in the organizational hierarchy, the more responsibility, pressure to produce, and associated stress. A coach focuses the business professional’s mind to target specific areas, helps identify leverage points to increase performance, and creates a support system where the business professional can confidentially express true thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in order to make accurate decisions with the trust of a professional coaching expert. Professional Coaching focuses on client action concerning mission, vision, and goals for streamlined improvement and overcoming perceived barriers. The Professional Coaching process involves the coach and client developing a rapport that creates synergy of energy and provides a significant competitive advantage for the client over competitors regarding their determined direction. Additionally, professional coaching provides superior structure, expert support, and positive feedback that create substantial momentum for superior achievement.
What are the specialties and focuses of The EliteProCoach?
The EliteProCoach specializes in Executive Coaching, Leadership Development & Career Coaching & Development, Business Coaching, Life Coaching, Personal & Professional Development, Management Consultation, Emotional Intelligence Training, and Self Assessment analysis in Emotional Intelligence (ESCI, BarOn EQ-I 2.0), Leadership Ability, Personality Discovery (IPIP, DISC), Strengths-based Discovery, Kolbe instinctive learning energy – Team Building, and Multi-Rater 360° Feedback.
Why choose the EliteProCoach for coaching services?
Our coaching services are better than our competitors, we go above and beyond the call of duty for our clients, we will not rest until our clients achieve through the coaching process, we are transparent with costs, service, persona, and relationship, we offer additional services with the coaching relationship that are included without extra charge, we are highly professional and thoroughly skilled in the art of business coaching, career coaching, leadership coaching, and life coaching. We are personable, down to earth, empathetic, knowledgeable, concerned, dedicated, understanding, and we are focused on your success, not your money.
What is the EliteProCoach Process?
The EliteProCoach process begins gently with exploring the relationship development between coach & client and understanding specific focus areas of concern. We aim to establish trust & an understanding of the coaching process. Next, we focus on discussing the coach-client agreement of service around scheduling, client goals, and creating a performance strategy to meet desired goals. Disclaimer: The progress is dependent on client commitment and desire to reach their potential. We promise to do all we can to aid, guide, support, listen, understand, cheer on, comfort, and truly care, but the client is the master of their life and ultimately controls the outcome of the process. Our process is dynamic and takes advantage of multiple technologies. Locally we can conduct our coaching sessions in our office, your office, or a remote location within a 150 mile radius of our home base. Secondly, we are a virtual company that uses online technology to conduct face-to-face virtual coaching. Additionally, we use tele-conferencing to discuss issues in real-time. Furthermore, we are available 24 hours a day by e-mail communications and will provide in-depth answers and support through those channels.
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[spoiler title=”What Self Assessments do you incorporate into your services?“]
Multi-Rater 360° Feedback – Strengths Finder 2.0 – Kolbe – DISC Personality, IPIP Scales – Bar On EQ-I 2.0 – MAPP Career Assessment – Strong Career Assessment – Various Leadership Assessments – Time Management Model – Neethling Brain Inventory (NBI)
What services does the EliteProCoach offer?
We offer a variety of services that are incorporated into the coaching process and are implemented based on client needs. We create a tailor-made success portfolio for each individual client complete with potential goals and strategies to meet these objectives. Our coaching is comprised of Leadership Development, Executive Management, Motivational Life Coaching, Career Management Coaching and Consulting, Executive Career Coaching, and Personal & Professional Development, Resume and Cover Letter development, and Mock Interviews. Additionally, we offer personal development packages based on where you are in your life and where you want to go (i.e. transitioning jobs: mock interviews, resume creation, links to jobs that are desirable, presentation coaching, Interview coaching, business etiquette awareness, overview of emotional-cultural-social intelligence, and body language basics) We offer two distinct packages: Positive Change Coaching & Laser Focus Coaching. Our service focuses on the professional but we understand people and situations better than anyone. No challenge or situation is too complex and we are open to discussing any and all sensitive issues – nothing is out of bounds.
What is Laser Focus Coaching?
Laser Focus Coaching concentrates on a specific concern & co-develops strategic solutions that are timely and effective. We are one of the only coaching companies to offer this service because we are confident in our skill to effectively communicate sensitive issues through the coaching process in a limited amount of time. You could choose a 15 minute service that is highly affordable or we could extend the service in larger time increments that afford more comfort to express situations in totality.
What is Positive Change Coaching?
The EliteProCoachg Company’s revolutionary Positive Change Coaching is conducted over a period of 3 months or more and identifies the gap between the Real Self vs. the Ideal Self. The positive change creates movement towards the Ideal Self by creating desired actionable goals and holding accountability. This system requires a motivated client that is geared to overcome a challenge in order to reach a new level of awareness concerning their life. The payoff is immense and clients have reported substantial gains that are priceless.
How much does a coaching engagement cost?
Prices vary by coaching concentration (Career Coaching, Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, and Life Coaching) because of level of expertise needed to offer effective service. We offer packages which range from basic entry level service to premium coaching and consulting services that serve the client’s needs and financial ability. Visit http://www.BusinessCoachMart.com/ for current prices and packages.
Why is the EliteProCoach Company better than the competition?
We will beat any competitor price for any equal valued product or service – We offer top quality coaching and consulting products and services – We are completely transparent – There are no hidden fees – management walks the talk. Our dedication and service embodies the name “Million Dollar” because we make our clients feel their worth. Our coaching is anchored in the educational teachings from Columbia University and International Coaching Federation/International Coaching Academy. The skills we are transferring and enhancing are derived from leaders in our field. We specialize in Career Development, Leadership understanding and implementation, Family & Group Dynamics, Communication & Interpersonal Awareness, Social Media Management, Emotional Intelligence, Personal & Professional Development, Cultural Awareness, & much more.
How do you know when the coaching process is working?
When you have a positive coach-client relationship there is fluidity & honesty in communication. There is an overarching sense of trust and understanding. Our goal is to not be your yes-man and take your money, but to fairly and objectively provide you with the difficult honest support that others shy away from. We are not situated at your right and, but rather, behind you, giving you a second set of expert eyes to help you clearly analyze your situation without interference.
How do I sign up for a coaching session?
Buy a package or session at
http://www.BusinessCoachMart.com/ | Inquire @ Support@EliteProCoach.com | Call (855) My – Pro – Coach | Skype (718) 717 – 2820 | Fill out our coaching questionnaire EliteProCoach Application
Is the EliteProCoach registered to provide professional Coaching Services?
Yes, the EliteProCoach is part of EliteProCoach Enterprises, LLC which is a Limited Liability Company and is a fully licensed and registered business that provides professional coaching services and has obtained certification and credentialing in the field from the best professional coaching institutions. The EliteProCoach is fully insured to protect client’s rights and to prevent unnecessary problems.
What platforms are used to provide Coaching Services?
We use state of the art Internet technology to connect with our clients through video conferencing or to provide webinars for consulting purposes. We use private phone lines to communicate for long distances or for convenience of scheduling. We have an office on Staten Island to provide in-person consultation and coaching services. We travel to on-site locations to implement coaching and consultation services as needed. We have several available locations in New York City that we use for private coaching and consulting sessions.
Where does the EliteProCoach provide Coaching Services?
We are an International Consultation and Coaching service provider and communicate long distances via Skype, video interface technology, or through private mobile communications. We provide a comfortable environment for in-person coaching and consultation in Staten Island, New York and have access to several locations throughout Manhattan New York that enable us to provide private in-person coaching and consultation services. We have the ability to travel to on-site locations to implement coaching and consultation services.
What is the EliteProCoach Satisfaction Guarantee?
1) Client satisfaction is 100% guaranteed on all products and services offered by the EliteProCoach.
2) We guarantee you will be completely satisfied with our finished customized products and services or you will receive a full refund concerning any unused portion of your purchase.
3) We deliver our promises on time and exactly as expected. We strive to provide the best experience and to develop a long term relationship that is mutually beneficial.
4) Our products are customized on an individual basis – if our product fails to initially meet client expectations then we will implement required changes using client feedback to reintroduce a higher quality product at no additional cost.
5) We fully stand by our commitment and our signed agreement. We take full responsibility for delivering quality products and services to our valued customers.
6) This 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is retroactive and covers any and all products and services offered and delivered by the EliteProCoach
How does the EliteProCoach evaluate/measure the success or impact of the Coaching Engagement?
1) Pre & Post Self-Assessment
2) Pre & Post Multi-Rater Assessment
3) Accomplishing Agreed to Changes & Objectives
4) Satisfaction of Client/Coachee