what is coaching?
The What, Where, Why & How of Coaching
WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is a way to get to know what is really important to you and exactly what you want to do with your life through a process of questioning. You also make a step by step plan of how to get from where you are now to exactly where you want to be.
You will be amazed how coaching will raise your confidence and self-esteem, will give you more time in your life, you’ll be better organized and improve your personal and work relationships.
During the coaching process you will recognise your values and beliefs, you’ll set realistic and achievable goals based on those values and beliefs. You will get clarity and insight into what motivates you, learn to prioritise and take control of your work/life balance.
If you work with me I’ll ask a lot of you – intrusive and probing questions so that as I get to know you, you get to know yourself. It is important that you are willing to try new approaches with an open mind to help redesign the parts of your life where you want to see changes, for example:
- change your behaviour
- experiment and try new things
- change how you spend your time
- set goals which are much bigger than you might have thought
- start treating yourself better
- start treating other people better
- look at assumptions/decisions you have made
- changing your belief systems
- define your values – what you must have in your life
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing”
John Powell
WHERE AND WHEN DOES COACHING TAKE PLACE?
Often your first session will be face to face at your office/place of work, or in a mutually convenient meeting place; following sessions can continue face to face or over the telephone (fact: 90% of coaching is done by telephone). Personally I prefer to meet clients face to face for the initial meeting, but this is not essential if it is difficult geographically. Ideally sessions are on a weekly basis with email contact in between sessions if necessary.
Office hours are preferred but special arrangements can be mutually agreed for early morning/evening meetings if unavoidable.
Generally a commitment for 6 -12 sessions is required as experience proves that significant and lasting long-term benefits are unlikely to be achieved in a shorter timespan. However, each individual works at their own pace and it depends on you how fast you decide to implement change in your life.
HOW DO I COACH?
Coaching is very much an interactive process and I work differently with each individual dependent on their needs. We’ll meet, talk about your expectations and your options. Our sessions will be varied but will involve questions and exercises designed to make you look at your life in a way that arouses your curiosity and desire to go ever deeper to the very core of what it is that will propel you to take massive action, to find the passion that you need to move you towards success in whatever area where you yearn for change.