Frequently Asked Questions
How long are the coaching sessions?
Coaching session are typically 45 minutes to an 1 hour depending on the frequency of the coaching sessions.
Who uses a coach?
Individuals, families, small companies, large corporations and......you! Coaching is found in every industry and situation you can imagine. Life provides an abundance of circumstances, coaching provides an abundance of support.
What are some typical reasons someone might work with a coach?
An individual or team might choose to work with a coach for many reasons, including but not limited to the following:
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Something urgent, compelling or exciting is at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity)
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A gap exists in knowledge, skills, confidence or resources
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A desire to accelerate results
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A lack of clarity with choices to be made
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Success has started to become problematic
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Work and life are out of balance, creating unwanted consequences
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Core strengths need to be identified, along with how best to leverage them
How much do your charge?
While coaching fees vary based on the scope of engagement, most of my clients pay an average a $250 a month.
What should I expect in regard to results?
As a coach I promise to show up with my best at each session; however, the results are up to you. Similarly to hiring a personal trainer, the results will depend on how hard you work and what you do in between sessions.
How long should I expect to need a coach?
The average amount of time clients keep their coaches varies based by client and situation. I typically request a 90-day minimum commitment from my clients. I find it allows their success to evolve more rapidly since our relationship has some time to grow; however there is not contact. The truest test though, is simply this: Are we both still benefiting from the relationship?
Where do we meet for our coaching sessions?
One of the greatest testaments to the power of coaching is it’s powerfully effective in many mediums. In most cases, coaching sessions will be over the phone. However, residents of Atlanta can schedule an in face to face sessions at an additional cost.
How is coaching delivered? What does the process look like?
Coaching typically begins with a personal interview (either face-to-face or by telephone) to assess the individual's or business’ 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 typically 45 minutes to an hour. 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 or business’ thinking and actions. The duration of the coaching relationship varies depending on needs and preferences.
How is coaching distinct from other service professions?
Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes and managing personal change. Sometimes it’s helpful to understand coaching by distinguishing it from other personal or organizational support professions.
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Therapy: Therapy deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual's emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. Coaching, on the other hand, supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is future focused. 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 emphases in a coaching relationship are on action, accountability, and follow through.
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Consulting: Individuals or organizations retain consultants for their expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, the assumption is the consultant will diagnose problems and prescribe and, sometimes, implement solutions. With coaching, the assumption is that individuals or teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks.
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Mentoring: A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counseling and coaching. The coaching process does not include advising or counseling, and focuses instead on individuals or groups setting and reaching their own objectives.
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Training: Training programs are based on objectives 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 that coincides with an established curriculum. Coaching is less linear without a set curriculum.
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Athletic Development: Though sports metaphors are often used, professional coaching is different from sports coaching. 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 their experience and knowledge of the individual or team 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.