20 Questions About Coaching
1. What is coaching?
Coaching is a professional service in which a coach helps a client to reach a
goal or solve a problem.
2. Why is coaching becoming so popular, so quickly?
People are far less willing to wait for what they want than their parents were,
and there are an ever-increasing number of work and life-style choices to be made.
3. Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because a client gets the support they need to make the changes
they want to make.
4. Why do people hire a coach?
People hire a coach to: make a change, reach a goal, solve a problem, or take advantage
of an opportunity.
5. How long has coaching been in existence?
Although we believe that everyone has the potential to coach on a subject that
interests them, coaching in a professional sense began with industrial psychologists
in the 50's and 60's. These specialists were often taken aside by the people in
charge of an business for a confidential chat about organisational problems they
were having.
6. How can you coach effectively over the phone instead of in person?
Coaching is often more effective over the phone than in person because there are
fewer distractions for both parties! The client is also likely to be more honest,
sooner, because of the anonymity of the medium. Besides which, coaching over the
phone is often the most convenient method of meeting, and affords a greater opportunity
for working with a range of some 30,000 coaches world-wide.
7. But how can the coach pick up on visual clues? Body language, for example?
There are many more auditory clues in a training conversation than visual ones.
A professional coach is skilled at picking up verbal and auditory information.
8. What credentials do coaches have?
Currently the best credentials we as coaches have lie in our track record with
clients. Their success is the most credible evidence of the value of coaching,
and the ability of the coach.
9. Where do the coach and client first focus their efforts?
Firstly, a coach will provide assessment tools to better understand a client's
life or business situation, and their current needs. Usually, however, clients
will already know what they want to accomplish or resolve, and the coaching begins
with these personal goals.
10. How soon can the client expect to see results?
Often it will only take a day or two for a client's attitude to improve, or for
them to get going on something on which they've been stuck, or for them to make
an important work or lifestyle change. Over time, the cumulative benefits of coaching
can be life-changing.
11. How is coaching different from therapy?
Typically, an individual works with a therapist to resolve something that is causing
them long-term pain. A coach and client team, on the other hand, typically focus
on what the client wants to accomplish - either personally or business-wise -
over the following 6-12 months. It is not unusual for a client to be working
concurrently with a coach and a therapist, each on different topics.
12. How is coaching different from consulting?
There is some crossover between what a coach and a consultant provides. The basic
difference, however, is that while most consultants are experts at information,
systems and business analysis, a well-trained coach is an expert in people and
life/success dynamics. Consultants are brought in to analyse a situation, make
recommendations, install something, and/or solve a problem; a coach is enlisted
to help reach business targets, through the provision of support and advice -
on a 1-to-1 basis - to individuals in a company.
13. How much do coaches charge?
This varies - the precise amount depends on the needs and circumstances of the
client.
14. Is coaching a fad?
A 'fad' is a new style or fashion that springs seemingly from nowhere - coaching
is based on years of research and experience, so it's neither coming from nowhere,
nor is it new! As long as people want to pursue their personal and business goals,
coaching will thrive.
15. How do I find the right coach for me?
In the e-coaches free, no-obligation initial consultation, we can discuss your
goal, dilemma, opportunity, or problem, talk through your aims, and explain our
approach to coaching. Building a solid foundational client-coach relationship
is just as important as any skills and experience the coach has.
16. How do I know coaching is working?
If you are seeing measurable improvements in your quality of life or the speed
with which you achieve your outcomes, then coaching is working. If not, you may
need to work with a different coach.
17. Do coaches give advice?
Yes, most coaches will give advice; or at least encourage you to expand your
options in a situation. The preferences of the client affect how much advice -
if any - is provided.
18. How has coaching evolved?
In the early days of modern coaching, during the early 1980s, the focus was on
'taking actions to get results.' By the early 1990s, the approach had expanded,
to include the strategy of 'increasing your range of competencies to achieve better
results.' By the start of the millennium, coaching methods had developed still
further, to include the notion of 'crafting environments in order to accelerate
outcomes.' All three of these approaches can be effective. A well-trained coach
will be comfortable with coaching in many different ways.
19. What's coming next in the evolution of coaching?
As coaching becomes more and more accessible to the professional user, and ever-increasingly
tailored specifically to exact business situations, online coaching - e-coaching -
is starting to become the norm. Its influence can only strengthen with the increase
in web-cam and video-conferencing use, and the prevalence of high-speed internet
connections.
20. Where can I get more information on becoming a coach?
At e-coaches, we are delighted to offer coaching support to beginners in the field,
as well as to established coaches. Simply Contact Us
for more information.