Leaders develop faster with the right coaching.
Coaching is a partnership.
Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or team that supports the achievement of extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results.
Coaching accelerates the individual's or team’s progress by providing greater focus and awareness of possibilities leading to more effective choices. Coaching concentrates on where individuals are now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future.
Individuals who engage in a coaching relationship can expect to experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced thinking and decision making skills, enhanced interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence in carrying out their chosen work and life roles. Consistent with a commitment to enhancing their personal effectiveness, they can also expect to see appreciable results in the areas of productivity, personal satisfaction with life and work, and the achievement of personally relevant goals.
What are some typical reasons to 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
• A big stretch is being asked or required, and it is time sensitive
• There is a desire to accelerate results
• There is a need for a course correction in work or life due to a setback
• An individual has a style of relating that is ineffective or is not supporting the achievement of one’s personally relevant goals
• 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
• There is a need and a desire to better organized and more self-managing
Interviewing a coach: Suggested questions
1. How did you get into coaching? Why?
2. Tell me about your business background.
3. What experience have you had in my industry? In my company? What have you learned?
4. What assessment instruments do you commonly use? Why?
5. Describe the approach you take.
6. What kind of clients/situations do you typically work well with?
7. What kind of clients/situations do you find most difficult?
8. Can you give me an example of a successful coaching engagement you’ve completed which was
roughly analogous to my situation? (Respecting client confidentiality, of course.)