The
essence of Smart WorkLife Solutions
coaching is to
help you bridge the gap between where you are professionally
and/or personally today, to where you aspire to be.
Questions at a glance:
What is a coach?
Webster’s Dictionary defines “coach” as
a particular type of carriage. The meaning of
the verb “to
coach” is to transport an individual from
where he/she is to where he/she wants to be.
Your coach
is a blend of confidential consultant, sounding
board, support system and biggest fan. A coach listens
to you, expresses insights, identifies areas for learning
and growth, asks you to set goals and holds you accountable
in a positive, reassuring way. Whether you
need help developing leadership skills, managing change,
organizing your life, managing your time, sorting out a
career decision, or having more fun, your coach is there
to help you quickly get past obstacles, rediscover what
is truly important and move forward.
If you work with a coach
you can expect to gain new insights on personal challenges
and opportunities, enhance decision making skills,
improve interpersonal effectiveness, and increase
self-confidence in carrying out your
personal and professional roles. In tandem with improvement
in the area of interpersonal effectiveness,
you are likely to see significant results in the areas
of productivity, personal satisfaction with life and
work, and the achievement of personally relevant goals.
The coach/client
partnership is focused on a single interest . . . your needs,
values, goals and successes.
Your coach will
give you his or her undivided attention—even your closest
friend can’t focus on you all of the time, and
often discussions between friends involve the sharing
of mutual issues rather than a concentration just on
you.
A coach offers a
fresh, external, and unbiased perspective. As
an impartial outsider, your coach can see your situation
from all angles and provide feedback to you that you may
lack from others.
With the assistance
of a coach you will set bigger, better and more rewarding
goals than you would for yourself.
Your role: For
coaching to be successful, you must be ready for change
and open to suggestions regarding how to best achieve
your goals. You must be truthful with your
coach, and you may trust that your communications
will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
You will be asked to do homework between
coaching sessions. These assignments may
include working on goals, plans or actions,
reading an article or book, and/or observing
yourself and others. The intention is for you to make
distinctions, form new perspectives, and experiment with
new approaches to old behaviors. To make the most of your coaching time,
you will want to prepare for each coaching session in
advance. You should regard your relationship with your
coach as you would with that of any other professional,
and be prompt for your sessions.
The Coach’s role: Your
coach will focus on you as an individual, will be an active
listener, and will help you identify and attain what you
want, not just what you need. Recognizing that each of
us is blessed with different gifts and talents, your coach
will work with you to build upon your existing strengths
and talents, and will help you to identify and improve
in those areas in which your skills need development. Your
communications with your coach will be handled with the
strictest confidentiality. Your coach will probe to discover
any “buried” issues other than those which
you identify, and will offer clarity, 100% support, comments and encouragement.
You will be asked to set goals, and report your progress each week. Your
coach will applaud your accomplishments and will share your disappointments
should you experience setbacks.
The
answer is that it depends on what you want to accomplish. People often seek out a coach to accomplish one or two
goals and meet with such success that they continue the
coaching partnership to pursue other objectives.
There
are literally hundreds of issues you might bring to a
coach. For example, you might enlist the services of a
coach to learn how better to reduce stress, become a more
effective leader, manage change, stop doing things that
drain your energy, and/or organize your life.
For a more comprehensive list of coaching situations
that Smart WorkLife Solutions can help you with, please click
here.
Above all, a coach will provide
you with the opportunity to talk with someone you can trust,
who has no personal interest but to see you succeed!
No, if your coach finds
that you have issues which require the expertise of
a different type of professional, such as legal concerns,
your coach will endeavor to assist you with a referral
to the appropriate professional.
Hiring the right coach to work
with you is very important. You should approach the process
in much the same manner as you would in hiring any other
type of professional. You should:
Learn about coaching—there
are numerous websites and articles available for review.
Know what you want the coach
to help you accomplish.
Interview two or
three coaches and ask for references.
Hire a coach who
is the right fit for you—one who hears
your concerns, is enthusiastic about helping you
achieve your goals, and who you trust.
Your coaching sessions
will typically be conducted via telephone, although there may be occasional
face to face meetings with your coach, proximity permitting.
Coaching usually consists of three to four, 45 to 60 minute
sessions per month, with occasional short e-mail and telephone
exchanges in between.
Coaching is like working
with any other professional—it is an important investment
in your futureand a nominal cost considering the dramatic,
positive changes you will experience in your life. To maximize
your investment, be sure to hire the right coach, set
a specific goal and try coaching for 90 days. You are
likely to have experienced success in meeting or exceeding
your goal(s) by that time, and will consider the fee
paid a good investment in your future. It is important
that you take your coaching sessions seriously - be on
time, have an agenda for the session, and tell the coach
what you really want.
Most coaches working with individuals
charge approximately $250 to $500 per month. Corporate
or Business Coaching is more costly, often running $1,000
to $10,000 per month depending on the scope of the assignment.
If you’re ready for more in
your life,
e.g. more organization, more fulfilling work and more time
for family, fun and yourself, please contact Smart WorkLife
Solutions (SWS) for a free conference. We will get acquainted
and if we mutually determine Smart WorkLife Solutions coaching
can help you, we'll get started without delay.
