What is Coaching?

The field of coaching, with roots in sports coaching, has evolved over 40 years to become a board-certified profession. Coaching has flourished in the new world order of constant and unrelenting change, and responds to the urgency individuals experience to learn, adapt, and innovate at the speed of imagination. 

Coaching is a methodology for working with change at the personal, relationship, and organizational levels in our lives. Its value has increased with advances in behavioral science and the application of systems thinking. We know that essential change requires time and focused attention, and research has deepened our understanding of the mind/body connection, revealing the power of our thoughts and beliefs in creating our reality and informing our choices and actions. This has contributed to the worldwide surge in coaching for change.

Co-Active™ Coaching is built on the foundation of a collaborative partnership between the coach and client that transforms business and lives. It uses discovery, awareness, and choice to enable people to find their own answers and solutions. The coach encourages and supports the client on the journey to make life-giving and life-changing choices and actions. The coach offers processes and tools, and the client sets the coaching agenda and does the work that leads to change and transformation. 

Benefits of Coaching

  • Awareness and greater understanding of self and others 
  • Deepens emotional intelligence and strengthens people/relationship skills
  • Optimizes potential for individual achievement, team performance, and organizational impact
  • Strengthens management and leadership competencies that drive results and create impact
  • Potential to live a life of meaning, connected to deepest values and life purpose

As your coach, I offer:

  • Myself as a partner, advocate, champion, and catalyst for your positive growth and change
  • Powerful listening and appreciative, non-judgmental dialogue
  • Challenge, authenticity, and truth in service of achieving your highest and best
  • Structure and accountability that support your agenda for change and making a difference
  • Confidentiality, governed by the code of ethics of the International Coach Federation

What is expected of you?

  • Commitment to growing self-awareness, ownership, self-responsibility, and action for change and transformation

Structure of Coaching

Coaching for change is most effective when conducted over a period of 3-6 months, typically in 1-hour sessions, held weekly or twice monthly. Coaching is often conducted by phone, Skype, or in person, if the client prefers.

How Coaching Works

This animated video, How Coaching Works: A Short Movie (3:46), offers a brief insight into the coaching relationship. Here, you will see how the coach’s job is to provide support to bring forward the skills, resources, creativity, and solutions that are already present in the client (International Coach Federation, 2007).