| What is a Coach?
Call it a product of today’s increasingly specialized job market. Or view it as a post-modern twist on the age-old search for meaning. But the fact is, you can hire someone who isn’t your therapist, or your spouse, or even your mother, to make sure you are
getting the most out of life.
They’ve been compared to personal trainers for your life, your champion, cheerleader, advocate, partner, and sounding board. Coaches have helped untold numbers of individuals to get their careers on track and live their passions.
Coaching is a way to help people make the best use of their own resources. It is a way to bring out the best of people’s capabilities. Coaching helps people set goals and then reach those goals. Coaching is goal and results oriented and can focus on virtually any area of life: business, career, family, health, personal growth, spirituality, intimacy, simple living, and financial development.
Coaches do not, however, explore past issues. While such “issues” may emerge in a coaching session, a coach is more typically concerned with helping clients to achieve results in the present and the future. At the same time coaches typically assist clients to discover their inner resources and other alternatives which can reduce or eliminate such barriers.
If you’re wondering whether a coach could help with your career issues, ask yourself these questions suggested by Andrea Howard, an employment counselor with the New York State Department of Labor:
· Is work an opportunity or an obligation?
· Are you doing what you want to be doing?
· Ten years ago, did you picture yourself doing what you are doing today?
· Did you expect more from life?
· If you’re not where you want to be, a coach can help.
“Coaches help define goals and obtain excellence,” Howard explains. “The job search process can be tough on the self-esteem. Repeated rejections can be discouraging. Coaches support, motivate, and provide encouragement. Coaches listen to detect thoughts, feelings and aspirations related to career decision-making. They also ask questions and provide feedback on clients’ strengths, insecurities, concerns, areas of need and career-related obstacles. They help clients develop goals and achieve a higher level of performance and satisfaction.”
A good coach can assist you in identifying your unique skills and competencies, clarifying and quantifying your strengths, transitioning your skills to a new industry, uncovering issues standing in your way of success, building your self confidence, and providing resources to further self-learning.
In the economy we are in today where companies fold, merge, acquire, and spin-off, it is hard to build a professional mentoring relationship since the cast of characters is no longer a constant. A coach can resemble a mentor.
A coach can play a role that many people have traditionally reserved for family members. Although family members mean well, they often have a preconceived notion about your limitations, strengths and your future. It is difficult for family members to project beyond what they themselves achieved and or experienced. When you hire a career coach who has worked with executives across numerous industries, you gain access to a wealth of information, insight, techniques and strategies used by other successful achievers.
Coaching Benefits
When you work one on one with a Coach, the coach partners with you to leverage your strengths, maximize performance and communicate powerfully. Together you build on your strengths to ensure your long-term success. Would you like to have any of the following benefits in your life right now?
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Maximizing Productivity
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Leveraging the Strengths for Success
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Transforming Chaos into Sanity
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Taking Safe and Manageable Risks
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Getting Your Life Back
Even if you have always been “best in class”, finding the right coach can be your defining moment to soar to your next level. The confidential experience of working with a DSN Coach is uniquely yours. DSN Coaching’s quest is for excellence. When you work one-on-one our coaches you learn to leverage your own personal values, goals and strengths to achieve peak performance. Together you build your leadership capabilities and ensure your long-term business success.
Make a wise investment in your self, your career and your company by
achieving results through working with a DSN Coach.
Commonly asked questions
Q: Why Should I work with a Professional Coach?
A: Think about how useful an outsider’s INPUT can be when you are trying to work through a problem — particularly a trained professional who can look at the situation from an objective point of view. Your coach will notice problems and solutions you may not see. Your coach can also help you FOCUS your dreams into a tangible, achievable action plan. Finally, your coach will keep you motivated and hold you accountable for the goals you set.
Q: What kinds of coaches might someone with a career issue consider consulting?
A: Complicating the issue of hiring a coach to work with is the fact that there is no single, best type of coach or unique set of training and credentials to consider. Some individuals prefer a Life Coach, some of whom have the Certified Professional Coach credential. Selecting a coach is much like selecting a doctor. Some are general practitioners, some provide a holistic approach, and others specialize in particular healthcare issues.
Knowing what you want, as a client, is also important, for example, do you need someone to design your resume or critique it? Do you know what your ideal career or business is? Or are you in the initial process of finding out?
Q: How important are certifications/credentials?
A: Coaching is not a licensed profession, and a degree in psychology, counseling, or a related field is not required, but coaches should receive training in career development and career theory. Certifications/credentials can provide a strong clue to the professional commitment and qualifications of a coach.
Q: Beyond credentials, is there any particular educational or career background that a coach should ideally have?
A: “I would check that the coach received some formal coach training from a coaching school,” Coaches should be skilled communicators interpersonally and in-group settings.
Q: To what extent should the coach spell out what you can expect from being coached?
A: It’s important that clear communication be established from the start and that includes making an effort to ensure that both the client and the coach know what’s expected from the coaching and what’s required to achieve those expectations. A ‘worst nightmare’ situation would include, for example, a client who had unrealistic expectations and a coach who didn’t clarify what could and could not be achieved through their interactions. Similarly, if a client had realistic expectations, but the coach didn’t make enough effort to determine what those were, the outcome of their relationship would probably be disappointing at best. Somewhere in the beginning of the coaching process, there needs to be exploration and agreement on what is to be accomplished and at least an outline of the steps to reach that point.”
Q: What kinds of issues can a coach NOT help with?
A: “Coaching does not focus on relieving psychological pain or treat emotional or psychological disorders. The coaches universally agreed that coaches cannot help with psychotherapy issues, complex emotional and psychological programs, addictions, legal and medical issues, and the types of financial issues that require an accountant.
Q: How is coaching normally conducted?
A: The lion’s share of coaching is conducted by telephone and often supplemented with a combination of e-mail, instant messaging/chat modes, and even faxes. Some coaches prefer the in-person approach for part if not all of their coaching practice.
Q: What are the pros and cons of in-person vs. phone vs. electronic/e-mail?
A: There is value in the phone approach because, “people reveal things they would never tell you to your face. Not meeting clients in advance has been advantageous because no pre-judgments are made within minutes of meeting any person like face to face meetings. The phone is the way to go because, nobody wastes travel time, it can occur at convenient hours, and it allows you to choose a coach that you really connect with regardless of where he or she is located.
Q: What’s the typical time investment in a coaching session?
A: As a general rule, coaching sessions are 30 minutes to an hour, once a week, but many variations exist.
Q: How much does coaching cost?
A: It doesn’t have to be expensive—it is based on professional experience the type of coaching provided, and the LENGTH of commitment required. But do remember that coaching is a PROFESSIONAL service — just like you would receive from an accountant or attorney. So expect to pay a professional fee for their services — with an average ranging anywhere from $45 to $120 an hour. A typical investment in coaching ranges from $250 to $500 monthly. At DSN Coaching our goal is to make coaching affordable and accessible to anyone who is ready for change. We have coaching packages to meet most income levels.
Q: How are DSN Coaches different from others?
A: Our coaches are professionals and have all completed a Master Coach Certification program and renew certification on an annual basis. All good coaches have a coach and understand the value. Our coaches work with their own personal coach on a weekly basis. At DSN Coaching we “walk our talk.” It is no wonder that many of our coaches are asked to teach certification programs. Our coaches are experienced and have a wealth of personal experience and insight and are ready to share with you.
Q: How does coaching work?
A: Coaching usually involves an extended, involved series of meetings — a structured and goal-oriented CONVERSATION. You and your coach talk about your desires and frustrations. Together, you develop a list of potential resources and an “action plan” for reaching your goals. It is then your responsibility to do your “HOMEWORK” before your next coaching session. Your coach continually re-evaluates your progress as you move closer toward your goals — making sure that you stay on track.
Your coach uses two tools that help customize a coaching program for you. Each is an important piece in the clarification process and part of the first several sessions.
· The Motivation Trigger, Personality profile
· Goal identification process.
As a participant you choose your own goals. Before your first coaching session you will be asked to complete the profile and receive supporting information. During the first few sessions your coach will go over the results and help you understand how to use these tools to enhance your life. Your weekly coaching sessions are designed to conveniently fit your life style by taking place on the phone. These sessions are highly focused. Your coach is always in your corner listening, guiding and celebrating with you. Emailing in between sessions is encouraged.
Q: Is coaching normally a short-term process with short-term goals — or is it something that can or should be a part of the long haul of one’s career?
A: DSN Coaching’s policy is it lasts long enough to achieve your goals, and not a moment longer. Ultimately, that is really up to you and what you want to accomplish. We strongly encourage you to make a commitment to stick with the coaching process for at least three months to experience the benefits and firmly establish progress toward your goals. However, some clients hire a coach to help them accomplish a specific goal or project. When that objective has been met, the coaching terminates.
Many clients find they want to continue working with the coach because there are other possibilities and benefits the work coach can help them to achieve, whatever the decision DSN Coaching is there for you.
Our coaches invite you to accept a FREE get acquainted session to discuss your coaching needs, clarify questions and concerns, and get to know each other. Everyone needs to feel comfortable when establishing a coaching partnership.
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