Janet Boguch Coaching Services

COACHING OVERVIEW – Q's and A's

Q: WHAT IS COACHING?

Coaching is a supportive and client centered process of guiding individuals and groups make more conscious decisions.

Coaching provides a safe, confidential space for reflection and feedback and for individuals to air concerns, to consider solutions and act on them with support.

The ultimate goal of coaching is to help someone – or a group – move to a new action or behavior while learning, growing and developing.

The International Coach Federation ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Coaching is a relationship based on mutual respect and trust. The coach supports an individual to improve performance and to get better results – depending on what s/he wants to achieve.

Coaching is not therapy. However….
Coaching borrows from both consulting and therapy.

Q: WHY DO PEOPLE SEEK COACHING?

• When individuals want to…
• Develop management or leadership skills, confidence and increased competency
• Manage time more effectively
• Develop a better personal life balance
• Manage conflict better
• Handle stress better; deal with being overwhelmed
• Gain clarity about a career path
• Manage organizational change
• Prepare for or manage an executive transition
• Improve working relationships with a team, staff or board members
• Address a specific organizational challenge
• Leave a job or a situation or are in a personal or professional transition

Q: HOW CAN COACHING CONTRIBUTE TO MY DEVELOPMENT AS A LEADER?

• Help leaders gain new perspectives on themselves and their situations.
• Build the confidence of leaders.
• Retain valued employees.
• Develop new leaders.
• Bring renewed energy to longtime leaders so they can recommit to the tasks ahead.

Q: HOW DOES COACHING CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF MY ORGANIZATION?

• Stronger Leadership
• Smoother Transitions
• Stronger Leadership Teams
• Coaching Can Have a Ripple Effect
• Employee Retention
• Improved Employee and Team Performance
  

Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS of COACHING?

• Provides tailored and timely assistance
• Provides an objective and confidential ear
• Offers a time and place to reflect
• Helps in problem solving and accountability
• Facilitates application of learnings from other leadership supports
• Enables ongoing and consistent support

Q: WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES and SUCCESS INDICATORS of COACHING?

In partnership with the Coach, the aim of coaching is for the Client to:

• Gain insight about behavior and performance enabling better leverage of strengths and improved performance
• Develop positive and sustainable change
• Increased self-awareness. A major outcome of coaching for the individual is a higher level of self-awareness, which, along with self-management, may be a prerequisite for strong leadership.
• Better management skills
• Higher levels of confidence, clarity.

Q: WHAT ARE THE COACH’s RESPONSIBILITIES?

• Set the stage for the coaching engagement by establishing structure and frequency of sessions aligned with client’s needs
• Establish ground rules with the client
• Maintain confidentiality
• Help client identify strengths and developmental areas
• Work with client to create an individual development plan which provides actionable and useful goals
• Assess the current situation. This might include an initial individual development assessment process, an in-depth interview, and/or interviews with specific client colleagues or relations
• Notice improvements no matter how small; recognize that change takes time
• Provide honest and direct feedback
• Include discussion of coaching goals throughout coaching engagement
• Support the learning process with relevant assignments
• Be prepared and on time for meetings

Q: WHAT ARE THE CLEINTS’ RESPONSIBILTIIES?

• Try new behaviors
• Be open to new learning
• Solicit feedback on how s/he is doing
• Be honest with the Coach – openly share what’s working and what isn’t
• Be prepared and on time for meetings
• Notify Coach at least 48 hours in advance if a session needs to be rescheduled
• Be prepared and on time for meetings

Q: HOW DOES COACHING WORK?

• Coaching sessions are conducted in person and/or on the telephone
• Meetings are typically one to one and half hours long every other week or weekly depending on the client’s needs
• Sessions may be supplemented by follow-through emails
• Coaching, which is not advice, therapy or counseling, may address specific personal or professional issues, leadership challenges or questions about one’s life’s chapters
• Coaching concentrates on the client’s future options and choices
• If assignments are agreed upon by the Client, s/he will be expected to practice new approaches, read recommended material and/or engage in reflective observations