FAQ
What is coaching?
What coaching is not!
What to look for when choosing a coach?
What are the benefits of coaching?
Is coaching right for me?
How is the success of the coaching process measured?
How much does it cost?
What is coaching? (back to top)
Coaching is an interactive process of facilitation that helps individuals and organisations improve performance in their chosen field and achieve great results relatively quickly. It is a process that enables the client to take responsibility, gain new insights and perspectives and get from where they are now to where they want to be, whether in life or in the workplace.
Coaches work with clients from all areas including business, career, health & fitness, well-being and relationships.
With coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and use their natural strengths and talents with greater ease and confidence.
What Coaching is not! (back to top)
Coaching is not the same as counselling, consultation or mentoring, which implies giving advice to the client; in a coaching relationship, the client is regarded as having all the necessary resources, skills and vision to make the change they desire. The coach will help them to explore their options, find the most appropriate strategies to achieve these and challenge them to take action.
What to look for when choosing a coach? (back to top)
At present, the coaching profession is not regulated and there is no single governing body to set the standards for coaches and coaching practices. The coaching profession has recently seen a large increase in coaches and coach training providers; you should be aware of the skills, background, experience and qualifications of your chosen coach. Most offer a free consultation; this is a good way to determine whether they are ‘compatible’ and likely to be able to help you achieve the results that you want.
What are the benefits of coaching? (back to top)
Individuals and organisations who engage in a coaching relationship will experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced decision-making skills, greater interpersonal effectiveness and increased confidence in carrying out their chosen roles in life and at work.
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, work, and the achievement of personally relevant goals.
Is coaching right for me? (back to top)
Are you facing change and don’t know how to make the best of it? Do you want to create a better work-life balance, improve performance or productivity? Get that promotion you have been chasing? Want to achieve your dreams but not sure how or just need help to overcome some of life’s challenges?
If you are committed to making a lasting change in your life or at work and have a fairly clear idea of the desired outcome, a coaching partnership can be useful for developing a strategy to achieve that outcome with greater ease.
Ask yourself if you find it valuable to collaborate, to have another viewpoint and to be asked to consider new perspectives. Also, ask yourself if you are ready to devote the time and the energy to making real changes in your work or life. If the answer to these questions is Yes, then coaching may be a beneficial way for you to achieve the results you want.
How is the success of the coaching process measured? (back to top)
This depends on the programme and your own reasons for seeking coaching.
There are both external and internal indicators of success. External performance measures that can be seen and measured in the individual’s or business’s environment and internal indicators of success: measures that are inherent within the individual(s) being coached that can be measured by that individual or team with the support of the coach. Ideally, both external and internal success is achieved.
Examples of external measures include achievement of coaching goals established at the outset of the coaching relationship, increased productivity, obtaining a promotion, performance feedback obtained from the individual’s constituents (e.g., appraisal reports, colleagues, customers, boss, the manager him/herself), personal and/or business performance data (e.g., productivity, efficiency measures). The external measures selected should ideally be things the individual is already measuring and are things the individual has some ability to directly influence.
Examples of internal measures include self-appraisal / self-validating assessments that can be administered initially and at regular intervals in the coaching process, changes in the individual’s self-awareness and awareness of others, shifts in thinking that inform more effective actions, and shifts in one’s emotional state and well-being, which inspire confidence.
How Much Does It Cost? (back to top)
Depending on your requirements, it can cost as little as £65 to £1,500 for a corporate coaching programme. I offer a sliding scale and a number of fee structures depending on your chosen programme and personal circumstances.
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If you have any further questions or to arrange a complimentary introductory coaching consultation, please contact Stephen at Chiasmus Coaching.