“It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” Zig Ziglar

a) What are the benefits of coaching?

A study reported in 2009 by the International Coach Federation found that there were a wide range of benefits which people got from coaching. These included:

b) Why do people need coaches?

In January 2009 an article was published in the Harvard Business Review entitled ‘What Can coaches Do for You?’ in which 140 leading coaches were surveyed. In the report the top 3 reasons coaches are engaged were reported as:
 
1. To develop high potentials or facilitate transition 48%
2. Act as a sounding board 26%
3. Address derailing behaviour 12%

They were also asked ‘Are you frequently hired to address personal issues?'. 97% said ‘No’ and yet when asked ‘Have you ever assisted executives with personal issues?’, 76% said ‘Yes’. Increasingly, as executives take on more work and more stress, it can impact their behaviour and relationships in work and outside it. Coaching can be a very effective way to help the client identify the root cause of what is happening so that they can then decide the most appropriate course of action. 
 

b) What is the difference between Coaching, Mentoring, Training and Counselling?

Coaching can work alongside mentoring and training to deliver sustained performance improvement. It can also be used as a tool later in the recovery process after counselling.

Coaching

The skill of a great Coach lies in their listening and questioning. They will work with their client to identify what they want to achieve and look at what has been stopping them from achieving it. Coaching is a non-directive tool in that the coach helps their client to come up with their own answers and not give advice or recommendations.  A coach does not necessarily have to have done similar roles to their client, or even to have worked in the same industry. A basic understanding of the client’s issues and terminology can only enhance the coaching relationship and also improves the credibility of the coach.

To draw a sporting analogy - tennis players who win tournaments are rarely coached by people who have won tournaments, such as Wimbledon, themselves. Their coaches, however, understand the game, are very skilled at what they do and know the best tools and techniques to get the players to improve their performance.

Mentoring

The skill of a great Mentor lies in their ability to use their expertise and experience to support and advise the person they are mentoring. Whilst they too require good listening and questioning skills they can be much more directive in their approach and will usually give advice and recommendations to close the gap in the other person’s knowledge.

To continue the sporting analogy, a tennis player who had won a tournament previously could be a great Mentor as they would be able to share their experience with other players, to introduce them to influential people and help to widen their network in the tennis circuit. 

Training

A great Trainer will pass on specific knowledge and skills which people do not have and do it in such a way that the recipient then feels confident to put those skills into practice. 

Any combination of training and mentoring with coaching will maximise your learning and development over a sustained period.

Counselling

Whilst coaching may well be therapeutic, it is not therapy.  Coaching is very different from the more traditional forms of psychological therapy and counselling which tend to be focussed more on the past and on looking into why and how things may have affected someone. Counselling is very well suited for people with psychological, addiction and trauma issues, addictions and if it is felt to be a more beneficial solution than coaching then clients will be advised accordingly.

c) What should I be looking for in selecting a coach?

Returning to the article in January 2009 in the Harvard Business review entitled ‘What Can Coaches do for You?’ the 140 coaches who were surveyed thought that the following criteria could be used:

• Experience coaching in similar settings 65%
• Clear methodology 61%
• Quality of client list 50%
• Ability to measure ROI 32%
• Certification in a proven coaching method 29%
• Experience in working in a similar role as the coachee 27%
• Experience as psychological therapist 13%
• Background in executive search 2%

But before any of these, the single most important thing to consider when selecting a coach for yourself is ‘Can I work with this person?’. You have to feel comfortable with your coach.

That is why, at WinMor, we have approved Associate coaches so that you can choose which coach is the best match for you and your organisation.

 
d) How does the coaching process work?

A coaching contract is for 6 coaching sessions and each session typically lasts for 1.5 hours. The frequency depends on your requirements but sessions are usually held every 2-4 weeks.

There a number of pricing packages available on request. 

If you would like to find out more, please call us on 07901 883044 to arrange an initial consultation, free of charge, to discuss your requirements.