Rationale: Coaching is about helping you achieve your goals. These may be professional, relational, physical, emotional, spiritual, or some combination of these. Perhaps you are not even sure what goals you would pursue in a coaching relationship. Great News! Coaching is an excellent process by which you can identify and clarify your goals so that they are concrete, specific, achievable, and measurable.

Structure: Coaching may be conducted in person, by phone, by email, or a combination of these. Coaching is typically conducted during a phone conversation in two one hour sessions monthly, and email support is available between sessions. Preferably these sessions are scheduled for a regular time (i.e. 1st & 3rd Thursdays from 2:30-3:30pm). The client is responsible for initiating the call to the coach.

A complementary introductory session affords the coach and client an opportunity to make an initial exploration of the client’s goals and determine together whether this coaching relationship is likely to be fruitful for the client, or whether some other process might be preferable.

Coaching is client-centered, meaning that the client sets the agenda for the conversation by responding to:

It may be that what you thought you wanted to work on two weeks ago has resolved itself or been overshadowed by something more pressing. So, starting with QN1 keeps the focus on the client’s agenda. Even so, the coach will likely say later in the conversation, “I remember that last time we spoke, you were going to work on _______, and I’m wondering where you are with that.”

Following the initial session, a three month commitment is recommended. This time honors both the desire to move forward without ‘dragging our feet’ and also the recognition that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ and ‘anything worth doing is worth doing right’. Goals and outcomes are revisited at the midpoint of this period. The coach requests written feedback on the client’s experience with coaching at the end of three months.

MORE ABOUT MY COACHING PRACTICE

I have coached inside organizations, and in various external settings for 15 years. Some of my clients have worked on developing better skills in relating to family, friends and employers. Others have come to a transition period in their lives and needed a conversation partner who could help them sort through their options and have the clarity and courage to choose among them. They have been at early career, mid career, and second career or retirement/second-life stages. Some clients prefer to work in an ordered and focused office setting, while a coffee shop environment suits the needs of others. My priority is to help you find the path that will enable you to tap into your core strengths to accomplish your deepest goals.

MORE ABOUT COACHING

Coaching related to Counseling:
Coaching is not counseling. There are some similarities, and marked differences.
Counseling is traditionally problem-focused.
Coaching is strength-focused.

Counseling assumes a problem to be overcome.
Coaching assumes untapped skills and opportunities to be pursued

The Client who will benefit from coaching may also benefit from counseling, and if this is discerned, it can be discussed in the context of the coaching relationship and a referral offered if desired.

Coaching related to Mentoring:
Coaching is not mentoring. There are some similarities, and marked differences

Mentoring assumes significant knowledge and success in the shared field of interest.
Coaching assumes not such knowledge – in fact, too much such knowledge can be a hindrance to the coaching relationship on both sides. The coach runs the risk of offering ‘advice’. And the Client risks seeking wisdom from outside rather than relying on her/his own internal wisdom as nurtured and supported by the coach.

Mentoring assumes a personal relationship of familiarity and often includes working side-by-side.
Coaching assumes nothing beyond the coaching relationship, though it is not necessarily hindered, so long as the coach and client can be clear about the context and boundaries of the various relationship dynamics

Professional/Life Coaching related to Athletic Coaching
You might liken it to the person who says, “I want to achieve a challenging physical fitness goal.” In working with a trainer, that client discerns that they want to run a marathon. The trainer then serves as the coach, helping that client move toward successful achievement of that goal. The trainer does not run the race for the client, but is there each step of the way, helping the client stay focused and committed to what she or he wishes to accomplish.

Coach as a vehicle of transportation:
One other helpful comparison is to a Stage Coach or other hired transportation. In this model, the client determines the desired destination. The ‘coach’ is simply a resource for the client to get where she/he wants to go.

Call or email me so we can talk more about what you hope to accomplish.
Ken G. Crawford ~ 214-288-1663 ~ kendrickgc@yahoo.com