Frequently Asked Questions

What is coaching?

Coaching focuses on professional or personal issues, and is concerned with improved performance and the achievement of your goals.
Coaches and clients work together until the goal is achieved. This involves: clarifying vision and values, setting goals, implementing strategies for success, resolving challenges as they arise, fostering creative solutions, maintaining focus on the tasks, refining personal and professional skills, maintaining momentum and motivation, and evaluating outcomes.

What kind of things can a coach help with?

Coaching is having an expert in human behaviour 100% on your side. A coach can help with things like: Making dreams into specific achievable realities, special projects, being stuck, coping with a new situation, unhelpful personal habits, strategic actions, gaining a sense of direction, making career choices, and solving work problems.

Who is it for?

Coaching is for both individuals and teams. Anyone who wants to improve their performance or reach a goal faster, can benefit from coaching.

How is it different from counselling or therapy?

Coaching does not focus on the past, but rather the future. It is not designed to heal past wounds, but to ensure a great future. If the past is interfering too much with the present, or the achievement of your goals, it may be more appropriate to seek counselling.

...or mentoring?

A mentor's value lies in their having been where you want to go, so they can share their knowledge. With a coach, the principle is that you don't have to be an Olympic gold medallist to be able to coach one, but you must know about skills, structure, support, and how to motivate someone towards their goals.

.or training?

Training is an efficient way of delivering a prescribed set of information to a wide audience. However, training often does not take into account people's own unique goals, their existing skills, motivation or commitment. Coaching is based on all of these, and the goals to be achieved are assigned by the client, not anyone else.

So what's wrong with asking my friends or family?

Friends and family are well meaning, but they aren't objective. Their perception of you is influenced by their narrow experience of you, and what they want for you, rather than your true potential. This isn't always in line with your own experience or goals.

Wouldn't a seminar, tape or book be just as good?

Seminars, tapes and books can be great sources of useful information, but they also have a weakness - they are written from a one-size fits-all perspective. You are an individual, with unique skills and goals. A coach recognises this and will provide personalized guidance specifically for your situation. Books and tapes cant give you extra support if the going gets tough, or challenge you when you need it. Nor can they respond if your situation changes, and you need something different.