FAQs
What is Coaching?
A coach is a person who helps someone unlock their potentials directed towards a specific aim or cause. It is the job of the coach to guide the client to find the answers through reflection, active listening and effective questions. It is a powerful way to create effective and long-lasting transformations.
What is the difference between Coaching and Mentoring?
Coaching focuses on helping you achieve defined goals. As a coach I act as a mirror, helping you help yourself with deep listening, effective questions, feedback, and facilitation that helps usher you towards your goals. The coach does the following:
- Helps you develop a high level of self-awareness
- Has a deep belief in your innate potential and ability
- Has a non-judgemental approach to coaching
- Ensures there is a mutually agreed understanding of the process
- Establishes a good relationship through trust and empathy
- Helps with goal setting and action planning
- Using evaluation to determine effectiveness
Anyone can be a coach, however, professional coaches are accredited or qualified under a recognised governing body.
Mentoring focuses on imparting advice and expertise, based on experience. This is useful if you want to develop a new skill and maybe a longer-term relationship which is a little less formal. A mentor may use coaching tendencies but doesn’t have to.
Are you a Coach or a Mentor?
I am qualified as a coach & mentor, using mainly coaching practices. I work towards a professional code of ethics under the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC) which you can find here. I am also trained under the Institute of Leader & Management (ILM). I focus mainly on coaching practices.
Who do you work with?
I work with people who see themselves as ambitious and ultimately high achievers. They may not be where they want to be, but believe they have what is takes given the right conditions.
My clients are usually professionals in the public or start-up private sector, and independent budding entrepreneurs working a 9-5. They usually want help with:
- Improving their confidence
- Enhancing their communication skills
- Building upon their leadership and strategy development
- Finding a sense of meaning and purpose
- Starting a business
What benefits am I expected to get from Coaching?
Here are some of the clear benefits that previous clients have received:
- Improved resilience and cope better with complexity
- Enhanced self-awareness and confidence in who they really are
- Extract deeper energy that sustainably motivates them
- Leads and inspire around a bolder and meaningful vision
- Connects to their authentic self by living by their values
This has led to my clients receiving the following outcomes:
- Gain a new job and subsequently a pay rise
- Transition into new careers and industry
- Development of Leadership & Strategy skills
- Starting a new business
- Gaining new paying clients
What problems do you help your clients solve?
- A key business objective
- A key personal objective
- A significant issue or problem they are currently facing
- An area or skill they would like to develop
- A business relationship they would like to strengthen
- A goal they have in your life
Can you guarantee results?
Results are never guaranteed. The coach focuses on helping you do three things taken from the book – Coaching for Performance, John Whitmore, 2017:
- Helping you increase your self-awareness
- Helping you see more choices in your life
- Helping you be totally self-responsible for your actions
It is the total responsibility of the client to take action.
How much do you charge?
This depends on the nature of the problem you are aiming to solve, and can be determined at the initial discovery and coaching session, which is free of charge.
How long do you work with your clients for?
Usually anywhere between 3 – 6 months, but again this varies based on the problem.
