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Frequently Asked Questions About Coaching

NOTE: The basic content of this FAQ is from the ICF International web site. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Ottawa Professional Coaches Association. If you have any other questions that you think should be addressed on this page, please contact us, via webdirector@ottawacoaches.ca.

For more information on the ICF, visit www.coachfederation.org

1. How do I join the Ottawa Professional Coaches Association and get listed in the online 'Find a Coach' database?
2. What is coaching?
3. What is the basic philosophy of coaching?
4. Who hires a coach and why?
5. What happens when you hire a coach?
6. Does the coach work on personal goals or business/professional goals?
7. Where does the coach focus with an average client?
8. Why does coaching work?
9. Why is coaching becoming so popular?
10. Please, give me some context about coaching...
11. Can a dependency be created between coach and client?
12. Can coaching hurt someone?
13. Can I hire a coach just for a short-term, special project?
14. How long must I commit if I start working with a coach?
15. What does it cost to hire a coach?

How do I join the Ottawa Professional Coaches Association and get listed in the online 'Find a Coach' database?

Anyone is welcome to attend our regular evening Ottawa Professional Coaches Association session. See details for the next meeting here. To get listed in our online coach database, follow the instructions found here.

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What is coaching?

Coaching is a new profession.

Coaches:

• Help you set better goals, and then reach those goals.
• Ask you to do more than you would have done on your own.
• Guide you to focus better in order to produce results more quickly.
• Provide the tools, support and structure to accomplish more.

"My clients get focused and producing faster because they have a coach." How is coaching different from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best friend?

Consulting: Coaching is a form of consulting. But the coach stays with you to help implement the new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen.

Therapy: Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past or deal much with understanding human behaviour. We leave that up to you to know and figure out while we help you move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give you the life you really want.

Sports: Coaching includes several principles from sports coaching, like teamwork, going for the goal, being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen your skills vs help you beat the other team. It's win/win.

Best friend: A best friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional who you will trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend and a coach.

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What is the basic philosophy of coaching?

Simply put: we humans are great, we discover what we really want and we can get what we want faster and easier by having a coach who's been there and who can help us.

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Who hires a coach and why?

You would hire a coach because

• You want more.
• You want to grow.
• You want it easier.

It's as simple as that. Coaches help you get all three. Quickly.

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What happens when you hire a coach?

Many things, but the most important are:

• You take yourself more seriously.
• You take more effective and focused actions immediately.
• You stop putting up with what is dragging you down.
• You create momentum so it's easier to get results.
• You set better goals than you might have without the coach.

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Does the coach work on personal goals or business/professional goals?

Both, actually. And, with the line between personal and business life blurring in today's society, the coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of you.

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Where does the coach focus with an average client?

We focus where you need us most. And, we tend to in the following discussions:

• Getting your Personal Foundation strengthened.
• Helping you beef up your Reserve.
• Helping you set goals based on your Personal Values.

By including these with what you want from us, we help you have fewer problems and focus on what's going to make you the most successful. We've found clients really enjoy this approach.

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Why does coaching work?

Coaching works for several reasons:

• Synergy between the coach and client creates momentum.
• Better goals are set -- ones that naturally pull you toward the goal rather than goals that require you to push yourself to the goal.
• You develop new skills, and these skills translate into more success.

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Why is coaching becoming so popular?

Coaching is becoming popular for several reasons:

• Many people are tired of doing what they "should" do and are ready to do something special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. Problem is, many can't see it, or if they can, they can't see a way to reorient their life around it. A coach can help them do both.
• People are realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have felt out of reach or like a pipedream. A coach is not a miracle worker (well, they are, sometimes) but a coach does have a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in themselves in this kind of growth.
• Spirituality. If you've tracked the phenomenal success of James Redfield's Celestine Prophecy on the NY Times best-seller list during 1994, you get a sense of just how many people are willing to look at, and consider, the notion of spirituality. Wow. Many coaches are spiritually based -- even the ones who coach IBM and AT&T. America is getting spiritual quickly. (Our working definition of spirituality? "How connected you are with yourself and others.") The coach helps the clients to tune in better to themselves and others.

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Please, give me some context about coaching...

A personal coach does just what an athletic coach or music teacher does, only in a more complete and bigger way. A coach challenges you and takes the time to find out what winning in life means to you. A coach is your partner in living the life you know you can accomplish, personally and professionally. A coach is someone to hold you accountable for your life, to make sure you really do live up to your potential.

No matter where you are in life, there is always a desire for more. More success, more money, closer relationships, a deeper feeling of meaning in life, etc. It is the nature of people to want to attain more, become more, be more, and we all struggle with how to get what we're looking for.

Most people believe that "hard work and doing it on your own" are the keys to finding the life, success, money, or happiness that they seek. They believe that a price must be paid to attain what they want, and often that price is poor health, not having enough time to enjoy life, strained family relationships or lessened productivity. The saddest part is that, even though this effort may result in more of something, it is often not the something you had in mind, and you are back where you started, or worse,further from your real intentions.

Athletes and performers know about this trap. They know they need someone else, a trained someone else to help them set goals, discover real needs, and work effectively toward ultimate goals of excellence. So, they are willing to hire a coach or a teacher. No serious athlete or musician would expect to progress very far without one.

What if you are already doing great in your life. Why would you need a coach?

You might not need a coach. But it is helpful to find out: Are you doing what you most enjoy? Are you tolerating anything? Is life easy? Are you going to be financially independent within the next 15 years? Do you have what you most want? We've discovered that, often, people need to expect more out of their lives. A coach can help in this process.

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Can a dependency be created between coach and client?

Not really. You, as the client, may "need" the coach in order to maximize an opportunity or accelerate your growth, yet not be "dependent" on the coach. Anyone who's up to something "needs" structure, advice, support and a place to brag, so in that sense, the coach is necessary. But an emotional, psychological dependency is not created. The coach works with people who are just fine and strong enough on their own. Remember, we're not resolving issues here. The coach is helping you to create a better future: More success, more money, and a higher quality of life.

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Can coaching hurt someone?

No. We're not trying to control your thinking. We're not cattle prods; we're partners.

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Can I hire a coach just for a short-term, special project?

Yes. You may hire a coach to help you accomplish specific goals or projects. Usually, however, you will find you want to keep working with the coach after that because there are even more interesting things to accomplish.

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How long must I commit if I start working with a coach?

Most coaches ask for a three to six month commitment but usually let you stop immediately if coaching is not working for you right now. Very, very few coaches ask for a written agreement or contract. For the corporate client, however, a signed agreement is simply good business.

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What does it cost to hire a coach?

Most coaches working with individuals charge about $200 to $450 per month for one half-hour call per week. Executive coaches charge more and some clients work with a coach for an hour or two a week. Corporate coaching or programs are more, often running $1,000 to $10,000 per month.

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