Do you want
to...
Improve your
self-confidence?
Enhance your
relationships?
Evolve to the
highest and best version of you?
Achieve your
goals faster?
Improve your
work-life balance?
Then lifecoaching might be for you.
The benefits of
using a coach extend far beyond acquiring a new lens in which to view
challenges. Coaching clients gain deeper awareness and new levels of
understanding. These are not one-time events, but life-changing perspectives
that become embedded in the client's way of thinking. Coaches enable their
clients to create a mindset needed to sustain change. Successful coaches help
their clients maximize effectiveness and drive results.
"Coaching
is designed to help you stay focused -- to practice "planned abandonment"
of opportunities that would merely serve as distractions." -- Laurie Beth
Jones in her book Jesus, Life Coach
According to the
Global Coaching Client Study commissioned by the International Coach Federation
(ICF), coaching clients experience the following benefits of coaching:
80% experience
improved self-confidence
73% experience
improved relationships
70% experience
improved work performance
67% experience
improved work-life balance
What's more
telling is that 99% of all companies and individuals who hire a coach are
satisfied with the experience. In addition, 96% said they would repeat the
process. "Coaching generates learning and clarity for forward action with
a commitment to measurable outcomes," per ICF.
The ICF survey
also shows that the vast majority of companies (86%) say they at least made
their investment back. In addition, the survey indicates that professional
coaching provides a very good return on investment (ROI) for clients. Per the
study, "The median personal ROI indicates that those who seek a financial
gain can expect a return in the range of 3.44 times their investment."
"When a
society is rich and triumphant, its people start to ask not just what can be
had from life, but how can I live a life that's worth living." -- Dr. Martin
Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association and author
of Authentic Happiness
What exactly is life coaching?
ICF defines
coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative
process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional
potential, which is particularly important in today's uncertain and complex
environment. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work
and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. Standing on this
foundation, the coach's responsibility is to:
Discover,
clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
Encourage client
self-discovery
Elicit
client-generated solutions and strategies
Hold the client
responsible and accountable
This process
helps clients dramatically improve their outlook on work and life, while
improving their leadership skills and unlocking their potential."
The Institute of
Coaching, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate, defines coaching as "a
change process that mobilizes strengths and realizes the potential of
individuals and organizations. The practice of coaching embodies a unique skill
set designed to optimize the performance of a person or organization in diverse
arenas including leadership, healthcare, and public service."
What areas do most people seek life
coaching?
Individuals as
well as corporations and organizations hire coaches for a variety of reasons.
Coaches are often hired to determine the root cause of an issue quickly and
effectively. Then, coaches guide their clients to create a new mindset that
sustains change. This new mindset enables clients to maximize their
effectiveness.
It is
interesting to note that 58% of ICF survey respondents engaged in Life, Vision,
& Enhancement coaching, followed by Business coaching (36%), Leadership
coaching (33%), Executive coaching (30%), Career Transition coaching (25%), and
Relationship coaching (17%).
Furthermore, a
recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, " What Can Coaches Do for
You," defines the top 3 reasons coaches are engaged: (1) develop
high-potential individuals or facilitate transitions for individuals, (2) act
as a sounding board, and (3) address derailing behavior.
Life Coaching Versus Therapy
Life coaching
and therapy employ different methods and tools. The most often cited difference
is that coaching focuses on the future while therapy focuses on the past.
According to ICF, "professional coaching focuses on setting goals,
creating outcomes, and managing personal change." A key differentiator
between coaching and therapy is that coaching is seen as an action plan versus
an exploratory process.
As famed
leadership guru Warren Bennis observes, "A lot of executive coaching is
really an acceptable form of psychotherapy. It's still tough to say, 'I'm going
to see my therapist.' It's okay to say, 'I'm getting counseling from my
coach.'"
According to the
HBR article, "What Can Coaches Do for You," authors Coutu and
Kauffman state that while there are obvious overlaps among consulting,
coaching, and therapy, there are also clear differences. More specifically,
coaching focuses on the future, fosters individual performance in a business
context, and helps executives discover their own path. Whereas therapy focuses
on the past, dysfunction, and psychological disorders.