| How does it work?
Is there an evaluation component?
I'm not sure I'm comfortable talking on the phone.
It sounds like a great idea, but I'm just too busy.
Isn't coaching only for people who "have problems"?
I should be able to do this myself - why do I need to
hire someone?
Is it worth it?
What is the value of coaching to my organization?
Specifically, how might individual executives, managers
and supervisors benefit from coaching?
How does coaching relate to other process improvement
programs?
For which individuals is this best suited?
Does coaching really work?
How does The Centre for Exceptional Leadership select
their coaches?
Why should I hire a coach from The Centre for Exceptional
Leadership rather than any other coach?
How do I select a coach?
What does it cost?
I'm not in the Vancouver area. Can I still hire a
coach from The Centre for Exceptional Leadership?
What if it doesn't work out?
What about confidentiality?
This feels pretty scary…
How does it work?
It's very simple. You talk with your coach on a regular basis. For most
people this is 30 minutes by phone once a week. But others prefer one
hour every other week face-to-face. The beauty of coaching is that you
and your coach can design how often and how long you talk in a way that
can work with your schedule - however busy it is. During a coaching session,
you'll discuss the issues and challenges that you currently face at work
and in life, review where you're heading and reflect upon what you would
like to do differently. Your coach will ask questions and make observations.
At the end of most sessions, your coach will leave you with a question
that will cause you to reflect upon a certain aspect of your life until
you talk again.
Is there an evaluation
component?
This depends on the overall goal of the coaching. In some cases, clients
prefer to undertake a full assessment of their leadership abilities and/or
organizational issues prior to the start of the coaching. This data then
provides the focus for the coaching session. In these cases, we would
design for you a full assessment process that may include 360-degree feedback,
Myers Briggs assessment, Birkmann questionnaire, interviews, focus groups,
employee survey, clients survey, etc.
I'm not sure I'm comfortable
talking on the phone.
No problem. The great thing about a coaching relationship is that there
is no one right way. In some cases, should you prefer, your coach may
be able to meet with you face-to-face, although this depends on the coach
you select and your location.
It sounds like a great idea,
but I'm just too busy.
We understand. Just about all leaders today seem to be working flat out.
But it's for people like you that coaching is perfect. Think about it.
Thirty minutes per week isn't long. And through this time, you may discover
ways to give yourself more time, to restore a sense of balance in your
life, to work more efficiently and effectively. The time/value benefits
from spending just half an hour a week talking with a coach are absolutely
outstanding.
Isn't coaching only
for people who "have problems"?
Absolutely not! Coaching is for people who want to live life to the fullest,
who want to ensure that they are fully engaged in life, who want to be
truly effective leaders. It is not therapy or counselling in any way.
Individuals who retain the services of a therapist or counsellor may be
facing some significant challenges and perhaps are looking at fixing something
that is broken. In coaching, we believe that nothing is broken. We believe
passionately that everyone who comes to coaching is "whole."
It is not about fixing some deep-seated problems - rather it is about
living up to your full potential. Indeed, although sometimes individuals
are coached as a way of addressing performance issues, many times organizations
nominate an individual for coaching as a reward for outstanding achievement.
Indeed, we consider coaching to be your very own, personalized leadership
development.
I should be able to do this
myself - why do I need to hire someone?
You will find that with a coach the journey will be quicker, easier and
more rewarding than if you go it alone. Just as individuals sometimes
find it helpful to have a personal trainer to help them get in shape,
so a personal coach can help you get "in shape in life." When
you hire a trainer you acknowledge that personal fitness is important.
When you hire a coach you are recognizing the importance of the quality
of your life and your leadership.
Is it worth it?
Time and time again, studies have outlined the beneficial cost of coaching
to organizations. Should you be interested in learning more about this,
please let us know and we'll be happy to send you some of the more recent
research that speaks to this issue. As an individual you need to reflect
on how much a quality life is worth to you. What are you saying about
what you value in your life if you choose not to have a coach? What are
you saying about leadership?
What is the value of coaching
to my organization?
Coaching in the corporate setting is extremely effective in providing
the structure and the focus to help leaders and teams get clear on who
they are, where they want to get to, and what needs to happen. In general
terms, corporate coaching offers the following benefits:
- Provides a platform for organizational development
- Emphasizes the unique potential of individuals
- Complements other improvement processes
- Has sustainable benefits
- Promotes focused performance
- Promotes development of new skills
- Forms a basis for planning career advancement
- Fosters entrepreneurial thinking
- Facilitates the building of shared vision
- Results in improved workforce recruitment and retention
- Is applicable to all parts of the organization
- Uses a common language to which everyone can relate
Specifically, how might
individual executives, managers and supervisors benefit from coaching?
The benefits of coaching will vary amongst individuals. In general terms,
it is reasonable to expect that those being coached will grow both as
leaders and as contributing members of society. However, more specifically,
it is likely that individuals would improve their:
Leadership and organizational skills
- Social and communication skills
- Analytic and innovative thinking capacities
- Ability to inspire trust and commitment to action
- Ability to reward and acknowledge
- Ability to work in a large arena with overlapping and at times conflicting
priorities
- Overall business acumen
Whatever the coaching's area of focus, agreement must be reached between
the corporation, the coach and the individual being coached on the desired
outcome of the coaching. This must occur prior to the coaching taking
place. These outcomes should be observable, measurable and must match
organizational performance requirements.
How does coaching relate
to other process improvement programs?
Coaching complements and enhances other process improvement programs,
such as re-engineering and the development of a process enterprise. It
does so because other process improvement programs typically focus on
tools, techniques and work processes, but rarely on interpersonal factors.
Coaching puts people into the process improvement equation and can dramatically
increase the likelihood of success of those programs. As a technology
for performance improvement, coaching provides a structure for measurement
of quantifiable results.
For which individuals is
this best suited?
Nearly all individuals can benefit from coaching. Although managers enter
the coaching relationship with varying degrees of willingness and commitment,
the skepticism usually dissipates once they experience what can happen
as a result of an effective coaching relationship. There are, however,
a few individuals who should not be coached. These include those who are
completely unwilling to grow or change, who have no interest in personal
development, or who have significant performance or behavioural problems.
Coaching is especially powerful for those in more senior positions simply
because they are positioned to impact more employees than those lower
down the hierarchy. However, it is important to recognize that regardless
of the role held within the organization, all individuals have tremendous
impact on the relationship of those around them. Thus, it is important
not to neglect those in apparently "less important" positions.
Does coaching really work?
In the 1998 International Coach Federation Survey previously referred
to (http://www.coachfederation.org/pr-clientsurvey.htm), a landslide of
98.5% of coaching clients said their investment in a coach was well worth
the money.
70% of clients said their investment in a coach was very valuable
28.5% said their investment was valuable
1.5% said their investment had not been valuable.
How does The Centre for
Exceptional Leadership select their coaches?
In order to be an effective resource for the executive's development,
executive coaches must possess a unique combination of maturity, professional
skills and human qualities. At The Centre for Exceptional Leadership,
we carefully screen our coaches to ensure they are competent, experienced
and aligned with the values of our organizations. In particular, all of
our coaches have:
- A broad and current understanding of leadership and leadership development
- A thorough understanding of the world of the leader in the business
environment. Our coaches have a variety of experience in both public
and private sectors and with leaders at many levels of organizations.
- Knowledge of systems dynamics (organization and community)
- Knowledge of the framework of adult development
- High standards of personal and professional ethics
- Highly developed communication proficiency that allows them to operate
in the executive's environment
- A firm grounding in business knowledge and competencies
- Advanced coaching skills and capabilities
- Stature and reputation that gains respect
- A commitment to lifelong learning
Why should I hire a coach
from The Centre for Exceptional Leadership rather than any other coach?
At The Centre for Exceptional Leadership, we are in the business of leadership
development. As such, we offer a deep and grounded knowledge about how
leaders are actually developed. Our work in coaching leverages this knowledge
and understanding. Thus, our coaching work is deeper and broader than
you will find elsewhere. Our work in the field of leadership development
over and above coaching also allows us to ensure that coaching takes place
within the context of the organizational reality and is congruent with
other organizational initiatives.
How do I select a coach?
Simply review the bios of the coaches we have listed on our web site.
Reflect on what you want in a coach and identify the one or two individuals
who look like the best fit for you. Let your contact person at The Centre
for Exceptional Leadership know, and we will arrange for you to have a
free, no-obligation sample session with the coach of your choosing. During
this half-hour session you'll be able to get a good feel for how coaching
works, and how the relationship might develop. If it feels good, great.
If not, we'll find another coach for you to chat with.
What does it cost?
Our coaching rates range from $500-$950 per month, depending on such factors
as the coach provided, the coaching context, the coaching methodology
(face-to-face or phone), the coaching commitment, other services provided
by The Centre for Exceptional Leadership, etc. For this fee you will receive
two hours of coaching per month. In addition, your coach will be available,
should the need occur throughout the month, to discuss specific issues
that may arise in between the coaching calls.
I'm not in the Vancouver
area. Can I still hire a coach from The Centre for Exceptional Leadership?
Absolutely. Most coaching takes place by phone. Consequently, you can
be anywhere in the world and still use our services. All we have to do
is pay attention to any possible time difference.
What if it doesn't work
out?
We are confident that it will. However, if at any time you are uncomfortable
with the process and/or your coach, we will do our very best to resolve
any problems. If we cannot reach a resolution, we are committed to standing
behind our service, and consequently will provide you with a refund if
you feel you are getting no value from the coaching.
What about confidentiality?
In order for the coaching to be effective, it is essential that the client-coach
relationship be maintained. Even in cases where an organization is paying
for a manager to be coached, we will not report to anyone in the organization
on the details of the coaching conversations. Our belief is that the value
of the coaching will be demonstrated by an individual's behaviour rather
than an examination into the specific details of the coaching.
This feels pretty scary…
We understand. To some people, having a coach may be perceived as a sign
of weakness. Others know that hiring a coach will inevitably mean change.
They start rationalizing why things really aren't that bad now, so why
bother. For still others, it is simply nervousness about the unknown.
For those in organizations, it's sometimes tough to justify spending a
sum of money either on themselves or others. It feels a bit like a leap
of faith.
Whatever you feel, we encourage you to acknowledge your feelings, but
don't let them paralyze you. Go ahead, send off the e-mail or make the
phone call. Just start with a free, no-obligation sample coaching session.
There'll be no commitment at this point, but you will get enough information
to decide whether coaching is right for you.
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