While walking through the Arts & Music Festival in Hoboken, New Jersey my came across a vendor who sold hand carved desk items that depicted various professions. We searched for one that was appropriate for a "coach" but were disappointed to find the only items of this nature were for athletic coaches.
If you are on unfamiliar with the field of coaching you might be interested to know that coaching is a rapidly growing, exciting career path that is revolutionizing the field of personal and professional development. It is important to note that coaching is not therapy or counseling and should not be treated as a alternative to such. The goal of coaching is often to help clients reach SMART Goals. Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable / Actionable, Realistic / Relevant and Timely.According to the International Coaching Federation “clients are naturally creative, resourceful and capable of finding their own solutions.”
Coaches may specialize in a variety of areas that include but are not limited to business, parenting, relationships, and leadership. My specialty is career coaching. Over the years, I have coached hundreds of clients in transitioning to a new career or position that is supports their values, skills, knowledge and interests. In helping clients move away from the chaos of their minds and into the realm of possibility I draw upon a variety of skills and models to help coachees reach their professional goals. In order to help you better understand what the coaching relationship looks like, I have provided the following case study from my private business.
CASE STUDY
Susan C.
Background
Susan C. (not her real name).,, a young year old female, lived at home with home grandparents and received unemployment.. She first contacted me to write her resume. During the project I found she had a poor record of employment However, she impressed me with her motivation, and honesty. She completed assignments quickly and called a day ahead to confirm our meetings. My gut feelings told me that she could benefit from coaching.
Establishing the Relationship
While the resume was being written I asked if she interested interested in career coaching. To establish the relationship l told her what the coaching relationship involved. Given her personal and professional goals it was an ideal time for Susan C. to accept coaching.
We moved forward to an introductory call. During the call I asked Susan C. to rank on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being couldn't care less and 10 being total and sheer excitement) how committed she was to her goals. She said a 10 and that she had been thinking about this for at least two years. If she were able to achieve some other goals first it would rank it a 12. Immediately after the call I sent Susan C. a Welcome Packet to complete and email back to me prior to our first call.
These steps laid the foundation of the coaching relationship and provided Susan C. with clear guidelines as to what was expected of her.
Establishing Performance Goals
During the first call we reviewed Welcome Packet to clarify Susan C.'s goals. Out of the 7 areas of the Whole Life Model (this can be viewed online by doing a search for the Wheel of Life) Susan C. chose to work on career, finance and physical environment. It was necessary for Susan C. to reach her initial goals of finding a job in order to support her other two goals. In the meantime she would read several books and review websites to anchor her commitment to her financial goals.
This phase of the engagement helped create a road map. that defined where Susan C. wanted to go and what she needed to get there. Clear notes helped me track key points that would act as a guide during her journey.
Ongoing Active Coaching
To establish a clear direction we verbally reviewed a coaching call prep form at the beginning of each call. Over the engagement Susan C. designed an effective strategy that attracted job interviews for which I asked thought provoking questions to help prepare her. To address a personal relationship issue I introduced different models and presented ways to reframe her thoughts and ideas as well as metaphors that allowed her to form her own insights and solutions. I shared resources such as websites, books and made a referral to a social worker to advance her healing around personal and family issues.
To support her in making a decision whether to attend school this semester, I used the SMART Goals model and asked what she needed to weigh and who needed to be involved in making this decision. As a result she decided to avail herself of several organizational trainings and revisit attending school the following semester.
During our first call Susan C. said she felt hopeful that it was not to late to get her life together. Over the weeks she said she benefited from having me listen objectively and hold a space that helped her make her own decisions. When I asked if there was anything she would like me to change or do less of she said that I was doing fine and she really felt she was benefiting from the relationship. It was powerful and suprising for me to learn how positive it was for her to be heard.
Completion
Susan C. is a delightful coachee who is deeply committed to achieving her goals despite her difficult home environment. Witnessing her growth helped me to understand how powerful coaching can be. I found myself wondering how her life might have been different had we not entered in this unique and special coaching relationship.
Susan C.'s first day on her new job as an administrative assistant was a few weeks ago. That night Susan C. excitedly shared with me all about the opportunities for advancement. She has already established new career goals and defined several steps that she needs to take to achieve her financial and physical environment goals.
We reviewed where she had started from and where she was now, which she expressed happiness and gratitude for my helping reach her goal growth in less than two months. Next week we will speak to determine our next steps.
