Frequently Asked Questions

 

1.       What is coaching?

Coaching is a process in which the coach helps the client to look inside themselves and find out:

·         What they truly want or don't want out of life,

·         What barriers are preventing them from getting what they do want,

·         What factors are causing them to get what they don't want,

·         how they can get what they do want, and eliminate what they don't.

The coach uses a range of tools and techniques to achieve these aims, such as questioning the client to help them come up with their own solutions. Contrary to common belief, the coach does not tell the client what to do. This would be an imposed solution, and these rarely work. Rather, in the field of coaching we know that the client is the expert on their own life; they know it better than anyone else. So the coach helps the client come up with their own tailor-made solutions, a better fit for the individual.

A coach is not an adviser or counselor, and coaching is not the same as therapy or counseling. While counseling takes a look at the client's past in order to understand their present, coaching focuses on the client's present in order to chart the way forward to a future the client desires. This is because we cannot change the past but we can do something about the present and the future. It could be depressing to dwell on a problematic past, apportioning blame. On the other hand, it can be inspirational to work on what you can change, moving away from a past you do not want, to a future you can create for yourself.Another erroneous belief is that coaching is for people who are unwell in some way. To the contrary, coaching is for those who are well but have some area they would like to improve on. The coach does not work with the mentally or emotionally unstable, those presently in trauma, those using drugs or on financial matters (unless the coach is a qualified financial adviser). Rather the coach refers such cases to professionals with the qualifications to deal with them, as required by law. Coaching requires the client to draw on all their inner resources to move themselves forward. Those who are unwell or unstable are not in a position to do so.

 

2.       Is coaching for me?

Coaching can help us in all the areas of our lives - health, finances, work/career/business, personal development, rest and relaxation, relationships, family life, work/life balance, spiritual well-being and anything else that forms part of our lives. In coaching it is understood that man is holistic, meaning that complete wellness involves all the areas of our lives. If we suffer in one area, the others are affected as well. For this reason, even though a client presents with, say, problems in their health, the coach may have the client look into their relationships, work, finances, family life etc.

A good way to find out if coaching can help you is to write out the following list of areas of our lives:

·         Health

·         Finances

·         Work/career/business

·         Personal development

·         Rest and relaxation

·         Relationships with others

·         Family life

·         Work/life balance

·         Spiritual

·         Contribution to society

You may add to or delete from this list, as it suits you.

Next, score how satisfied you are in each of these areas, on a scale of 1 - 10. 1 represents "Completely dissatisfied, need help fast!" and 10 represents "Totally satisfied, couldn't be better."

Did you score 10 in every area of your life? The areas where you didn't could be helped by coaching. The area with the lowest score is perhaps the most urgent! Even if you scored 10 in all aspects of your life you could still be helped by coaching, as life is not static but changing all the time. Coaching would then serve as a proactive measure to handle anticipated change.

If you would like to take action on those areas where things are less than perfect, why not start by taking our 5 Minute Self-assessment? When you do, you will receive complimentary feedback and a subscription to the CLR Inspire newsletter.

 

3.       Can't I achieve the same benefits as coaching by reading self-help books or consulting friends and family?

Simply stated, No, for the following reasons:

a.       Our limitations are often anchored in the subconscious mind. Only a trained professional can effectively identify, remove and replace these. Though loved ones may mean well, they could end up doing more harm than good.

b.      We are too close to the situation to be objective. Many of us are even unknowingly in denial of the truth about our situations.

c.       Coaching is specific to you and can be modified to suit your needs. Books and tools are generic.

d.      Your coach is your accountability partner. Knowing that they'll be followed up on, the average person becomes more committed to following through on their coaching targets. If you or your friends were to coach you, you would be likely to be more lenient and to let yourself off the hook.

e.      A coach is your sounding board, a real live person to talk to and receive professional feedback from, regarding your specific situation. Books and self-help tools are not capable of this. Family and friends are often quite subjective. 

f.    Your coach is regularly up-dating his/her knowledge and skills. Hopefully, they belong to professional organizations where continuous professional development is the culture. Books and tools in contrast, are static in content and not so easily up-dated.

 

 

4.      Is coaching for Christians? Shouldn't they trust God for their solutions rather than pay for coaching?

God is the ultimate solution, and all-knowing. It is wise to look to Him for help. However, in the scriptures we read that it is wise also to seek counsel from others, and foolish to ignore wise counsel. Coaching is neither "right" nor "wrong." It is what you do with it that counts. Anyone who is struggling to make progress in any area of their life would be wise to hire a coach. The results you obtain from coaching justify your investment. Just as you would not hesitate to hire an attorney or a mechanic, or pay for medical care, coaching is a professional service and the coach should be compensated.

 

5.      I am not local to London. Can you coach me? How?

Thanks to modern technology a coach and client can work together without any travel involved. Coaching can be in person if you so desire, or it can take place over the telephone. Some people prefer the convenience and near-anonymity of  telephone coaching. It eliminates distraction and is a cost-effective solution. However, others prefer to see their coach in person. For UK-based clients there is the free option of Skype calls. There are also international providers offering low-cost calling options. Between sessions we offer email support. You may also choose to avail yourself of our e-solutions (downloadable work books, e-courses, teleseminars etc). For further information on these please email info@careerandliferenew.com or telephone +4407506 432151.

 

6. How do I get started coaching with CLR?

Whatever your situation, the 5 Minute Self-assessment is a great place to start. It is free and you receive email feedback on your assessment. In addition, you also receive a free subscription to the CLR Inspire newsletter. This newsletter is via email and arrives in your inbox fortnightly, delivering information and inspiration every time! Click on the link to take the 5 Minute Self-assessment and get started right away.

                                         5 Minute Self-assessment  

Please feel free to email or call with any questions not answered here. We are always happy to help.

 

 

Career Coaching / Life Coaching / Personal Development / NLP / For Professional/Business Women

Career and Life Renew, P.O.Box 1326, Barking, Essex, IG11 1FB, U.K. 

Tel(UK): +44 (0) 7506 432 151      Email: info@careerandliferenew.com

 

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