HRANB Newsletter

Janelle Doan is a Certified Executive Coach (CEC) currently residing in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In addition to one-to-one Executive and Personal Coaching Janelle will soon be conducting Women Leading Women Workshops (for women choosing Leadership at work and in life), Rising Stars Workshops (leadership development for girls) and Coaching Out of the Box Workshops (Coaching Skills for groups of Leaders/Managers). For further information call Janelle at 506.472.6622 or email janelledoan@rogers.com.

Q: Last year the National Post declared that “Coaching is the second fastest growing profession in the world, rivaled only by information technology.” So, my first question is … what exactly is Coaching?

A: Simply put, coaching is the facilitation of growth and change. Or, to put it another way, coaching is a collaborative relationship between you and your coach that will assist you to make positive, long term changes in your life.

Q: What's the difference between Coaching, Counseling and Consulting?

A: Typically the focus of a Counselor or therapist is on resolving challenges from the past that may be hampering your functioning in the present. A Consultant is usually an expert in a field in which you might be lacking expertise and his/her focus is on the provision of advice and possibly training. A Coach relies on the fact that you are already the expert regarding your self and your life and that you are fully resourceful and whole, so Coaching focuses on who you are becoming and where you want to go in your life.

For example, if you were interested in learning how to ride a bike, a Consultant might show you how to balance yourself, where the various parts of the bike are and how to use them and perhaps point out flaws in your riding technique. A Counselor might help you to resolve any fears or apprehension about riding the bike. In addition to the things the Consultant would do in this case, a Coach would also continue to run along side of you to support on the fly. A Coach will stay with you to help you implement and integrate the skills and changes that are crucial to your bike riding success.

Q: Can you give me some of the typical reasons someone might work with a coach?

A: There are many reasons that people hire coaches. You might choose to work with a coach when there is something at stake in your life, like an important challenge or an exciting opportunity or if you have experienced a setback and need to correct your course. You might choose to work with a coach if you are experiencing a lack of clarity and you have choices to make or if you are one of the many people experiencing the consequences of a lack of work/life balance. You may just want someone to really listen to you or you may want a thought partner and would appreciate an objective perspective from someone other than family, friends or colleagues. You may want to find ways to manage your time more effectively or to get yourself organized. You may hire a coach to help you explore reasons why you seem to hold yourself back in some area of your life or if you want someone to hold you accountable and keep you moving forward in areas that are meaningful to you. There are many more reasons for working with a coach and those were just a few examples.

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

A: Definitely. Some clients hire a coach to help them accomplish specific goals or projects. Continuing to work with a coach is not unusual for these clients because new goals and projects come up because of their successes.

Q: I'm not sure what I want, can coaching help?

A: Yes. At some point many of us find ourselves experiencing some dissatisfaction with our lives and know we want a change but don't know exactly what that change might look like. In that case, you and your Coach would work together to figure that out and get you moving in a new direction.

Q: What are the benefits of coaching?

A: Most clients (both individuals and organizations) usually experience a rapid return on their investment. The benefits for individuals are varied and far reaching, including fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, enhanced thinking and decision making skills, changes in self-awareness and awareness of others and shifts in their emotional state resulting in increased confidence in personal and professional roles. Individuals may also see results in their productivity, personal satisfaction and the achievement of important goals.

Current studies on the ROI of Coaching in organizations find that there is an approximate 6:1 return on investment. Among the benefits cited by organizations that provided coaching to executives were improvements in productivity, quality, organizational strength and customer service, a reduction of customer complaints, increased retention of the individuals who received coaching, cost reductions and increase in bottom line profitability.

Q: How is coaching delivered? What does the process look like?

A: Many coaches like to begin a Coaching relationship with a Discovery Session, usually in person, to provide an opportunity to get to know each other a little and to assess your current opportunities and challenges, define the scope of our relationship, identify priorities for action, and possibly even establish specific outcomes. Subsequent coaching sessions may be conducted in person or over the telephone (Phone sessions are most common due to ease of logistics and time saved in travel.) with each session lasting a previously established length of time (usually between 30 – 60 minutes).

Between scheduled coaching sessions, you may be asked to complete specific actions that support the achievement of your goals. Your coach may provide additional resources in the form of relevant articles, checklists, assessments or other tools to help you reach your goals and deepen your learning.

Q: How long does a coach work with an individual?

A: The duration of the coaching relationship would vary depending on your needs and preferences. For certain types of focused coaching, 3 to 6 months of working with a coach may be appropriate. For other types of coaching, people may find it beneficial to work with a coach for a longer period. Factors that may impact the length of time include: the types of goals, the ways you like to work, the frequency of coaching meetings and financial resources available to support coaching.

Q: How do I know if I am a good candidate for coaching?

A: Well, the fact that you are inquiring is a good start! In addition, you might ask yourself if you want to change and are willing to do what it takes, if you are open to new ways of thinking and behaving and willing to try new approaches, if you can be honest with yourself, if you are open to all types of feedback, if you can be patient when you know the payoff is worth it, if you typically follow through on commitments and assignments and if you are willing to accept responsibility for your life and the decisions you make. If your answer to most of those questions is ‘yes’, you would likely be a great candidate for coaching.

Q: What should someone look for when selecting a coach?

A: One of the most important things to look for in selecting a coach is someone with whom you feel you can easily relate. In addition, you may want to ask perspective coaches about their training, if they have a specialty, if they bring any specialized skills or experience to their coaching, what their specific process is in terms of length and frequency of sessions, whether sessions are conducted in person or over the phone and so on. You may also want to ask them if they have any success stories they are willing to share or testimonials from former or current clients.

Q: If our readers are interested in knowing more about coaching or perhaps in experiencing coaching, where can they reach you?

A: I would be delighted to answer any questions your readers might have. They may contact me by phone at 506.472.6622 or by email at janelledoan@rogers.com.