How to Get Started as an Executive or Personal Coach

Kathleen Brehony, Ph.D.

www.fullpotentialliving.com

Who, What, Where, When, How?

Who can benefit from personal or executive coaching?

What is personal or executive coaching?

Where does personal or executive coaching take place?

When does personal or executive coaching take place?

How does one begin a personal or executive coaching practice?

Who Benefits from Personal & Executive Coaching

Individuals who want to grow, improve their life/career skills, solve specific non-clinical problems, and realize their full potential can benefit from personal and executive coaching.

A wide range of individuals have benefited from personal and executive coaching along a number of life dimensions.

Don’t die guessing!

• To set and achieve goals in your life and career path.

• To balance mind/body/spirit.

• To overcome obstacles to goal achievement.

• To pursue the path of individuation and self-actualization; to live up to one's potential.

• To make conscious decisions about the future you want to create.

• To live with passion, meaning, and mastery.

• To explore your spiritual Self.

• To unleash your natural creativity.

• To learn to rely on the power of your higher Self - your own inner warrior.

• To face with greater courage, grace, and wisdom the changes (and losses) that life will inevitably serve up.

Examples of Goals for Personal Coaching

Client Goals in Coaching Percent

Time Management 80.5%

Career 74.3%

Business 73.8%

Relationships/Family 58.6%

Physical/Wellness 51.9%

Spiritual 51.0%

Personal 45.2%

Goal-Setting 39.5%

Financial 38.1%

Creativity 11.0%

Other 01.4%

Source: International Coach Federation, 1998 Coaching Client Survey

What Individual Clients Want From Coaches

What Corporate Clients Want From Coaches

• Work with individuals or teams to facilitate shifts within the context of the organizational culture to achieve extraordinary results

• A way to leverage HR and reach all employees

• Train managers in coaching skills

• Improve performance, raise skills & self-empowerment

• Perk for top performersSource: International Coach Federation, 1999 Coaching in Corporate America Survey

What is Executive and Personal Coaching?

• Personal coaching is based on an ongoing relationship – a partnership - between equals that is characterized by trust and mutual respect.

• It offers focus, structure, and support toward achieving career and life goals, deepening learning, improving performance, and enhancing quality of life.

• The personal coach relationship is essentially individualistic in its structure and its concentration.

History of Coaching/Mentoring

In Homer's epic Greek poem The Odyssey , Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) is returning to his home in Ithaca having spent more than ten years away fighting in the Trojan War. Before Odysseus embarked on this arduous journey he left his beloved son, Telemachus, in the care of his loyal friend and advisor, Mentor, knowing that this gentle man would serve as guardian, guide and counselor.

Today, we think of a mentor in much the same ways Homer described. Words like: guide, partner, consultant, advisor, supporter, teacher, trainer, tutor, and coach come to mind.

What Personal and Executive Coaching is Not

Personal Coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy. Unlike many therapies, coaches don't focus on issues of the past, instead the emphasis is on the present and, most importantly, the future. The nature of the issues being addressed are very different than the focus of therapy. There are many invaluable interventions for clinical depression, substance abuse, and other significant psychological difficulties but personal coaching is not among them. Individuals experiencing these kinds of problems should seek help from qualified, professional psychotherapists.

Where do Personal & Executive Coaches Come From?

• Everywhere, depending upon the content/context of coaching.

• International Coach Federation (ICF) notes there are more than 16,000 part- and full-time personal & executive coaches worldwide.

• More than 23,000 listings under “personal coach” on Internet Search Engines

• Many generalist coaches come from backgrounds in:

Psychology & Clinical Social Work

Nursing & Medicine

Human Resources

Business & Finance

A survey published by Psychotherapy Finances (October, 2000) found that 23 percent of clinicians are taking steps to leave their practices. The constraints of managed care - limitations on treatment plans, more paperwork, and lower fees - were commonly cited reasons.

…20% of Psychotherapists now include “Coaching” as part of the professional services they offer.

Source: Psychotherapy Finances Newsletter, September 2000

• Help people set better goals, reach those goals, and continually improve.

• Ask their clients to do more than they would have done on their own.

• Focus their clients better to more quickly produce results.

• Provide the tools, support, and structure to accomplish more.

Personal Coaches……

• Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve

• Encourage client self-discovery

• Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies

• Hold the client as responsible and accountable

Personal Coaches……

Where Does Personal and Executive Coaching Take Place?

Form of Contact Percentage

Telephone 94.3%

Email 45.2%

In-Person 35.2%

Other 01.9%

Source: International Coach Federation, 1998 Coaching Client Survey

When Does Personal Coaching Take Place?

Can be highly individualized but norms are:

• One-half hour weekly contact with client (most often conducted by telephone)*

• Contract duration?

• Additional Contacts (e.g., email between formal sessions?)

* Fees for Personal Coaching services generally range from $200 - $500 per month. Mean works out to $100-$150 per hour. Executive Coaching usually runs more.

How Do I Begin A Personal or Executive Coaching Practice?

• Certification?

• Business Plan

• Marketing Strategy

How?

• Determine your beliefs/philosophy about the need for certification (At present it is not binding in any state. The State of Washington does require that personal and executive coaches register).

• Evaluate Coaching Training Programs and determine if you want/need this training.

Step One:

Credentialing?

http://www.coachfederation.org/

Pros and Cons of Certification?

Will certification/licensing become mandatory?

Present state of coaching profession regarding certification?

http://www.mentorcoach.com

A. Setting the Foundation

• Meeting ethical guidelines and professional standards

• Establishing the Coaching Agreement

B. Co-Creating the Relationship

• Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client

• Coaching Presence

C. Communicating Effectively

• Active Listening

• Powerful Questioning

• Direct Communication

D. Facilitating Learning and Results

• Creating Awareness

• Designing Actions

• Planning and Goal Setting

• Managing Progress and Accountability

ICF Core Competencies

ICF Accreditation Standards

Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

• Completed 750 client coaching hours

• Provide 5 Coaching References

• Pass a written and oral examination

Master Certified Coach (MCC)

• Completed 2500 client coaching hours

• Provide 10 coaching references

• Pass a written and oral examination (Waived if already completed this for PCC)

• Provide validated documentation of professional contribution to the coaching profession

Organization Approved Program ICF Accred. Date

Academy for Coach Training (ACT) Coach Certification Program 6/25/99

Coach 21 Co, Ltd. Coach Training Program 10/16/99

Coach for Life Master Certified Life Coach Program

1/07/00

Coach U Certified Graduate Program 7/01/99

Coaches Training Institute (CTI) Coach Certification Program 6/24/99

Corporate Coach U International (CCUI)

Corporate and Business Coach Training and Certification Program

9/21/00

Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara Coaching Certification Program

1/19/01

The Newfield Network Coaching for Professionals and Personal Mastery

7/27/00

New Ventures West Professional Coaching Course 6/30/00

Success Unlimited Network (SUN) Coach Training and Certification Program

6/24/00

ICF Approved Coach Training Programs

(as of 10/20/01)

• I will conduct myself in a manner that reflects well on coaching as a profession and I will refrain from doing anything that harms the public's understanding or acceptance of coaching as a profession.

• I will identify my level of coaching competence to the best of my ability and I will not overstate my qualifications, expertise or experience as a coach.

• I will, at the beginning of each coaching relationship, ensure that my coaching client understands the terms of the coaching agreement between us.

• I will not claim or imply outcomes that I cannot guarantee.

• I will respect the confidentiality of my client's information, except as otherwise authorized by my client, or as required by law.

• I will obtain permission from each of my clients before releasing their names as clients or references.

• I will be alert to noticing when my client is no longer benefiting from our coaching relationship and thus would be better served by another coach or by another resource and, at that time, I will encourage my client to make that change.

• I will avoid conflicts between my interests and the interests of my clients.

• Whenever the potential for a conflict of interest arises, I will, on a timely basis, discuss the conflict with my client to reach informed agreement with my client on how to deal with it in whatever way best serves my client.

Ethical StandardsSource: Annotated from the International Coach Federation

Ethical Standards continued

• I will, on a timely basis, disclose to my client all compensation from third parties that I may receive for referrals of, or advice given to, that client.

• I will honour every term of agreements I make with my clients and, if separate, with whoever compensates me for the coaching of my clients.

• I will not give my clients or any prospective clients information or advice I know to be confidential, misleading or beyond my competence.

• I will acknowledge the work and contributions of others; I will respect copyrights, trademarks and intellectual property rights and I will comply with applicable laws and my agreements concerning these rights.

As a professional coach, I acknowledge and honor my ethical obligations to my coaching clients and colleagues and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the highest Standards of Ethical Conduct, to treat people with dignity as free and equal human beings, and to model these standards with those whom I coach.

How Step Two

Develop a Business Plan

• Goals (e.g., How many clients do you want to work with? Will you specialize?, etc.)

• Values

• Culture

• Time Frame for Accomplishment of Goals

• Create Supportive Materials (e.g., intake forms, pricing, agreement forms, etc.)

• Create Marketing Plan to realize and align business/professional objectives with behavior

How Step Three

Marketing Plan

• The “Four P’s” – Price, Product, Place, Promotion

• Target Markets (Who are your ideal clients?)

• How best to reach your target?

Website and Electronic Media

Direct Mail

Advertising

Public Speaking

Referrals and Strategic Partnerships

The Four “P’s” of Marketing

PRODUCT

PRICE

PLACE

PROMOTION

Tools

Thank you.

Kathleen and Assistant Coach Dorothy

Godspeed and Safe Travels Home.

Full Potential Living

www.fullpotentialliving.com

www.fporgs.com