What is professional coaching?

Coaching is a professional service providing clients with feedback, insights, and guidance from an outside vantage point. The profession of coaching is similar to the practice of a physician, attorney, or psychologist.

The major difference is that coaching is an on-going collaborative partnership built on taking action. In this powerful alliance, coaches find themselves:
· Providing tools, support, and structure to accomplish more
· Helping people set better goals and then attain those goals
· Focusing their clients better to more quickly produce results
· Asking their clients to push the envelope mote than they would have done own their own

What Areas Are Helped With Coaching?

Coaching can help in all areas of your life:
· Career & Business
· Money & Personal Finance
· Spiritual Healing & Life Purpose
· Balance between work and personal life

Specifically, I coach people who want to:

· live up to your potential
· start or grow your own business
· change careers or build your current career
· discover abundance and purpose in your life
· better handle situations at work and at home

If you're ready to make changes in your life but feel "stuck" and need help moving forward, then a coach is for you! I help you discover the beliefs and thoughts that limit you in realizing your full potential, then help you create a plan to turn around those limits and advance to a better life. I may give you weekly "homework," and help you be accountable for the progress you make.

How is coaching different from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best friend?

Consulting. Coaching is a form of consulting. But the coach stays with the client to help implement the new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen.

Therapy. Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past. We leave that up to the client to know and figure out while we help them move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life they really want. Therapy is about helping people become functional; coaching is about helping functional people move to the next step in life.

Sports. Coaching includes several principles from sports coaching, like teamwork, going for the goal, being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen the client's skills vs. help them beat the other team (or person). It's win/win.

Best friend. A best friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional who you will trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend and a coach.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coaching
From the International Coaches Federation

What is coaching?

Coaches:
· Help people set better goals and then reach those goals.
· 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.

"My clients get focused and producing faster because they have a coach."

What is the basic philosophy of coaching?
 
Simply put, that we humans are great and that we're all discovering what we really want. We can get what we want faster and easier by having a coach who's been there and who can help us.

Who hires a coach and why?

People hire a coach because:
· They want more
· They want to grow
· They want it easier

What happens when you hire a coach?

Many things, but the most important are:
· You take yourself more seriously.
· You take more effective and focused actions immediately.
· You stop putting up with what is dragging you down.
· You create momentum so it's easier to get results.
· You set better goals that you might not have without the coach.

Does the coach work on personal goals or business/professional goals?

Both, actually. And, with the line between personal and business life blurring in the this new millennium, the coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of you. Coaches work with you on a holistic basis, though you may at first want to focus on only one area of your life.

Where does the coach focus with an average client?

We focus where the client needs us most. And, we tend to weave in the following discussions:

· Getting the client's Personal Foundation strengthened.
· Helping the client beef up their Reserve.
· Helping the client set goals based on their Personal Values.
· By including these with what the client wants from us, we help the client have fewer problems and focus on what's going to make them the most successful. We've found that clients really enjoy the approach.

Why is coaching becoming so popular?

Coaching is becoming popular for several reasons:

1. Many people are tired of doing what they "should" do and are ready to do something special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. Problem is, many can't see it, or if they can, they can't see a way to reorient their life around it. A coach can help them do both.

2. People are realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have felt out of reach or like a pipedream. A coach is not a miracle worker (well, they are, sometimes) but a coach does have a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in themselves in this kind of growth.

3. Spirituality. If you've tracked the phenomenal success of many books on the NY Times best-seller list during the past 10 years, you get a sense of just how many people are willing to look at, and consider, the notion of spirituality. Wow. Many coaches are spiritually based -- even the ones who coach IBM and AT&T. America is getting spiritual quickly. (Our working definition of spirituality? "How connected you are with yourself and others and with your concept of the Universe.") The coach helps the clients to tune in better to themselves and others.

Why does coaching work?
 
Coaching works for several reasons:
· Synergy between the coach and client creates momentum.
· Better goals are set -- ones that naturally pull the client toward the goal rather than goals that require the client to push themselves to the goal.
· The client develops new skills, and these skills translate into more success.

What about people who are already doing great in their lives. Why would they need a coach?

They might not need a coach. But it is helpful to find out: Are they doing what they most enjoy? Are they tolerating anything? Is life easy? Are they going to be financially independent within the next 15 years? Do they have what they most want? We've discovered that, often, people need to expect more out of their lives. A coach can help in this process.

Can a dependency be created between coach and client?

Not really. The client may 'need' the coach in order to maximize an opportunity or accelerate their growth, yet not be 'dependent' on the coach. Anyone who's up to something 'needs' structure, advice, support and a place to brag, so in that sense, the coach is necessary. But an emotional, psychological dependency is not created. The coach works with people who are just fine and strong enough on their own. Remember, we're not resolving psychological issues here (that's what a psychotherapist does). The coach is helping the client to create a better future: More success, more money, and a higher quality of life.

Can coaching hurt someone?

No. How? We aren't doing psychological work. We're not trying to control the client's thinking. We're not cattle prods; we're partners.

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

Yes. Some clients hire a coach to help them accomplish specific goals or projects. Usually, however, the client keeps working with the coach after that because there are even more interesting things to accomplish.

How long must I commit if I start working with a coach?

Most coaches ask for a three month commitment but usually let you stop immediately if coaching is not working for you right now. Some coaches ask for a written agreement or contract. For the corporate client, a signed agreement is simply good business.

What does it cost to hire Monique Chapman as a coach?

My rate for personal coaching is $180.00 per session - 3 sessions per  month. Each session is 50 minutes.  You get free unlimited email follow up, and free unlimited laser sessions.  

Business coaching rates vary according to services requested.  Please call Monique for further details.