How the coaching partnership works

I support people in moving forward on their individual journey of personal, professional, social and spiritual development. I enter into a partnership with you, without an agenda. The focus of a coaching session is on you, establishing who you are, and what you want to achieve in your life. Together we establish a vision for your life. We work to identify gaps between where you are today and where you want to be. We develop strategies to help you reach your goals and identify any challenges or obstacles that may prevent you from doing so.

As a client you:

• make a commitment to a regular coaching schedule
• are prepared to share the vision you have for your life
• are willing to learn and discover things about yourself
• focus on what is a priority for you and come to the coaching session prepared to work
• are willing to undertake action to achieve your goals
• advise me in advance when you are unable to make a scheduled appointment.

As your coach I will:

• be your partner to help you achieve your goals
• focus on your agenda for the coaching sessions
• encourage you to achieve your best
• challenge you to “stretch yourself” whilst leaving the final choice for action to you
• ask powerful questions to help you gain clarity about the current situation and your goals and actions
• listen with compassion and be your sounding board for ideas
• help you succeed.

In addition I will:

• ask you to fill in a “Weekly Prep Form” that will cover your wins for the previous weeks, your current challenges and areas you want to focus on in the coaching session
• require you to sign a contract that outlines our coaching agreement and covers fees and procedures.

Why not try the coaching experience firsthand? What have you got to lose? Contact me at jfr@zipworld.com.au and include “I am looking for a coach” in the email header.

How to choose a coach?

Coaching involves working closely in a partnership based on trust, respect, support and encouragement. It involves you communicating your vision and dreams with your coach, and sharing what is important so that you can move freely towards your goals and potential. It is important that you have the right coach to work with.

Here is a process to help you find a coach who is right for you.

• Be clear about what you want and why you feel coaching, and not a consultant or counseling, is right for you
• Find at least three coaches to talk to about coaching. You can do this by asking for recommendations, looking at listings or visiting websites (See my blog roll for some recommendations)
• Interview the coaches and ask them some questions. I have included some for you here.
• Evaluate your interviews and consider your impressions of each coach. How did they make you feel? Were you feel relaxed? Did you feel understood? Was it easy to talk to the coach? Were you listened to? Did you have fun and enjoy your talk? Do you think you could work together and achieve your goals?
• Think about your evaluation scores for a couple of days Make a decision on which coach felt right for you and what you want to achieve at this point in time. (Remember as you achieve your goals your needs will change)
• Call the coach and start coaching.

Good luck finding the coach who is right for you.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a collaborative relationship and a personalised approach to self-development and growth. Coaching is about closing the gap between where you are now and where you'd like to be, and how best to get there.

In coaching a client and a coach come together to work on how best to achieve the client’s personal, and /or professional, goals to enable the client to reach their fullest potential.

A client and a coach work together to define and achieve the client’s best. The coach is the support person who assists you to:

• clarify and determine goals
• make informed choices
• explore options and potential barriers to success
• develop strategies to reach your goal, and
• live the life you choose for yourselves. 

The International Coach Federation, of which I am a member, defines coaching as follows:

“Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.  Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.”

Is coaching for me?

Let me ask you some questions to help you clarify whether coaching is right for you:

• Do you enjoy a comfortable balance between work, home, family, and play?
• Are you happy with the way you spend the majority of your day?
• Do you enjoy the 8 hours plus you spend at work?
• Are you the one setting the direction of your career?
• Are you satisfied with your present quality of life?
• Do you spend as much time as you would like doing the things that “make your heart sing”? Can you remember what those things are?
• Can you remember the last time you did nothing (no TV, email or internet surfing, reading, listening to music, talking on the phone etc) for at least an hour?
• Are all your financial affairs like your tax return in order?
• Do you remember the last time you did something totally spontaneous?
• Are all your health checks (dentist, eyes, blood pressure, cholesterol etc) up to date?
• Do you have a regular exercise and wellbeing routine?

If the answer to the majority of the above questions is NO and you would like them to be YES, then read on.

Would you like to:
• create more time to yourself to pursue the things that are important to you?
• spend more time with your family and friends and all those who matter in your life?
• enjoy what you do and feel more enriched by your working day?
• have all your financial affairs in order?
• have all you health checks up to date?
• ensure that you have time to be spontaneous in your day?
• have a day where you have nothing planned and just have fun?

If the answer to the majority of the above questions is YES then coaching may be the best gift you've ever given yourself. It's your choice.

Where do I start?

For a free, no obligation consultation, or to find out more about my services, please contact me and include “I am looking for a coach” in the email header. I look forward to speaking to you.