Do I need a Coach? Welcome to another micro-blog by me! – Beverly Clarke
Let’s explore – What’s the buzz about coaching?
You may be hearing news headlines that coaching is really big! So what’s the buzz about coaching? In reality coaching has been around for centuries. Coaching is a process in which you work with another person to help you to unlock your potential. In essence this means that you become more self-aware and are able to establish and work towards goals.
As a coach I am skilled in listening and questioning techniques, so that you can get the most out of your sessions. Additionally, I am skilled and knowledgeable in using a variety of tools and techniques, which we can explore in session to help you achieve your ambitions.
What if I am not your coach?
Let me demystify coaching. Coaches advertise in the areas in which they specialise. It is important to find the right coach for you and your needs. My tips to finding the right coach are:
- Ensure your coach is a member of a coaching body such as The Association for Coaching
- Ask if your coach has a Coaching qualification
- Before committing to coaching sessions, have a call with your coach (most coaches offer this and it is usually between 15 – 30 minutes). This helps both parties to establish if the coaching relationship will be right for them and to develop rapport
- Word of mouth
Top Tips – Virtual coaching
Here are my top tips for having a successful and productive coaching session:
- Ensure you have the link that you will use to join the online coaching session
- Test the link to ensure that it works before the session
- Ensure where possible to log on 5-10 minutes before hand to ensure all equipment is working, such as cameras
- Keep your camera on – coaching is a “human experience”, the coach and coachee seeing each other is part of the rapport building process
- Ensure that there isn’t any noise or other distraction during your coaching session
- Have a glass of water handy
- Keep pen and paper handy, there will be things that you wish to make a note of in session that will help you between sessions to unlock your potential
How many sessions will I need?
Remember that coaching is a short-term. Coaches offer different plans. For example, I offer a 1 hour clarity session, 3 * 1 hour sessions taken weeks apart, or 6 * 1 hour sessions taken weeks apart
The time in between sessions is where you are able to explore the option that you decided on during your coaching session.
On occasion, the relationship with a client will change from coaching into a mentoring over time, where the client sees me as and when they require, for example on educational mentoring or business mentoring.
Want to know more? Please visit my dedicated coaching site.
Beverly Clarke is a Coach and Mentor. A TechWomen100 award winner with a diverse portfolio, she combines a career in Education consulting with Authoring, Coaching and Mentoring. To coach with Beverly in either an individual or organisational capacity – visit www.beverlyclarkecoaching.uk
I’d love to know your thoughts on Coaching – please do share them with a link to this article across social media (@msbclarke) or leave a comment on this blog post. If you are interested in me writing articles for you please use the contact form on this website.