1. Life Coaching The “Ins” and “Outs”
Kathleene Derrig- Palumbo, Ph.D., MFT
Lisa M. Bevington, M.S. MFT
February 29, 2008

2. Definitions of Coaching
Coaching is unlocking a person’s, or team’s potential to maximize his or her own performance. Coaching is helping people learn and succeed, rather than telling them how to do it. Coaching is allowing the person the freedom to make their own choices in changing their behavior or not. Coaching is a relationship in which problems and opportunities are clarified, evaluated, and acted upon.
Hargrove
Coaching focuses on future possibilities, not past mistakes.
John Whitmore
To enhance effective action and learning agility, through a deliberate process of observation, inquiry, dialog, and discovery that provides valid information, informed choice and internal commitment.
Witherspoon & R.P. White
A coach helps a client see options for becoming a more effective human being… a person who facilitates experiential learning that results in future-oriented abilities.
Fredric Hudson
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3. Coaching
Who
What
Where
How
Why
The Coaching Firm 2008

4. Coaching The Population
Clients often represent a narrower population that economists refer to as the “worried well.”
Consider coaching for relationships, career change, boredom or unhappiness- not experiencing a significant level of distress
Relationship is more collaborative in nature- a partnership
Consumer model - hired for specific outcomes
Who
The Coaching Firm 2008

5. Coaching
The Purpose
(As defined by one of the founders of the coaching movement, Thomas Leonard)
Set and reach better goals
Do more than they would have done on their own
Improve your focus so as to produce results more quickly
Allows clients to become self-generative and productive
Less diagnostic and analytical
What
The Coaching Firm 2008

6. Coaching The Setting Notable for its flexibility in setting
Coaching sessions can take place in the coach’s office, the client’s workplace, public locations, on the phone or over the internet
Sessions may be regular, infrequent or tailored to fit the client’s schedule/life demands (30-45 min)
Where
The Coaching Firm 2008

7. Coaching
The Skill Set
Many coaches use a specific model learned in their training
Will often use assessments, checklists, exercises to facilitate process
Can be highly structured with pre and post measurements
Will use inquiry, requesting and accountability to help clients achieve their goals
How
The Coaching Firm 2008

8. Coaching
The Intent
Common intentions for coaching sessions may be to help a client better manage their energy, increase focus or develop a mission statement
It is often a co-creative process that includes the use of suggestions and requests to help the client make progress toward their goals
Why
The Coaching Firm 2008

9. The Coaching Firm 2008

10. Styles of Coaching
Among coaches there are distinct styles. The coaching continuum ranges from the least directive responses at one end to the most directive technique at the other end. Style 1: Listen fully and affirm Utilize empathic listening with acceptance Style 2: Listen fully and feed back the problem Utilize reflective and active listening and feed back the client’s stated problem. The idea is to summarize the essence of what you hear and check out your summary for accuracy. This is like holding up a mirror to clients so that they can see themselves with greater clarity. Style 3: Ask the client to generate a few new possibilities Actively prompt the client to explore his or her issue with questions such as:“Tell me two or three more ways you could solve that”. “What are a few things you could do to overcome obstacles to reaching this goal?” “Are there other resources you can draw on to solve this problem?”
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11. Styles of Coaching cont.
Style 4: Ask the client to generate many possibilities
Actively prompt the client to explore many possibilities and affirm all the solutions that a client generates, with occasional modification.
Style 5: Add to the client’s current list of possibilities
Style 6: Present at least 3-10 possibilities
Style 7: Teach a new technique
Offer a new skill (ex: relaxation technique)
Style 8: Offer an option
Offer a new idea or a way of thinking. This serves to challenge their beliefs with a new belief system.
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12. Basic Model of Coaching
EVALUATE
Values, Purpose, Principles and Priorities
Present level of performance
Strengths and weaknesses
Defining the vision and mission of the client
Defining the desired results, outcomes, goals or objectives
 PLAN
Identify challenges
Identify obstacles
Identify self-limiting beliefs
Identify “stretches”
Identify long-term goals
Identify short-term, time-defined goals
Identify action steps toward the short term goal
SUPPORT
Eliciting commitment
Inquiring about needs, experiences and interpretations
Evaluating the congruence of Vision, Values and Priorities, with the desired results and action plans
Motivating
Feedback
Holding accountability
Identifying resources
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13. Core Competencies
A. SETTING THE FOUNDATION 1. MEETING ETHICAL GUIDELINES AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS 2. ESTABLISHING THE COACHING AGREEMENT B. CO-CREATING THE RELATIONSHIP 3. ESTABLISHING TRUST AND INTIMACY WITH THE CLIENT 4. COACHING PRESENCE
The Coaching Firm 2008

14. Core Competencies (con’t)
C. COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
5. ACTIVE LISTENING 6. POWERFUL QUESTIONING 7. DIRECT COMMUNICATION
D. FACILITATING LEARNING AND RESULTS
8. CREATING AWARENESS 9. DESIGNING ACTIONS 10. PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING 11. MANAGING PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The Coaching Firm 2008

15. Suggested Professional Conduct
The Coaches Training Institute recommends these rules of professional conduct: We hold the content of the relationship with our clients as confidential. Even the names of our clients are confidential unless they permit us to mention or use their name. We do not break the law for our clients. We do not act as accomplices to our clients’ acts of violence. We do not enter into financial agreements with our clients based on result—for example, the client will give you a 10 percent bonus based on the sales bonus they receive from their corporation. When we enter into agreements with corporations, we regard its employees as our clients and respect their right to confidentiality. We do not work with clients we cannot champion and speak of in a positive manner. We manage our own Gremlins in such a way that they do not retard the client’s progress. We treat our colleagues, competitors, and the coaching profession with honor and respect. We agree to promote the client’s agenda, to point the client toward fulfillment, balance, and process, and to forward their action and deepen their learning.
Excerpt from MTN Life Coaching Training Manual © MyTherapyNet, Inc All Rights Reserved.

16. ICF Ethics Pledge
The International Coach Federation adheres to a form of coaching that honors the client as the expert in his/her personal and/or professional life and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach's responsibility is to:
1. Discover, clarify and align with what the client wants to achieve 2. Encourage client self-discovery 3. Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies 4. Hold the client as responsible and accountable
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