Coaching

Coaching Information

“A leader’s job is to engineer the types of conversations that produce epiphanies.” - Susan Scott

Coaching people one-on-one is a powerful and integral part of our approach in helping individuals and teams develop their leadership capacity so they can achieve the results they want. We have trained business coaches who care and create dynamic relationships with their clients - relationships that foster growth and achieve results. The purpose of this document is to introduce prospective coaching clients to the Competitive Edge way of coaching. This document explains our ethics, philosophy and expectations.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a form of consulting. Like a consultant, a coach helps you to:

· Design a plan of action

· Make decisions

· Solve problems

· Reach goals

· Learn

A coach also “stays with” or "coaches" you to:

· Increase your leadership capacity

· Implement the plan of action, working through the inevitable changes and obstacles.

· Maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life.

· Keep looking ahead to take advantage of opportunities that are just now developing.

· Bring out your personal best, staying focused on your strengths, values and passions.

· Learn new skills in leadership development, problem solving, decision making, meeting management, conflict resolution, communication, teamwork, and trust building.

What is coaching NOT?

Coaching is not therapy. Therapy focuses on past issues and situations. Coaching focuses on the present and what you want to accomplish.

Why does coaching work?

Coaching works because it brings out your best. The solutions and answers always reside within you – but a trained coach allows you to see them and bring to light what you cannot perceive.

To bring out what you know, and to offer what we know, your Competitive Edge coach commits to the following:

· Listen. We listen fully. You are the focus. We listen to what you say, to what you are trying to say, and to what you are not saying.

· Share. After you have fully communicated a thought or idea, we may share with you my advice, ideas, comments and views on your situation, dilemma or opportunity.

· Support. Anyone who faces challenges needs an outside voice full of endorsement, compassion and acknowledgement - not as a “yes” person, but as someone who knows what it takes to achieve.

· Suggest. We want a lot for you. We want you to be healthy, happy and successful. We want you to be on a strong financial track. We want you to enjoy your family and friends. We want you to have a life that inspires others – and yourself. Part of our job is to be at least 3 steps ahead of you, yet be with you. So we will make requests and suggestions. Ultimately, the choices are yours.

Coaching is proven to work where there are three factors present:

· A client who is willing to grow.

· Open, honest dialogue

· A gap between where the client is now and where he or she wants to be.

Coaching will work for you because you can and will close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be! We are blessed with the privilege of traveling with you on your journey.

What can you expect from your coach?

· Direct Requests. From time to time, we will make a direct request, like “Will you accomplish ‘x’ by the end of the month?” You may accept the request, counter-offer with what you can do, or decline. Whichever way you respond, we will give you my full support.

· Straight Advice. If we are sure of the situation, and you’re open to it, we will make specific suggestions on how to handle a problem or “go for” an opportunity. If we am not sure, we will say so. Honesty is one of our values. We will be straight with you and expect the same from you. Take the best of what we offer and use your own judgment.

· Invitations to Look Deeper. When we hear a funny tone in your voice or notice something amiss, we will ask you about it. Often it is these small moments, which offer the chance to resolve something. However, we will not confront or push; we will merely invite you to look closer.

· Lots of Play. We usually ask that our clients come up with actions, thoughts or beliefs to explore between sessions. If it is too much, say so. If you want more, just ask.

· We are Here. We want to hear it all. If you have a personal problem, are upset with something (including us or the coaching), are just starting to realize something big, and can’t wait to share a breakthrough, please call or email us. Anytime. We will respond as soon as we can.

· Our Best Coaching. We will give you the best coaching we can offer, and we promise to constantly upgrade my coaching and life skills. The rest is up to you. We’re beginning a journey together but ultimately it’s your life and there’s no predicting what actual results you’ll see.

What does your Competitive Edge coach expect of you?

· 100% Responsibility. Anything less than taking 100% responsibility for every circumstance in your life is being a victim in some way or another. We all have more to learn about being powerful creators, including your coach! And if you’re blaming, you’re not learning. If you are not taking responsibility for something, you are giving away your power. We expect you to be working toward being 100% responsible because everything gets easier when you do: communication, taking action, making decisions, figuring out what you want, etc. And life will be a lot easier and fun!

· Your Best. If you are hiring us, then you are probably ready to do and be your best. And if you aren’t doing your best, we will ask you to do so. If you can’t do that at the moment, we will understand and do what you need to be heard, respected, and helped back onto your path.

· Honesty. To develop the trust and openness needed to quickly move through struggles or to meet opportunities, absolute honesty is required of us both. We want you to be willing to tell us all of what you are thinking and feeling. There may be times when you are not aware of certain things – we’ll take the time to know and understand these things. And if we ever say or do anything that upsets you or doesn’t feel right, please bring it up. We promise to do what We can to resolve the situation. We will work on all things like this as a team. We value truth and expect you to tell us if we overstep.

· Use Us, Don’t Depend on Us. As your coach, we are a resource and presence for you to use to your best advantage. We can share many principles that will increase your success and add to the quality of your life. We ask that our clients use us as the resource and friend that we am, but not to let themselves get into the position of needing us (or coaching) as a dependency.

· Do Your Part – Experiment and Explore. This is not homework like in school – this is your life! Experimenting will consist of the tasks, actions, results, or changes that you are telling yourself and us that you will do your best to complete before our next session. By applying yourself to exploration, you will achieve your personal and professional goals.

· Keep Yourself Well. Coaching can require energy: emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. Given this, we want you to take extraordinary care of yourself while being coached. Only you know what this looks like, but we suggest you go much further than you ever have in this regard.

What do we expect of both coach and client?

· Enjoy Our Sessions. We have “stuff” to do together, but please accept our invitation to play and enjoy each other. At first, it may seem rather intense because we have a lot to cover in a short period of time. And lightness and humor are important components in creating what you want in life. With lightness, play and a willingness to live effortlessly, miracles are possible. Feel free to set the tone and we will respect what you need.

· Success. With your honesty and our honesty we expect 100% success in coaching our clients. Please let us know if you are not getting exactly what you want and need from our coaching. And, if for some reason you are not satisfied, we offer a money back guarantee for the last month of our coaching.

What to talk about during our coaching sessions?

Usually clients have no problem knowing what to talk about during the coaching sessions. Here are some suggestions, just in case you would like some help in knowing what to ask for from your coach:

· How are you feeling about yourself, the good stuff and bad stuff?

· How are you looking at your life and your work?

· How are you feeling about others?

· Where do you want to grow?

· What has happened since our last call? Breakthroughs? Insights?

· What choices or decisions are you facing?

· What progress have you made?

· What have you done that you are proud of?

· What are you coming up against? Where are you getting stuck?

· How can we help you get unstuck?

· What do you not have time for?

· How can we help with a distinction, a plan of action, a strategy or advice?

· What are you wondering about?

· What’s the next goal or project you’d like to take on?

· What’s the next distinction to get?

· What do you want for yourself next?

IAM Touchstones

The IAM Touchstones are ideas created by Karen Tax (John’s coach) which we have found to be extremely useful in providing a foundation to our thinking in the coaching process. Please be sure to read the IAM Touchstones before you start coaching – they may come up as part of our conversations! They can be downloaded through the Coaching forms below.

Particulars

Our fees include two 50-60 minute calls/face to face sessions monthly, email correspondence and short pick-up calls you need. We respond to email and pick-up calls as we can - it may be a few days before we respond. Please know that we always feel that you deserve the most calm and present coach possible and if you do not hear from us right away – we are doing what we need to be in a joyful and energized place to respond to you.

Please plan to call/arrive promptly for all calls/sessions. If you need to change an appointment, we request 24-hour notice; we understand that things come up and can usually reschedule. A missed call/session, without notice, is a missed appointment and therefore you will be charged for that appointment.

Also, our business is built primarily on a referral basis. If it works for you, please refer people to Competitive Edge who you think would work well with a coach. Our intention is for people to partner with the best coach for their goal or situation. We’ll do our best to find the right fit for your referrals.

Coaching Forms

Please read, review and fill out the forms below if you want to understand more about this process and want to be coached by Competitive Edge:

1. Click here to download New Client Welcome Letter

2. Click here to download Coaching Agreement

3. Click here to download Client Questions to Kick-off our Coaching

4. Click here to download Client Coachability Index

5. Click here to download IAM Touchstones

6. Click here to download Coaching Session Prep Form

7. Click here to download the Essential Best versus Drama Model

Tools (link to the Resources page)

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This is an informal type of coaching which has grown out of requests from our clients to move from one-on-one work to working with small teams of 2-5 people at one time.

Differences with traditional coaching:

More informal, no Coaching Agreement or Question forms
Can be spur of the moment
Usually not as long term as coaching (more ad hoc...for specific opportunities)
More dynamic because the players are present

Similarities with traditional coaching:

Clients are still responsible for bringing what they want to discuss
Skills and tools are still offered
Same format of meeting for short sessions a couple of times of a month (highly flexible)

Leadership Conversations are sometimes used in conjunction with one-on-one coaching with the same participants.

call 704-881-4157 with questions (John Berkley)

or e-mail john@cedgeinc.com