Coaching
What Is Coaching?
Professional coaching1 is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today’s uncertain and complex environment. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work and believe that every client is creative, resourceful and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:
- Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
- Encourage client self-discovery
- Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
- Hold the client responsible and accountable
This process helps clients dramatically improve their outlook on work and life, while improving their leadership skills and unlocking their potential.
Benefits of working with a Professional Coach
- Your actions will be better, smarter and more meaningful because you’ll set the goals you really want.
- Your decisions for yourself and for your business will be more sound because your focus will be more clear.
- You will have a more balanced life that works well because you’ll design it in a self-caring, yet healthy way.
- You will earn and have more money because you’ll remember that you’re worth more than you’re making.
- You will reach for more without being overwhelmed because you’ll have a partner (coach) who you can trust to keep you true to your abilities, values and goals (integrity).
- You will have more sustainable energy to put towards your work and living the life you want because there will be no more stopping and starting … you’ll have the tools, structure and support you need to stay on track.
How Coaching Works
Coaching generally happens through regularly scheduled phone meetings. E-mails, faxes and voice mail are used for “between meeting” contact and are also the means for “checking-in” or reporting progress – the accountability component of coaching. (Face-to-face meetings, while not necessary, can also be conducted, when geographically possible.)
Prior to each meeting, the client typically completes and sends ahead a “call agenda” or “call preparation form” which outlines the client’s agenda and focus for the call. Then, the client calls the coach at a pre-determined time for the coaching session.
1 International Coach Federation, www.coachfederation.org (FAQs).
About Kristin
Kristin M. Lavery, MSW earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and her Master of Social Work from Loyola University (Chicago). She completed her coach training from the Institute for Life Coaching and the Coach Training Institute. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), Kristin began her professional career at Leyden Family Services, and then set up her private practice in 1998. She began to consult and coach for Willard De Filipps, CPA, PC in 2001 and continues today to coach through her private practice, as well.
For more information on coaching with Kristin, please contact her at kristin@defilipps.com.