Coaching and coaching . . . 1 

Areas to get coached in

1. Sports coaches are probably the best known form of coaching and a good model for other kinds of coaching. A sports coach is a specialist in getting athletes to perform better, the coach may or may not be a top performer themselves, what they are is an expert in getting you to go the extra mile - to push your boundaries, to try something new, to go to places you didn't think were possible.
2. Niche coaches have a clear identified area or issue. Today you can find a coach for almost any area of life or work or issue. There are presentation coaches, weight loss coaches, marketing coaches, book publishing coaches . . . personal trainers are niche coaches who focus on fitness and well-being.
3. Life coaches work on your broad lifestyle. They may support you in having better relationships, in being more adventurous, or in dealing with particular issues in your life.
4. Executive coaches usually work with business people and work primarily on business related issues. Though often this quickly moves on to more personal areas.
   See the Executive Coaching lens

Coaching and coaching . . . 2 

Kinds of coaching

1. Accountability coaches have as their main task to keep you on track. How to have you complete your 'to-do' list on time in full. In the 'area' of well-being a 'personal trainer' is often a good example of an accountability coach. They will hold you accountable for taking exercise, for managing your diet, for looking after your well-being.
2. Behavioural coaches work with you to change the way in which you do certain things. A good example would be a voice coach who helps you speak up, project, and be clearly expressed.
3. Capability coaches work on broader areas of change. If you want to write and publish a book - and have little or no experience - then a capability coach might well take you step by step through the whole process.
4. Transformational coaches work with you to have breakthroughs happen in your life. They work to take you to places that were not a part of your predictable future. Taking on a bigger role, starting a business, changing an important relationship, making a major transition - these are the places of transformational coaching.

What coaching isn't 

to avoid confusion

1. a therapist isn't a coach. To draw a somewhat arbitrary line, therapy deals with people who have something wrong and makes them right; coaching deals with people who are by and large OK and mikes them better. Sometimes the techniques and tools of coaching and therapy overlap as both are seeking to change some element of the human condition.
2. A personal assistant is not first and foremost a coach (though some coach extremely well). The primary task of an assistant of any kind is to do things for you. The primary task of a coach is to have you do things for yourself.
3. A mentor is not primarily a coach. A mentor is someone who shares their greater experience with you, offers you direction and guidance, may open doors for you.

Finding a coach 

. . . or finding the right coach for you . . .

1. Get clear what it is that you want a coach to do for you. If need be find a coach or a supportive friend to coach you on this. If you can, get at least a rough idea of the 'area' you want coaching in and the 'kind' of coaching you want.
2. Open up your eyes and ears. Ask friends, colleagues, neighbours for their thoughts and recommendations if you can. Word of mouth is probably the best recommendation.
3. Look in the yellow pages, search Google, ask more people.
4. Contact a few of the names you've come across. Check the web-sites, send them an exploratory e-mail, maybe talk (briefly) on the phone.
5. Choose & commit to a coach who seems as though they can make a difference for you. Choose someone who is strong enough to stand up to you, bright enough to not let you run rings round them, acute enough to really make a difference for you. Then commit yourself to the coaching relationship.
6. Be coachable. You chose to get coaching because you wanted a change to happen, don't expect your coach to do the work for you. You are going to have to make some changes in your life.
7. Know when to end. Some coaching relationships go on for many years, some are focused around a particular short task. When you've done what you need to do, or you are clear that you are not making any progress, then complete the relationship with your coach. If you want more you can re-contract with them or with someone else.
8. Communicate with your coach. With rare exceptions coaching takes interaction, it requires you to be in touch with your coach and to make the time for that to happen.

Becoming a coach 

. . . a tough row to hoe . . .

1. You must like people. Whatever else it is or isn't, coaching is about people and making a difference with and for people. If you don't really like people then don't go here.
2. Find your niche. What is it that you are expert in, know about, or are prepared to learn about that qualifies you to coach people.
3. What kind of coach do you want to be? Are you 'qualified' to coach there? To be an executive coach you probably need at least a basic familiarity with business and to be comfortable dealing with business people.
4. What coaching model do you want to use. There are many out there; you need at least a basic process to support your getting results with your clients. Taking some kind of coaching training is usually the way to resolve this question.
5. Where are your clients? How are you going to find them? or, How are they going to find you? . . . and here we run into the issues of running a business rather than coaching per se.

Coaching Training Schools 

Academy for Coach Training

US based, ICF accredited. "Coaching creates an environment of unconditional acceptance where learning, growth, and transformation occur naturally, as people gain clarity, align with their values, and take effective action toward meaningful goals."

The Coaches Training Institute

International, ICF Accredited, the home of Co-Active Coaching. "CTI: Continuing to Lead the Way"

Coach Training Alliance

US Based - Colorado; ICF accredited. "Coach Training Alliance is a growing collection of the finest educators, mentors, coaches and facilitatirs int eh profession of life caoching."

CoachU

US & Internet based; ICF accredited. "Coach U is the leading global provider of coach training programs." Founded by Thomas Leonard, now led by Sandy Vilas certainly the oldest and probably the foremost on-line coaching achool.

The Coaching Institute

US Based - Pennsylvania; Distance learning. "Want to do something that makes a DIFFERENCE in yours and other people's lives?"

More to come . . .

Great Stuff on Amazon 

Implementing the SIOP Model Through Effective Professional Development and Coaching (SIOP Series)

by: Jana Echevarria, Deborah J. Short, MaryEllen J. Vogt

Amazon Price: $44.09 (as of 12/02/2008)

FYI: For Your Improvement, A Guide for Development and Coaching (4th edition)

by: Michael M. Lombardo, Robert W. Eichinger

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)

FYI: For Your Improvement, A Development and Coaching Guide (2nd Edition)

by: Michael M. Lombardo, Robert W. Eichinger

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)