The Coaching Profession
According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), “professional coaching is a distinct service which focuses on an individual's life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change management.” Read more about how it differs from therapy, consulting, mentoring, training and athletic development.
In 1998, when the profession was in its infancy, the ICF had fewer than 2,000 members; its membership now exceeds 18,000 coaches representing 92 countries and is growing by an average of 350 members every month. And as the profession grows in size, so does its stature.
In a corporate setting, coaching is an essential executive skill that is recognized as one of the fundamental competencies that top leaders need to manage effectively. It is also a critical tool for retaining the youngest generations of employees who do not always share the goals and values of their older colleagues.
Coaches establishing a private practice help clients recognize the barriers to their success and systematically surmount them. Whether the specialty is parenting, health and fitness, time management, emotional intelligence, personal finance, or other developmental areas, a certified coach can make a big difference in someone’s life. And in return, the coach receives financial compensation and enormous satisfaction. It’s a rewarding collaboration for client and coach alike.
Feedback on the value of coaching…
“Coaching is an everyday part of my job as a Director of Sales. Being able to teach my team to be good coaches to the sales process and good mentors to their sales people is a skill that would be beneficial to any director of sales.”
Rebecca Lamperski
Comcast Spotlight - Tri-State Senior Director of Sales
"We want to do everything we can, not only to retain our people, but to also develop them. The best return on investment to retaining employees is to provide coaching for their development. Our return on investment in talented employees through effective coaching is a requirement today. You can't have too many effective coaches on your team."
Craig R. Stauffer, Director, Human Resources
Quest Diagnostics, Pittsburgh Business Unit
“As the first Canadian to be Division Managing Director/General Manager for an American based company, Donna coached me as I worked to build a collaborative team among my direct reports located throughout Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver. With her guidance, I learned how to coach my direct reports and manage the multicultural issues between the US Corporate and Canadian Field organization.
She also helped me work through the issues of transitioning into a new leadership position that allowed me to live my values and attain a work-life balance. This led me to look for a company with wholesome values and integrity and found exactly that in my present assignment.”
A. Armstrong
Manitoulin Transport
"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed our lunch. I find it amazing that it often takes someone on the outside to reveal to a person what he or she has on the inside. Thank you. I had forgotten so much about being open and allowing my heart to show through - the image business does that. Had it not been for your wonderful probing questions I would not have had that revealing glimpse in the mirror. I had totally forgotten about the "old man in the mountain" exercise. The 'present' the old man gave me was a heart in the well of an old fashioned typewriter. I 'got' that it meant to write with my heart. That was in 1978. WOW! The re-discovery of that memory just about ran away with my emotional control."
Client of Michael J. Forlenza, PhD, MPH, Cohort 1