Frequently
Asked Questions

+What are some typical reasons people choose life coaching?
This varies from person to person. Here are some examples or reasons why some of our clients have sought us

  • I am not happy with my job, and I want to figure out what I want to do, and what would make me happy
  • I am struggling with balancing my personal and professional life
  • How do I find meaning and purpose in my life?
  • There are big decisions I have to make and many options. I need help to figure out what’s best for me.
  • My relationship with my partner (or parents/children/friends/colleague) is really challenging. I want to be happy in it again.
  • How do I have relationships that are fulfilling, honest and real and caring?
  • I am tired of people taking me for granted. I feel like I do so much for others, but I don’t get the same back.
  • Sometimes there is so much I want to say, but I am afraid to speak up. I want to find my voice.
  • There has been big life change for me recently. It has been hard to cope. I want to deal with it and get on.

+What are the typical reasons people choose leadership coaching?
This varies from person to person. Clients in leadership position use a coaching process to enhance, improve their leadership skills. Here are some of examples of coaching goals client come with.

  • Develop leadership skills
  • Become better people managers and lead teams more effectively
  • Prepare themselves to step up and step into the next level position
  • Discuss and develop organisational strategy and organisational structures
  • A sounding board for discussing leadership and organisational issues
  • Find personal and professional life balance
  • Manage conflict situations and difficult relationships
  • Improve interpersonal relationships with teams, colleagues, bosses
  • Improve communication skills
  • Improve presentation skills and develop confidence
  • Make career and life changing decisions
  • Seek advise on personal life situations and decisions (read more here)

+What are the typical reasons people choose team coaching?

  • What we discuss and agree on as a team never gets implemented
  • When team meetings are long and unproductive
  • We have a lot of unproductive/destructive team dynamics
  • The team is in transition
  • We have a new leader for our team
  • Our team members have changed and we haven’t settled in as a team
  • Our team members have different values and this gets in the way of what we
    prioritise and how we do things
  • We have trouble understanding and respecting each other as team members

+My team members have different coaching needs. Is coaching applicable?
We often work with organisations where we are contracted to individually coach all the team members. This way the individual grows while the team develops. We also coach teams as a whole, which is where we work on team development needs. Check here for more on that. Sometimes organisations needs a mixture of individual one-on-one coaching and team coaching.
+Team coaching – how long should an organisation commit to this process?
In our experience, for there to be tangible results, a minimum of 3 months is needed. Often our clients work with us for six months to over an year. This allows us to become better acquainted with the issues and challenges and develop a trusting relationship with the team to achieve sustainable changes.
+What happens at a session?
The first session is mostly about getting to know each other, and sharing expectations, and setting some key areas for development. After that, each session is generally guided by the goals of development or change, and whatever else is coming up for the client in their personal and professional lives that are relevant to be addressed. In our personal experience, goals and areas for change and development evolve as the client goes through the process of coaching and as our relationship develops and deepens.
+For a multidisciplinary project team, would coaching be appropriate?
Definitely.

We have worked with teams from their inception and guided them to:

  • brainstorm and agree on the team and project vision, mission and goals,
  • develop strategic and operational planning process,
  • agree on performance measurements
  • develop and agree on team code of ethics, values, and protocols

During the project, we have acted as coaches and mentors to:

  • assess the progress of the project
  • review and reflect on the team dynamics, teamwork, and team spirit
  • re-calibrate their focus and team journey

+How many sessions should I sign up for?
It is up to you. Typically a first time client signs up for up to six (6) sessions at a time. And meet every 4 to 6 weeks. Then they re-contract again as per their needs. We have many clients with whom we have worked with over a long period of time, where they come for a couple of sessions as and when they need to.
+Is coaching only for working professionals?
We have a number of clients who are not working professionals, who are either stay at home spouses or parents, who are looking to make sense of changing roles and circumstance, take the next step in their lives, or just wanting to respond more effectively to the daily demands of their lives.
+Is coaching the same as therapy?
There is a big debate about it with some conflicting answers. Most coaches and therapists claim it is not the same. One of the big arguments for this is that therapy deals with the past and coaches deal with the future, and that therapy works with the unconscious mind and coaching with the conscious mind. The debate is often to avoid issues with being licensed, as therapists are licensed and coaches are not required to be.

One of the important differences we see in therapy and coaching is that coaches are not trained to diagnose or pathologise problems. However, like in any trusting and intimate relationship, many issues come up for exploration or are surfaced. If we feel that the issues are such that require a mental health practitioner, we will advice the client to seek the help of such a professional. One of the important elements in the first encounter with the client is to help them (and us) assess whether coaching or working with us is the right path for the client. We will always have your best interest at heart.

That all being said, we feel, that most relationships (including our personal relationships with our friends, family and loved ones) where we are acknowledged, held with love and respect, and are able to talk openly, feel supported and feel safe, is often a healing space. However it does not replace the need for professional mental health care should you need it.

Our work around coaching, leadership, communication focuses a lot on how to be build caring and supportive relationships, how to be compassionate and caring to others you are in relationship with and how to create a community that will hold you through life.

+What do you mean by a relational space/process?
The quality of the relationship that is built in the coaching process is the foundation on which everything else happens. Mutual respect, and care and trust are important ingredients. It is a place for compassion and not judgement. When we invest in building the relationship, you can be more open and experimental with yourself. We trust that the client eventually knows what is in her/his best interest. Coaches do not force actions on clients, only suggest ones for exploration at times. The client chooses how he/she wants to act in the world. As coaches, we don’t always know more about life than you do. What we bring to the table are years of practice and skills in helping people explore themselves. In the end we are both human beings on a life journey.

We strongly believe that caring relationships are vital for our well-being. As such our work around coaching, leadership, communication focuses a lot on how to be build caring and supportive relationships, how to be compassionate and caring to others you are in relationship with and how to create a community that will hold you through life.

+What about confidentiality?
Everything that gets discussed in this space is confidential. We do not divulge nor use the stories and information you share with us to anyone, and if we are required to do so we will do so with your express permission.
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