FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

+ What is Coaching? What are the benefits of working with a Coach?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF), known throughout the Coaching Industry as the gold standard of coaching, defines Coaching as, "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potentials."

Coaching is both a relationship, and a process. Coaches support their clients to create awareness of their current situation, clarify what they want, design action steps as well as provide accountable and perspective as they move forward towards those goals. Coaching is not about giving advice, counseling or training. The coaching process is forward-focused and moves the client along their own unique path of discovery and growth to achieve their desired results.

Every coach has their unique style and brand that reflects them and their niche audience and/or focus. KRC's coaching approach and process have been largely defined by the experiences and focus each of us has had in the Humanitarian Sector, and are built from a holistic lens of Humanitarian Wellbeing. Our practice draws on our different backgrounds and areas of specialization in trauma-informed care, resilience-building, positive psychology and psychosocial support.

Coaching topics are determined the client's needs and priorities and can include just about anything.

Individual KRC clients are typically seeking support in their pursuits relating to their career, their personal life or sense of wellbeing. We've worked with clients on topics from stress-management and burnout to leadership and communication with management, from negotiating contracts and salary increases to exiting the humanitarian sector and successfully navigating career and life transitions.

Organizational coaching clients are often seeking to resolve problems, improve effectiveness, or improve their organizational culture.

Coaching can be a successful experience in either in-person sessions or virtual online meetings, in recurring sessions or more sporadic occurrences and over varying lengths of time. Coaches work with their clients on appropriate arrangements that meet the needs and the contexts of the client. Because of the unique circumstances (and schedules) of clients working in the Humanitarian Sector, we have found that there is not a one-size-fits-all model. KRC wants our clients to be successful, so we offer an array of different coaching formats and packages individuals, teams, and organizations can choose from to best suit their needs and goals.

Individual Coaching offers a more intensive one-on-one experience, Group Coaching offers a less-intensive community coaching environment. For Teams and Organizations, I also offer Team Coaching to support processing and progressing toward a common goal.

Some benefits of working with a Coach:

You will have someone 100% focused on YOU and YOUR success.
You will get clearer on what you want in life, AND on what has been holding you back.
You will believe in yourself more.
You will develop better habits.
You will feel supported and encouraged.
You will increase perspective and self-awareness.
You will take better and smarter actions.
You will explore and develop tools and techniques that you can apply in all areas of your life.

+ Does Coaching work? What research supports Coaching?

Coaching provides clients with an exclusive space that is completely dedicated to the achievement of their own goals. Individuals may not always have access to the kind of support, accountability and focused attention in their everyday life that is found in a coaching partnership. Because of the unique coach-client relationship, and that it depends heavily on the trust and rapport that is rapidly developed, coaches have a unique opportunity to help clients stay motivated, make significant changes, and exceed even their initial expectations for achievement, success and fulfillment.

Coaching is not for everyone. However, in a recent study conducted by International Coaching Federation (ICF), data on the effectiveness of coaching showed that of those persons surveyed, who have utilized coaching services:

99% of clients who hire a life coach are satisfied
96% would hire a coach again
80% improved their self-confidence
72% improved their communication skills
67% improved their work-life balance
70% improved their work performance
73% improved their relationships

Here are a few links to studies on the impacts of coaching:

+ Who is Coaching for?

Anyone!* Coaching is an opportunity to hear professional, trained outside perspectives, and get objective and strategic support to help you get un-stuck and moving forward. So coaching can be helpful for anyone…women, men, students, parents…of all ages, cultures, backgrounds, professions, etc. To get the most from a coaching partnership, the key factors to consider are that:

you are ready to make changes and take action, and
you find a coach that is a good match for you and for what you want to get out of it.

Coaching can be a challenging process and requiring of a lot of work, mostly on the part of the client. If you’re not sure if you are ready for coaching, here are some indicators. Coaching is most effective for those who:

want to think or feel differently about their life or the path they are on
want to make some changes, but not sure where to start
are willing to consider new perspectives or ways of doing things
are open to tackling insecurities that have been holding them back
are willing to discover and challenge their limiting beliefs, thought patterns and behaviors
are ready and willing to make decisions and take actions to see breakthroughs
have the determination and courage to make and commit to changing the way things have been functioning in their life

*Okay, full disclosure: The coaching process isn’t for everyone. At times it will feel like hard work and it will make you uncomfortable because it will challenge your thinking and some of the obstacles that you may have gotten too comfortable living with.

Facing the obstacles in our path can leave us feeling insecure or uncertain about how to start, so those obstacles stand fast, blocking a clear line of sight to our goals, limiting our steps toward them.

The coaching process will help you find the direction and perspective that you need to address and overcome obstacles in a creative and effective new way.

Ultimately the ownership of the process belongs to you, the client, and KRC is committed to helping you achieve success.

We flex with clients throughout their process, providing perspective on options and ultimately taking our lead from you, the client, while gently providing accountability – along with the necessary support and resources – to enable you to reach your goals.

+ How is Coaching different from Mentoring? From therapy?

The terms coaching and mentoring are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are two different activities.

Coaching is typically engaged for a shorter period of time and designed with a specific end goal in mind. Mentoring can be a longer-term** or ongoing relationship. A coaching approach is meant to support a client through their own journey of self-discovery and learning by asking targeted and thought-provoking questions and giving perspective.

In a Mentoring relationship, it is more common for the mentor to give advice and make connections to benefit the mentee. Coaching also entails more in-between work for both the coach and client, versus a more relaxed approach in mentoring that rarely requires preparation from either party.

Coaching is also different from Therapy. Both involve confidential conversations between two people. The main difference is that coaching focuses mainly on the present and the future, whereas therapy often involves a lot of thinking and talking about the past.

According to a study posted in Harvard Business Review, 76% of coaching clients indicated that personal issues were also addressed throughout the coaching process. This is common especially for clients engaged in a Whole Person coaching approach. And while this is an added benefit, it is not the purpose or goal of Coaching.

To further support clients who are seeking a more therapeutic space for wellbeing needs, KRC offers separate supplemental Psychosocial Support (PSS) sessions which we can incorporate into the Coaching relationship.

NOTE, however, PSS is not a substitute for clinical therapy, and especially within a Coaching realtionship must be clearly defined between Coach and Client.

+ How do I choose a Coach?

Ultimately, you want a coach that you feel comfortable with. The most essential component to a successful coaching experience is the trust and rapport that you build with your coach. You’ll want to find a coach who understands how to support you in clarifying and prioritizing your goals, and has the demonstrated ability to work with you through the cycle of your pursuits.

The best coaches are those who excel at listening, communicating, questioning, action planning, and creating accountability, and have the ability to hold the client's agenda rather than follow their own.

• Clarify what you want to accomplish. There are millions of coaches world-wide, most have niche areas or specializations. For example, you may have noticed mine is focused on coaching in the Humanitarian Sector. Others may focus on diversity/inclusion, female architects, spiritual guidance, etc.

• Ask friends and colleagues if they’ve previously worked with a coach. Ask about their experience and if they would give a reference. Even better if they themselves, or someone else they know, have accomplished goals similar to your own.

• Search referral services on the web by typing in some relevant keywords. There is no standardized coaching prerequisite training or credential, so make sure you have a cross reference for their credentials if you are not using a referral service.

• Browse the International Coach Federation search tool (www.coachfederation.org) or the list of certified coach training centers that also have a database for referrals if you want to ensure you are linking with certified and/or credentialed coaches.

• Interview. Arrange a call with a few potential coaches to get a sense of their style and if they would be a good fit for what you need. Make a list of questions that are important to you, remember they will be working for you. Many coaches will offer a free introductory session, take advantage of it to preview how they could potentially support you in achieving your goals.

The most essential component to a successful coaching experience is the trust and rapport that you build with your coach. Ask yourself what kind of approach will work best for your situation.

You can learn more about KRC Coaches and our vision and core values or a bit more about of our approach and process. When you're ready, we can schedule a 30-minute Discovery Session to give you a no-risk no-pressure opportunity to get a sense of potential coach-client chemistry.

Coaching does not require licensure, and there are no set requirements for what kind of training a professional coach will have. This can be a benefit, in that it is both very flexible and very focused in niche areas as well as having a richness stemming from the broad experiences and backgrounds of each coach. However, the Core Competences as defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), are considered to be the “gold standard” in coaching guidelines, ethics and best practices, that are meant to ensure a common understand of roles, responsibilities, ethical practical and methodology. We recommend seeking a coach who adheres to them.

+ How long should Coaching continue?

This depends. The Coaching partnership depends on the trust and rapport that the coach and client establish, and also depends on the client's goals. Average Coaching partnerships are between three and six months. If you are coming intp coaching with a very specific short-term goal, this may be a shorter time frame of four to five sessions. For more intensive work or longer-term goals, consider six to twelve months.

Many coaches will also offer one-off sessions, which work well for clients who know exactly want they want but just need a push to get them started. Coaching can also be set-up for an ongoing basis, with regular check-ins to get a sense of when to bring the coaching partnership to a close.

Every coach is different in their offerings and packages, and every client is different in their needs. Be open with your coach about your needs, preferences and expectations and find the best fit for you. Be open with your coach about your needs, preferences and expectations and find the best fit for you.

+ How much does Coaching cost?

The typical investment for Individual Coaching varies depending on the experience and specialization of the coach you choose to work with. On average, coaching sessions range from $150 to $500 per session. For some very highly-specialized areas of Coaching, services can be found from $750 to $1000 and upwards. If your coach is providing a series of sessions, there may be discounts available. Keep in mind what your goals are, discuss openly with your coach what is a realistic time period to see the kind of growth and success you want.

Group Coaching is generally a more affordable coaching experience since it is done in a format with several other people sharing the space, time and attention of the coach. On average, Group Coaching session prices will be about 30% of the cost for Individual Coaching sessions.** And similarly, discounted packages might be offered for a series of sessions, as opposed to one-off sessions.

+ What is the Return on Investment (ROI) for Coaching?

With coaching and related services, you are making an investment and you should expect a return. Not just as an immediate result during or after the coaching relationship, but also for your longer-term future.

How you define your success and Return on Invest (ROI) is an important aspect to think about when you are considering if coaching is appropriate for you. In the 2016 ICF Study, nearly 70% of coaching clients expressed that they benefitted from a return equal to or greater than their initial investment. Clients who achieved direct financial benefit from their coaching relationship indicated their ROI was more than three times the original cost.

Take time think about your unique ROI. No one else can determine what your success is worth to you. What will a successful coaching relationship look like? How will you know it is successful?** What is the value of experiencing that success? What is the risk of continuing in your situation as it is?**

We at KRC strive to build value into all services that will support you as building blocks for even greater successes down the road. We want you to see how moving that piece right now is going to benefit you in 1, 2 and 5 years from now.

+ Why specialize in Humanitarian Coaching?

Humanitarian (noun): a person who seeks to promote human welfare and social reform.

Just by that definition, Humanitarians have intentionally chosen to be connected to contexts of humanity that experience great injustices: war, poverty, disasters, abuses and violations. Whatever your proximity, your exposure to and involvement in these contexts are likely to have a profound impact on you: how you see yourself, how you see the world, what you want for your life, etc. The niche for Humanitarian Coaching increases the relevance and effectiveness in the approach to supporting the coaching process and achieving results.

+ What is your Quality Guarantee Policy?

KRC guarantees that for all services, you will receive the highest standard of quality care and attention. We are committed to your health, fulfillment and success. We work for you! Your relationship, time and opinions matter to your KRC coach.

Your coach will pay special attention in your Introduction Session with you to ensure we clearly on understanding your goals and preferences. He or she will make sure that we are all in agreement about how we will work together, before we begin, and throughout all sessions together. We also understand that things can change...expectations, goals, contexts, etc. You will have opportunities throughout the coaching relationship to provide feedback and make adjustments in your preferences for moving forward.

If, for any reason, in any of the one-on-one service packages, you are feeling unsatisfied or unsure of how your coaching process is going, you can ask for an additional Strategy Session for no extra cost. And no questions asked. (Well, other than the questions we normally ask...we can't help that part, it's our job!)

In this complimentary 30-minute session you will have the opportunity to address any questions or uncertainties that may be coming up for you, as well as take time to agree on a restructuring or redirection of the remaining sessions.

+ How do we engage KRC for organizational consulting?

Thank you for your interest in working with KRC to sharpen your staff care approach!

Staff Care and Wellbeing consultancies are always developed collaboratively with the client, so the first step is to connect for a 30-minute complementary discovery call. During the call, we will discuss your needs, timeline, budget and all the particulars of your organization’s situation, as well as some solution options that may fit well. If we come out of that call feeling like we are a good fit to work together, we can move forward to build a consultancy that meets your needs.

To learn more, explore additional questions or get started on working together, schedule a 30-minute Discovery Session here.