Here Are the Reasons Why

Life Coaching is a good thing! There should be no stigma attached to life coaching. There should be no embarrassment in telling people you have hired a Life Coach. If you are having a hard time losing weight you may hire a nutritionist to help you, if you are in good shape and want to get in better shape, you may hire a personal trainer. And, no one cowers when they say they have a personal trainer and no one feels awkward saying they have a nutritionist. Isn't the mind just as important as the body?

A Life Coach generally focuses on personal issues rather than professional concerns. The coaching life cycle varies with each client and may be a short as 6 weeks or the coaching may be an on-going process. Coaching may take place once a week or twice a month. The parameters are as unique as each client. However, there is one commonality and that is, according to life coaching statistics, 95 per cent of life coaching sessions take place on the telephone, rather than in person. No matter where, for how long, when and why the sessions are held, the overall structure and goal of life coaching remains the same.

The Life Coach, by asking insightful questions, listening, challenging and giving honest feedback helps the Client:

• determine the focus of the coaching
• describe the desired outcomes
• define what success will look like
• explain the present circumstances
• discover the what obstacles are preventing success
• recognize the gap between the current circumstance and the desired goal
• engage in activities designed to move towards the goal
• identify success
• enjoy the attainment of the goal

What are the results of working with a coach? The outcomes that clients most often attribute to their coaching are:

• A higher level of self-awareness: 67.6%
• Smarter goal-setting: 62.4%
• A more balanced life: 60.5%
• Lower stress levels: 57.1%
• Self-discovery: 52.9%
• More self-confidence: 52.4%
• Improvement in quality of life: 43.3%
• Enhanced communication skills: 39.5%
• Project completion: 35.7%
• Health or fitness improvement: 33.8%
• Better relationships with boss or co-workers: 33.3%
• Better family relationships: 33.3%
• Increased energy: 31.9%
• More fun: 31.9%
• More income: 25.7%
• Stopped a bad habit: 25.7%
• Change in career: 24.3%
• More free time: 22.9%
• Increased profitability of business: 17.1%
• Started new business: 12.9%
• Empowered employees: 11.0%

When asked the value of the coaching investment, 98.5% of coaching clients said their investment in a coach was well worth the money

This information is an excerpt from the International Coaching Federation's (ICF) Client Survey. © Copyright 1997-2000 - International Coach Federation. The complete survey results are available on the International Coach Federation's web site at www.coachfederation.org

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