I Am A Coach- Really!

By Ed Drozda

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Most of us can relate to the following excerpt from fellow coach Pamela Sotir Beaudet's blog post (http://www.pamelabeaudet.com/is-the-coaching-missing-from-so-called-succ...): “I constantly get emails from coaches who I don't even know, trying to convince me to pay them to show me how to be a 'six-figure coach.' Last week, one guy wanted me to license his 'proven system.' The cost? A mere 10k for the license for 15 months, and then $1500 per year thereafter."

Being curious (and skeptical of the claims), Pamela decided to attend his free tele-seminar to learn more. What he said and did next is an embarrassment to the coaching profession and to all legitimate coaches. First, he informed the attendees that he and his associate were just finishing up the content for this "proven system"; he went on to say that "Six-figure coaches don't coach. That's trading time for money and it's for suckers". It doesn't end there but you get the idea- I suggest you read the post to get the whole story. This purported 'six-figure coach' is making (maybe I should say hoping to make) six figures by selling a yet to be completed system to hapless folks who he can convince of his integrity. Suffice it to say the public may get the wrong idea about coaching when they see promotions like this.

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF) coaching is defined as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential". A professional coach agrees to conduct his/her practice in accordance with a code of ethics, which is designed to ensure the integrity of the client-coach relationship and to provide for the best possible outcome in support of the client's goals. In short, the critical endeavor of a professional coach is to "trade time for money" and they are anything but suckers. Sure, many coaches have multiple streams of income including books, CD's and training programs, however a professional coach coaches clients as well. That is the essence of being a professional coach; the rest is ancillary.

My fellow coaches and I are proud to be able to facilitate the success of our client-partners. The means that we employ to achieve these goals are varied and often reflect the training that we have undergone. However at the core level I believe all coaches share some attributes; to name a few:

we are committed to the success of our client-partners (our own success is contingent upon it)

we are people-people (and we fully buy into the notion that "we're all human")

we draw heavily upon listening, intuition and questioning (we endeavor not to leave any stone unturned in your quest for answers)

Working with a professional coach does not guarantee that you will be successful and it is a process that depends upon your genuine participation; it is far from a free ride. Furthermore, coaching is not for everyone. But coaching has been shown to be highly effective and has been growing in acceptance and prevalence for some time now. Among the many benefits to working with a coach are:

improved clarity, vision and goal achievement

increased self-awareness

greater life balance

reduced stress levels

Each of these benefits impact people at the visceral, the gut level. The compelling value of working with a coach lies in the fact that the client-partner can achieve benefits in all aspects of their lives. Working with a coach is an investment in bettering yourself, your business and your life.