Coaching is an exciting profession that has synthesized the best from psychology, business, philosophy, spirituality, and finance to benefit the entrepreneur, professional, and business owner. If you have not worked with a coach before, you are sure to have many questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I have come across, so feel free to browse and look for the answers you need to get started with coaching.

For a complimentary 30-minute coaching session with The Biz Sherpa, e-mail peggy@thebizsherpa.com or call 858-485-1001.

Who works with a coach?
Entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, and people in transition rely on a coach to help them solve problems, create options, or develop a plan, both personally and/or professionally.

Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because of three unique features:

• Synergy: Client and coach become a team, focusing on the client's goals and needs, and accomplish more than the client would alone.
• Structure: With the support and accountability of a coach, a client engages in more action, thinks on a larger scale, and gets the job done.
• Expertise: The coach enables individuals to make better decisions, set ambitious yet realistic goals, and restructure their professional and personal lives for maximum productivity.

What will I accomplish with a coach?

• Business planning, budgeting, and goal setting
• Integrating business and personal life to maintain a balance
• Turning around a difficult situation
• Achieving maximum work performance
• Handling business and/or personal problems
• Making key decisions and designing strategies
• Prioritizing actions and projects
• Increasing sales substantially or filling a practice

What is the coaching process like?
Coaching is delivered during regularly scheduled sessions, primarily by telephone. A client brings an agenda of items to the call. The coach helps individuals address their problem areas and make the most of their opportunities. When a client takes on a goal, the coach helps him or her design, for example, a course of action or project and provides the support and structure needed to make sure it is completed. A coach helps clients capitalize on their strengths, through objective listening, offering advice, expecting a lot, helping them strategize, and celebrating their successes. Coaching practices are national, with clients in every area of the country, from big cities to small towns. Clients range from small-business owners to CEOs, and coaching can focus on both professional and personal goals.

What should I look for in a coach?
The right coach consistently brings out your best. To do this, the person you select should pass the following three tests: (1) Does this coach have a track record of helping someone like me accomplish the goals I want? (2) Do I feel comfortable and motivated to act with this coach? (3) Will this coach keep up with me--indeed, stay ahead of me--as I grow?

What are the benefits of coaching?
You can expect to set more rewarding goals as you look at the "big picture" of what is really important to you. From clearer, more focused thinking, you can expect faster advancement with more easily achieved results. And, most important, you will create a happier, more fulfilling life!

Where do I start with a coach?
The coach and client begin with an initial consultation to start the process. (This would take place sometime after the complimentary appointment offered by the Biz Sherpa.) Prior to this meeting, the client has received a "Welcome Package" containing checklists and assessment materials, to make the most of the first session. The coach listens to the client describe his or her aspirations, experience, needs, and problems; and the client becomes familiar with the coach. During this meeting, both parties brainstorm a list of goals, and ideas about how to reach them. The accomplishment that would be most meaningful for the client is selected as the first focus of the coaching process, moving down the list to the next priority as each one has been mastered.