The Coaching Process

Hiring a Coach

Step 1:Shop Around

Before soliciting referrals from friends or researching online, consider what you want out of a coaching relationship. What do you want to accomplish? What characteristics do you value most? For example: honesty, sense of humor or formal certification.

Step 2: Kick Some Tires

It is accepted and expected for you to interview a couple coaches before deciding. For that reason, most offer a free session or consultation to prospective clients (link).

This is a chance for both parties to decide if they are a good fit. During the complimentary session, expect to discuss cost, duration of sessions, and bring any specific questions you have for the coach. For instance, what kind of experience they have with your particular situation, or what made them become coaches?

For answers to these questions, check out About Us.

Step 3: On Your Mark…

Now comes the fun part. Once we have decided to coach together, we’ll begin to consciously build our relationship from the ground up.

Starting with a Coach

After choosing to work with Simply Leap, a new client will receive some paperwork:

A short agreement in writing on how we’ll work together, the agreed-upon price, times and locations for the sessions.

A contact information sheet to complete with your address and telephone number.

A New Client Questionnaire that must be returned before the first session, usually two weeks later. Questions include what you want out of the coaching relationship and what your coach should know about you before we begin.

The first official meeting is called the Discovery Session – it is two hours over the phone or in-person to get to know one another, and discuss your values. This is important because it creates a base of understanding. We learn what motivates you to succeed and what can get in the way of that, giving both of us information as we tackle new topics in the future.

Following the Discovery Session, the normal schedule of three phone calls or in-person meetings each month will begin. These are 45-minutes long. You are in charge of the topic of each call. Your coach tracks your progress and checks-in regularly to make sure you’re getting what you want out of the relationship.

A Typical Session

Coaching sessions are 45-minutes over the phone.

They start with a quick recap of what happened during the last conversation, and any homework that was assigned. Homework ranges from questions to consider until the next session (called inquiries), or a task to complete by a certain date. This check-in takes from 5-10 minutes.

The rest of the time is up to the client’s discretion. Choose to discuss a new topic, perhaps a situation at the office or with a friend that just came up that day, or an on-going subject like changing careers.

Sometimes where you begin the session and where it ends is very different. So, towards the end of the call, your coach will remind you about the topic you came to the call with to determine how your view on it has changed. Homework assignments usually come out of this portion of the conversation, and are agreed upon by coach and client.

The call will end with a reminder of the next scheduled session, and any communication that is expected between sessions. Sometimes clients will email updates to their coach before their next call.

For more information on the benefits of working with a coach visit the Benefits page, and go to the Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to what’s on most prospective clients’ minds.

The best way to understand what coaching is like is to experience it firsthand. Check the 'Request a Free Consultation' box on our Contact form to schedule a complimentary 45-minute phone session today.