Life Coaching Wherever You Choose

Huge numbers of people in the UK are finding Life Coaching to be a fabulous way to expand and enhance their lives.

With growth in demand and a limited supply of experienced professional coaches it can be difficult to find local, quality, coaching in many places. Despite this, it often surprises people to find that the majority of personal coaching is now done by telephone, eliminating

Coaching depends upon a special relationship which liberates potential, and mobilises energy and enthusiasm, propelling people to new levels of accomplishment in reaching their dreams. In turn, the coaching relationship depends upon high quality communication between coach and coachee, so why is “telecoaching” so effective in this situation?

Several key factors make the phone the medium of choice for many life coaches and clients:

� It is far easier to fit into busy lives (easier to find an hour than an hour plus travel, parking, jams, etc)

� Coaching is a challenging process requiring concentration and focus, telecoaching allows clients to be coached in their preferred

� It has the high quality of voice communication without the inevitable distraction of face to face meetings. A practiced listener obtains a huge amount of information from pacing, tonality, tension, hesitation and silence in addition to the words.

� Convenient locations for face to face sessions frequently lack the privacy appropriate for quality coaching

� Though very personal, the phone preserves a little distance/ privacy/ anonymity which some clients find reassuring

� It is very time efficient – typically allowing us to get to work quickly rather than meet/ greet/ sit down/ settle/ get notepads out/ etc., which can take many minutes of YOUR time

� Many lady clients are concerned by safety risks in travelling to unfamiliar locations and meeting someone new

� It eliminates travel time, inconvenience and costs which would ultimately have to be recovered from fees.

And finally, but for me the most important …..

…..audio only communication forces heightened concentration on the actual content of the communication.

Try this – imagine yourself really listening to a favourite piece of music on your Hi-Fi – you have the volume up and you are focusing on every detail and intricacy of the sounds, tones, harmonics and resonances. Really try to hear it now for a few moments…….

Now when you were listening, were your eyes open or closed?

Most people close their eyes to focus on the sound, simply because it eliminates distraction and allows better concentration.

So what does this mean for people seeking life coaching? Well, here are a few thoughts for you:-

� don’t let your choice of life coach to be constrained by geography, the quality of the coach and your relationship is the key

� find somewhere for the coaching calls where you have some space and privacy. If necessary make a small investment in a cordless phone (not

� Discuss with your life coach your best times for coaching: mornings, afternoon, breaks, early evening (not always possible but we will try to meet your needs)

� Check terms and conditions for call costs – many coaches require you to pay which can add significantly to the overall costs

� Do remember that most calls will be timed from the agreed schedule – so not being there means you lose time. Obviously, there are sometimes unavoidable delays but let us know as soon as possible you need to reschedule

� If appropriate, warn others when you will be on the phone so they don’t plan making or waiting for calls or surfing the internet at that time

� A few of us also provide session notes for you, not critical but many clients find greater freedom of thought knowing they will get a summary. So check what you will get.

Coaches delight in seeing the great steps clients make in their lives, so if through this article, a few more people feel coaching is more accessible for them, that will be its own reward! Thank you for your interest.