Creating Structures

Structure is the process of creating boundaries and standards around what we are doing. It is important because it creates a pattern for us to follow and allows other people to know what is expected within that structure.

Decisions to make about the structure of my coaching service are:

• how long are my sessions?
• how regular?
• face to face or phone?
• how do clients pay?
• how much do they pay?
• what do I expect of my clients?
• what can they expect of me?

I have set up a policies & procedures document, covering the following:

• the logistics of the coaching process
• what a client can expect of me:
• confidentiality
• availability
• communication
• integrity
• nonjudgmental attitude
• persistency about the client's progres
• what I ask of the client:
• timeliness
• session preparation
• completion of fieldwork
• feedback
• fees
• testimonial
• referrals
• understanding of disclaimer

Creating structures is also about setting up a client administration.

Creating Confidence - in the role of coach

We have ownership of our confidence as a coach. We don't have to be confident to show it.
What supports us to create confidence:

• the preparation of a session
• listening to our client
• using our coaching model
• asking testimonials --> a testimonial can be a recommendation, or a specific experience the client went through.
  
• learning from past experiences
• asking for immediate feedback
• evidence that you have the skills (biography)

A Biography includes passion, our unique coaching model, relation to our target market - the words we choose are extremely important - , our values and our history.

A Biography is short, sweet and personal. It is not a dry resume and boring. It must be honest and authentic, showing our human side.

By getting out and doing it we'll get confidence as well!

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My Biography:

The business owner of Tall Tree Coaching, Evelijn Bos, has a background in Educational Science & Technology (Msc). I have worked for over 10 years in the Higher Education sector in the roles of e-learning consultant and staff development advisor. These roles have given me valuable experience in supporting adults gaining new competencies by establishing a non-threatening learning environment as well as experience in training design and delivery, working in complex organisations, working with new technologies, project management, project coordination and much more.

After immigrating to New Zealand in 2006 I started a career as a real estate salesperson, something completely different for me! I absolutely enjoyed the lifestyle and having my own business. Due to personal circumstances we moved back to Wellingtin, the 'big city', where I started to work in the field of Education again. Somehow coaching came on my path – I had that dream of working closely with people instead of technology and the desire of making a difference in someone's life, which I felt was not what I was doing by then. I started training as a coach with the International Coach Academy and what really blew me away and absolutely made the difference was the realisation that a coach works with people that are willing to change, committed to take action and have a very strong motivation coming from inside. This made me realise that I couldn't work any longer as an employee within organisations where staff are generally not open to change and innovations.

But I realised there was a world to win in supporting and coaching education professionals towards success in their personal and professional lifes. Working in the field of education can be quite challenging at times with it's strong political influences and policy changes, the fact that educational organisations are usually very large and dynamic, the output-oriented student approach which puts staff who want to deliver quality under great pressure, and the never ending stream of pedagogical and educational innovations.

And this is where I am now, on the doorstep of certification as a professional coach and establishing my coaching practice.

Pondering questions

Things to consider to incorporate in my coaching practice yes/no:

• Business website or blog or both?
• Second niche - teachers and technology?
  
• Foundation session on 'values'?
• Business name
• Methods of payment?
• Good quality headset
• Client Management System?
• Feedback on bio?
• Assessments for clients - related to target group?
• Podcasts?
• Teleseminars?
• Coaching gym?
• e-coaching?

Welcome Pack

A well organised coach has put certain structures in place to inform her clients about the coaching process. This means that my clients can expect to receive the following information:

Directly after scheduling a trial session (Intro Pack):

• Information about 'what is coaching'
• Information about me and my coaching model
• Information about the coaching process and 'logistics'
• Policies & Procedures

After signing up (Coaching Pack):

• ICF Code of Ethics
• Invoice
  
• Intake Form
• Session Preparation Form
• Feedback and Evaluation Form
• Release of Confidential Information Form (for International Coach Federation accreditation purposes)
  

Trust yourself and get started!

In my second coaching session with Emma (me being the client) we talked about who my ideal client would be. Ofcourse I didn't have an answer on that question, but we unravelled a few things:

• That real estate salespeople have their own specialisation: they work either in the residential sales area, rural or commercial field. Who do I want to serve? Food for thought.
• That my plan is to offer my services to the average real estate salesperson, the top agent, their management and groups of salespersons. Is there something these target groups have in common? Do I need to address them differently? Do I want to focus on just one of those groups? More food for thought.

Furthermore I am working on my business plan right now and feel the need for a planning & timeline to work out when I want to be in business. Does everything need to be in place to start my business or is it ok to just start with the things that come first? With this I mean that I want to enter my market by approaching real estate companies and offer to do a presentation or a workshop in their monthly staff meetings. Do I want to make an appointment with one of these companies already and jumpstart my business? Or am I holding back? Food for thought...

And I've got a challenge: I have to call at least 2 people who I will offer my coaching services (pro bono). EEKS!!! But I have 2 people in mind, so let's go for it!

My niche

The ICA coaches are being encouraged to focus on a specific target group and to narrow down their prospective market within the field they want to be coaching.
In other words: coaches have to identify a niche. Some examples: a lifecoach who is coaching married couples, a business coach who focusses on retail marketing, an executive coach dealing with executives who are travelling much and have difficulties to keep fit, a spiritual coach who is targeting ministers (church).

For some coaches it will be quite obvious what their niche will be, because they have been around in a particular field themselves in a certain role. For others identifying their niche can be a real journey.
From a marketing point of view having a niche is as good as gold! As soon as you know your target market you can start communication with this target market with the right tools and instruments.

Talking about niches: my own niche will be the New Zealand Real Estate Industry, with real estate salespersons and management being the target groups. Abstract from my business plan:

Tall Tree Coaching aims to deliver one-on-one and group coaching targeting real estate professionals working for real estate companies in New Zealand.

People working in the (New Zealand) real estate industry as salespersons all own their own sole-trader business and have a contract with one real estate company to list and sell properties for this specific company.

Real estate salespersons are available 24/7 for their businesses, a source of work-life balance frictions. Only a few make it to the top and 80% of the new salespersons quit in their first year of operating their business. The profession is mainly commission-based, which creates a highly competitive working environment, not just between companies but also between salespersons working in the same branch.

I have found my own coach

I have also had a trial session with another coach - afterwards I was ready for a shower, because I've experienced myself that being coached is really hard work! As a client you do at least 80% of the talking plus all the thinking that comes with coaching.

At the end of the trial session my coach Emma and I decided that we could go forward with each other in a coaching relationship. She will be my coach for 12 sessions and we'll focus on establishing my coaching business.

I am getting lots of inspiration having a coach like Emma myself, not in the least related to the coaching method and tools Emma is using: she has sent me a welcome pack with:

• information about her coaching process and style, so I know what I can expect of her and what is expected from me
• policies and procedures
• the coaching agreement
• a client intake form (questionnaire)
• a session preparation form - to be submitted before every coaching session

Well, I am looking forward to our next session!

My own very first trial session

Today I have had my first trial session, in the role of a client. One of the graduation requirements is that every student needs to be coached by at least one student coach for the duration of 12 sessions.

In a trial session the client and the coach try to find out whether there could be a fruitful coaching relationship, while at the same time the client gets a taste of what coaching can do for him.

I wanted to be coached on building my coaching business, so that was the focus of this trial session. My coach asked me various (difficult!) questions, like:

• what do you want to accomplish with your business?
• what are your goals?
  
• what are the tools you will need?
• what is your niche?
• how do you want to enter the market?

Of course do most questions need some fieldwork as I do not have all the answers yet. But that is exactly what coaching is for in my case: to help me step by step through my business building process.

It was great to experience coaching in action and being on the other side - as a client. I became very aware of the fact that as a client it is necessary to commit yourself to the coaching process and the fieldwork that comes out of it as a result. No way that you are going to achieve your goals otherwise! You have to work for it. So as a client you need to reserve time to actually work on your goals!

It is up to me now whether I want to continue with this coach. I will be having another trial session with a different coach later this week, but this has been a great experience already.