TRACEY PITTS

Coaching Explained:

The International Coach Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:

• Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve;
• Encourage client self-discovery;
• Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies; and
• Hold the client responsible and accountable.

Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.

Coaching is an interactive process that helps individuals and organizations to develop more rapidly and produce more satisfying results.” International Coach Federation

Coaching, Not To Be Confused With…
Coaching is a distinct service which focuses on an individual’s life as it relates to goal setting, outcome creation and personal change management. Coaching is not to be confused with therapy, consulting, mentoring or training.

Hire A Coach When:
(Adapted from International Coach Federation)

• You are faced with a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity;
• There is a gap in your knowledge, skills, confidence, or resources;
• You desire accelerated results;
• You desire clarity, and/or there are choices to be made;
• You are extremely successful, and that success has started to become problematic;
• Work and life are out of balance, and this is creating unwanted consequences; or
• You have not identified your core strengths nor best how to leverage them.

My Unique Training = Added Value For You:

In addition to being highly trained in the International Coach Federation’s core competencies I have also been trained “ontologically”.  Ontological coaching is unique in that it encompasses our thoughts, physiology and the use of language. The changes experienced as a result of ontological coaching are deeply rooted and profoundly effective.  By understanding how we view the world we can uncover limiting beliefs that may be holding us back, (also known as blind spots), these blind spots usually block us from achieving goals, they may also be blocking our ability to see and/or discover opportunities.

As an ontologically trained coach I am able to identify the behaviours or “ways of being” that stand in the way of your desired results.  I am trained to listen for what you are saying and sometimes more importantly, what you are “not” saying.  By listening to the manner in which you speak and by observing how you are “being”, I am able to identify your automatic or habitual behaviour. These skills work like magic when it comes to undoing behaviour that is self sabotaging and/or goal thwarting.

The Coaching Process:
I coach predominantly by telephone. In fact, I have worked with clients for years without having met them face to face.  Typically I will organize an introductory session with you to assess and identify needs, priorities and desired outcomes. I’ve been told I give an awful lot away in that initial meeting, that is just simply who I am. I love what I do and so that comment makes me extremely happy. In that first session I will also give you an estimate  of the recommended duration of our coaching engagement. The usual term is between four to six months and sometimes longer depending on the scope of the project at hand.

Coaching Is A Co-Created Relationship:

In working with my clients I support them to become self aware and self correcting in order to become inspirational leaders no matter what they are up to in life.  As a result of coaching, my clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.

I believe that you are naturally creative and resourceful and that my job is to merely facilitate your awareness and to provide the support you need to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that you already have. While I provide feedback and an objective perspective, you are responsible for taking the steps to produce the results you desire.

You can count on me to maintain professional boundaries during our coaching relationship, including your confidentiality, and to adhere to the coaching profession’s code of ethics.