Coaching and Mentoring

Coaching and mentoring are popular capacity-building tools, especially in the area of leadership development. They are often mentioned in proposals and reviews as key elements of good capacity-building practice. Yet despite their current status, many of us are unclear what Coaching and Mentoring really involve, and where and when they work. We have a number of questions: What does a coach or mentor actually do? Is there any real difference between them?

Mentors in either a formal mentoring program or informal relationship focus on the person, their career and support for individual growth and maturity while the coach is job-focused and performance oriented."A mentor is like a sounding board, they can give advice but the partners is free to pick and choose what they do. The context does not have specific performance objectives. A coach is trying to direct a person to some end result, the person may choose how to get there, but the coach is strategically assessing and monitoring the progress and giving advice for effectiveness and efficiency."

"Mentoring is biased in your favor. Coaching is impartial, focused on improvement in behavior."In summary, the mentor has a deep personal interest, personally involved-a friend who cares about you and your long term development. The coach develops specific skills for the task, challenges and performance expectations at work.Mentoring is a power free, two-way mutually beneficial relationship. Mentors are facilitators and teachers allowing the partners to discover their own direction.

Coaching and Mentoring

"They let me struggle so I could learn."

"Never provided solutions-always asking questions to surface my own thinking and let me find my own solutions."

A coach has a set agenda to reinforce or change skills and behaviors. The coach has an objective/goals for each discussion. In our study, the top four words chosen to best describe their mentor's dominant style were-friend/confidant, direct, logical, questioner.

Even in formal mentoring programs the partners and mentor have choices-to continue, how long, how often, and our focus. Self-selection is the rule in informal mentoring relationships with the partners initiating and actively maintaining the relationship. If I'm you mentor, you probably picked me. In an organization your coach hired you. Coaching comes with the job, a job expectation, in some organizations a defined competency for managers and leaders.

The interpersonal skills will determine the effectiveness of influence for both coach and mentor. The coach also has an implied or actual level of authority by nature of their position, ultimately they can insist on compliance. A mentor's influence is proportionate to the perceive value they can bring to the relationship. It is a power free relationship based on mutual respect and value for both mentor and partners. Your job description might contain "coach" or you might even have that job title-it's just a label or expectation. "Mentor" is a reputation that has to be personally earned, you are not a mentor until the partners says you are.

The coach's returns are in the form of more team harmony, and job performance. The mentoring relationship is reciprocal. There is a learning process for the mentor from the feedback and insights of the partners.

"The ability to look at situations from a different perspective, I am a Generation X and he is in his 60's."

The relationship is a vehicle to affirm the value of and satisfaction from fulfilling a role as helper and developer of others. Mentors need not be an all-knowing expert-such a position could be detrimental. In our study the most significant thing the mentor did was "listened and understood me" and, "built my confidence and trust in myself, empowered me to see what I could do."

A great deal of informal mentoring is occurring, with at risk youth, in our schools, as well as in volunteer, not for profit and for profit organizations. If I am your mentor chances are you have chosen me to be of help with some aspect of your life. Coaching even in the sporting arena is task related-improvement of knowledge, skills or abilities to better perform a given task. Mentors are sought for broader life and career issues. The partner is proactive in seeking out mentors and keeping the relationship productive. The coach creates the need for discussion and is responsible for follow up and holding others accountable.

Coaching and Mentoring are not the same thing. Our results and experience support the conclusion that mentoring is a power free, two-way mutually beneficial learning situation where the mentor provides advice, shares knowledge and experiences, and teaches using a low pressure, self-discovery approach. s. The mentor is both a source of information/knowledge and a Socratic questioner. If I am your coach you probably work for me and my concern is your performance, ability to adapt to change, and enrolling you support in the vision/direction for our work unit.

Coaching and Mentoring today are key focus areas for organizations with respect to L&D initiatives for its Leadership and Leaders' in waiting.

Coaching and Mentoring
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Pramila Mathew specializes in Management Coaching and Mentoring and in Leadership Development. With over 25 years of experience in the global workspace,she is one of the few Training Consultants with a background in business and psychology. She heads MMM Training Solutions, a soft skills training consultancy that focuses on training and development and business coaching as the catalyst of enhancing performance management.

watch mobile phone Cheap Whatman Polycap Tf 150 Ptfe Capsule Filter

Coaching Girls Volleyball Skills - Top 5 Volleyball Tips For Improving Your Serve Receive

In girls volleyball the ability to serve receive or to "pass" the ball from an opponent's serve is one of the most important volleyball skills to learn in order to play competitive indoor or sand volleyball games and tournaments.

You will quickly learn that what you do with your feet and lower body determines how well you will perform all volleyball fundamentals, skills and drills. That's why I always start my coaching instructions and volleyball tips focusing on the correct positioning of the feet and lower body.

Feet

Coaching Girls Volleyball Skills - Top 5 Volleyball Tips For Improving Your Serve Receive

Your feet should be shoulder width apart in a comfortable balanced position with knees bent so that you are in a slight squat. Your feet should be slightly staggered so that your right foot is two-three inches in front of your left foot and you can move quickly in any direction.

Lower Body

Your feet initiate the first movement you make by getting you in position behind the ball you want to pass. You will find that getting your body completely behind the ball you want to pass is the most important part of passing the ball. Anticipate where you need to be and getting your body behind the ball EARLY will make the rest of the serve receive process a lot easier.

Upper Body

Your upper body is in a slightly crouched position in a position that permits you to move quickly in any direction in order to get behind the ball quickly. Once in passing position - BEFORE making contact with the ball your shoulders need to be squared up to the target. Your shoulders face the target and will guide the ball where you want it to go. Remember shoulders should be squared up to the target BEFORE you contact the ball. Arms Keep your arms apart as you move to get your body in position behind the ball to pass it. Your arms should be in the same position as when you run.

Once you stop, because you have determined where you need to be in order to serve receive - your right hand should form a fist which you place in the palm of your left hand. Your left hand should close around your right fist. Place both thumbs together- side by side and point them downward towards the ground. Pointing your thumbs to the ground will create the serve receive platform you use in order to make the pass. You must contact the ball on this platform created by your forearms between the wrist and inside elbow. With practice and repetition you will learn to control the ball consistently on your platform. Many times a lot of people mistakenly contact the ball BELOW their wrists - on their fists and thumbs. You will never be able to control the ball consistently if you contact the ball below the wrists.

Remember that serve receive means that you are receiving the serve. Most serves come at a speed fast enough that when you receive the ball very little additional arm movement is needed in order to get the ball to your target (your target is usually your setter).

So your serve receive platform should never finish above your shoulders since you don't need to swing your arms. When contacting the ball remember your shoulders are already squared up to your target so you just shift your body weight stepping from your back (left) foot to your front (right) foot -keeping your platform still and just using it to guide the ball to your target.

This is why expert volleyball coaches say you actually serve receive with your legs. Your shoulders and platform are there JUST to guide the ball to the target only.

Serve Receive Quick Review

1. Feet shoulder width apart with right leg slightly in front of the left. Shoulders and upper body in slight crouch ready to move in any direction quickly.

2. Anticipate where you need to be and get there BEFORE you start to pass the ball keeping arms and hands apart.

3. Get stopped with right foot slightly in front of the left.

4. Present your platform by wrapping your left hand around your right fist with thumbs pointing straight down to the ground which forces elbows and arms to from a super straight platform.

5. When contacting the ball don't swing your arms to serve receive - keep your platform below your shoulders and thumbs pointing to the ground - always. Use YOUR LEGS to get the ball to the target by shifting your body weight from your back (left) foot to your front (right) foot.

6. Shoulders should already be squared to the target before you contact the ball so you don't have anymore adjusting to do with your arms once you contact the ball.

7. Keep your eyes on the ball. Visually track it as it leaves the servers hand all the way to your platform. By focusing on the ball you can tell if you need to make minor adjustments in the angle of your platform in order to get the ball to your target. 8. Have fun playing volleyball in your next beach volleyball or indoor volleyball tournament!

Coaching Girls Volleyball Skills - Top 5 Volleyball Tips For Improving Your Serve Receive
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

April Chapple is the creator of the Parents Volleyball Girl Guide, Volleyball Voices, Inspiring Female Volleyball Players, Inspiring Female Volleyball Players videos and the How To Play Volleyball Videos website.

For more information on Coach April's clinics, classes, private coaching or her Las Vegas volleyball camps go to The Volleyball Voice.

Copyright: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

watches cell phone Discounted Genuine Gm Parts 20793342 Driver Side Front Discount Cardone 60 3104 Remanufactured Cv Axle

Customer Service Coaching Tip - Know the 4 Stages of Customer Development

Exceptional customer service happens when you develop your customers both internally and externally. So do you know the 4 stages and the Bridges that allow you to progress from each state?

To understand the 4 Levels of Customer Development begins by defining some common terms.

1. Prospect is someone with three of these four criteria:

Customer Service Coaching Tip - Know the 4 Stages of Customer Development

Has a need Has a budget Has urgency Is the decision maker

NOTE: A qualified prospect has all 4 criteria.

2. Suspects are just that suspects. Until you talk with them, you do not know enough to make any decisions about their status.

3. A customer is someone who engages in an interaction or a transaction for some gain or benefit.

4. A loyal customer always select you first and continues to select you first even there has been a less than positive interaction or transaction.

Now that terms have been defined, understanding the 4 Stages becomes a little easier.

First Stage: Suspect

As mentioned this is someone who does not know you. This individual does not meet the prospect definition. However, this person may never become a customer, but can become of a Center of Influence or a referral resource.

By crossing the Bridge of Awareness, you can begin to develop suspects into prospects. This requires ongoing marketing effort actions along with third party referrals. Networking events can also provide another awareness strategy. When the suspect sees you consistently at these type of business events, there is ongoing opportunities to build that relationship if he or she a potential client (fits your target market) or referral resource. If you have customer service people for your external customers, these individuals can also help begin to turn suspects into prospects.

Customer Service Coaching Tip: All of your internal employees are customer service people.

Second Stage: Prospect

These individuals meet 3 of the 4 criteria. Your goal is to discover the fourth criteria.

To turn this qualified prospect into a customer requires you walking over the Buying Bridge. Using a proven sales process, you begin to further strengthen the relationship through your marketing and selling skills.

Third Stage: Customer

After the transaction or interaction has been completed for some gain or benefit, you now have a customer who has bought from one at least one time. A long term relationship has yet to be established. However, even at this stage, this customer can become a referral resource as well as a Center of Influence.

The Bridge of Communication is how you develop the customer into a loyal customer. You make contact at least 2 to 3 times each month. The relationship is solidly established and you become a trusted advisor. Self leadership skills are critical when walking over this bridge.

Fourth State: Loyal Customer

This is the best place to be because the customer buys from you on a regular basis, is more forgiving if you make a mistake and provides many, many referrals. You have established a mutually agreeable relationship based upon share values as demonstrated by YOUR past behaviors.

Yet, even loyal customers can turn into suspects because you have sauntered across the Bridge of Denial. Now your focus and respective BEHAVIORS have changed from keeping the loyal customer happy to:

Finding new customers Assuming customer will stay loyal Assuming "if it ain't broken why fix it" Assuming the customer will call you if he or she needs your products or services

Complacency with loyal customers becomes your standard behavior because you are so busy chasing new business. Big, big mistake.

Exceptional customer service demands that you understand not only Stages 3 and 4, but also Stage 2. For how your treat your prospects is an indicator of how you will treat your customers. Failure to develop your customers is a prerequisite for business disaster especially in today's marketplace where a click of a mouse or a few uncomplimentary words will find you scrambling for new business.

Customer Service Coaching Tip - Know the 4 Stages of Customer Development
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

What other areas of customer service do you need to think about? This free audit looks to how you can build customer loyalty.

Are you looking for some additional business coaching training services? Why not visit business coaching gym that is designed to help you become better at business building including customer service to self leadership while respecting your valuable resources of time, energy and money.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, chief customer officer, helps organizations through business coaching training services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability. With offices in Chicago, Indianapolis and colleagues nationwide, she can help you become the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits and double your business results.

Call 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching consultation or schedule her new keynote of Yes You Can Grow A Business in a Down Economy.

mobile phone watches Cheap Whatman Polycap Tf 150 Ptfe Capsule Filter Cheap Maxell Cleaning Tape Sdlt 1 S4 Discounted Discounted Bronze Finish Lion Fountain

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader

How often have you heard the comment, "He or she is a born leader?" There are certain characteristics found in some people that seem to naturally put them in a position where they're looked up to as a leader.

Whether in fact a person is born a leader or develops skills and abilities to become a leader is open for debate. There are some clear characteristics that are found in good leaders. These qualities can be developed or may be naturally part of their personality. Let us explore them further.

SEVEN PERSONAL QUALITIES FOUND IN A GOOD LEADER

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader

1. A good leader has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A good leader "walks the talk" and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads.

2. A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as leader. People will respond more openly to a person of passion and dedication. Leaders need to be able to be a source of inspiration, and be a motivator towards the required action or cause. Although the responsibilities and roles of a leader may be different, the leader needs to be seen to be part of the team working towards the goal. This kind of leader will not be afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty.

3. A good leader is confident. In order to lead and set direction a leader needs to appear confident as a person and in the leadership role. Such a person inspires confidence in others and draws out the trust and best efforts of the team to complete the task well. A leader who conveys confidence towards the proposed objective inspires the best effort from team members.

4. A leader also needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor.

5. Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head.

6. A good leader, as well as keeping the main goal in focus, is able to think analytically. Not only does a good leader view a situation as a whole, but is able to break it down into sub parts for closer inspection. While keeping the goal in view, a good leader can break it down into manageable steps and make progress towards it.

7. A good leader is committed to excellence. Second best does not lead to success. The good leader not only maintains high standards, but also is proactive in raising the bar in order to achieve excellence in all areas.

These seven personal characteristics are foundational to good leadership. Some characteristics may be more naturally present in the personality of a leader. However, each of these characteristics can also be developed and strengthened. A good leader whether they naturally possess these qualities or not, will be diligent to consistently develop and strengthen them in their leadership role.

Seven Personal Characteristics Of A Good Leader
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Barbara White President of Beyond Better Development has over twenty years experience in leadership. Beyond Better Development works with organizations who want their leaders to develop towards their potential and stay on the cutting edge. More about Leadership Developmentand Good Leadership Skills [http://www.beyondbetterleadership.com]

watch cell phone Low Price Mmf Industries Tamper Evident Cash Bags

10 Sales Skills - Coaching Salespeople to Make a Long-Term Relevant Impact

Do your salespeople OPEN long-term relationships with new customers, or do they CLOSE them and move on? Do they receive referrals from new customers? How do people rank your company based on the quality of service DURING the sales process?

Salespeople remain relevant to a buyer depending upon how well they practice the consultative sales process. In theory, a sales conversation "can be" 100% relevant if the steps below are practiced perfectly.

But, just like those of us who understand championship athletics - as players or fans - that's why we practice in sports and in sales... to keep striving for greatness.

10 Sales Skills - Coaching Salespeople to Make a Long-Term Relevant Impact

How does a salesperson remain relevant? By...

Adaptation...

1. Adapting to a person's buying style... socialite, dynamo, or thinker. Socializing with those who need to feel themselves into a purchase, moving quickly and confidently for dynamo personalities who only need to know that you can get a few things done quickly and efficiently, and finally giving rational reasons and proof for those who think carefully about purchases.

Listening...

2. Asking great questions to understand a person's situation: their needs and problems relevant to their product or service.

3. Paraphrasing, understanding, taking notes, and summarizing as you "sincerely" listen.

4. Getting the customer to describe the impact of their needs and problems - financially and/or emotionally.

Presenting...

5. Showing only those products or services that fulfill a person's described wants or needs.

6. Showing only those features and benefits that are important to a person

7. Explaining how the negative impact will be replaced by a positive impact: the new emotions or better financial numbers.

8. Checking for feedback as we advise - answering questions, or providing solutions to fears or concerns about our advice.

Finishing and Following Up...

9. Helping them make a decision and "opening up a long term customer relationship."

10. Following up to make sure that the new customer is satisfied or following up to help with the use of the product(s) or service(s) purchased.

These steps and others help the salesperson remain relevant during and after the sale.

The sales teams, that great managers coach, struggle to get better at making the buying process comfortable for the buyer.

It's a guess, but I estimate that less than 1/4 of most sales experiences are relevant to the buyer in today's marketplace. The buyer fights to be adapted to, listened to, and cared about during and after the sale.

But, you're different. You want to learn, use, and even coach sales skills and attitudes that make things better. You want to build lasting relationships and repeat business. You want your brand emotionally tied, in a great way, to the hearts of those you serve. So, go do it. Make a difference. You can. Many of you are. Lance.

10 Sales Skills - Coaching Salespeople to Make a Long-Term Relevant Impact
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Lance Cooper, President, SalesManage Solutions ( http://www.salesmanage.com/blog ) "Recruit and Coach the Best"

We coach sales executives, sales managers, and entrepreneurs to Recruit and then Coach the Best salespeople. We want our clients to lower turnover and increase first year production from new recruits and overall sales team production. Please visit the blog above and then the rest of our site. Contact me at lcooper@salesmanage.com

cell phone watches Discounted Genuine Gm Parts 20793342 Driver Side Front

Basketball Tryout Drills

One of the hardest things for coaches and players to go through is tryouts. Coaches don't like to cut players and players certainly don't like being forced to prove they are worthy of being on a basketball team. Worst of all players don't like not making a team.

However, basketball tryouts are necessary when there are more players than a team can feasibly keep on its roster. So, to help coaches make their decisions and to help players prove what they can do, there are a few useful basketball tryout drills.

First of all, everything that happens during practice while tryouts are being conducted should be a tryout drill for the coach, even if the players don't realize it. A coach should be looking for kids who are coachable and want to play and improve on the basketball court. Therefore, a coach should always be watching and grading his/her players on how they treat their peers, how hard they try each and every second, and how well they listen and apply what they've been told.

Basketball Tryout Drills

While ability and performance aren't everything on a basketball court, they do mean a great deal. Therefore, basketball tryout drills do need to be conducted in practice. These drills should test players in every facet of the game. Three great basketball tryout drills are the Rebound and Outlet Drill, the Power Lay-up Drill, and Scrimmaging.

The Rebound and Outlet Drill is a drill that requires a player to toss the ball up off the backboard. The player must then jump as high as possible, grab the rebound, come down, pivot, and zip an outlet pass to the coach. This drill tests a player's leaping ability, his/her ability to rebound, a player's athleticism, and his/her ability to make a good, crisp pass.

Another one of the good basketball tryout drills requires players to make power lay-ups. For this drill a player will dribble the length of the floor at top speed and try to make a lay-up without slowing down. This drill tests a player's dribbling ability, his/her ability to make a lay-up at top speed, and a player's body control.

A coach can devise many different basketball tryout drills that will test the abilities of players. However, the best measure of how good a player may be is to let the player go out and play basketball. During tryouts a team should spend plenty of time scrimmaging and letting the players play basketball. That's the best way to find out which players can play basketball and which players can't play basketball.

For players and coaches basketball tryouts can be exciting and very stressful. However, they are usually necessary in order to cut a team down to a manageable number of players. That's why it's also necessary to have the players take part in basketball tryout drills. There should be a variety of factors that coach considers including but not only how a player performs during the drills. Three great drills that will help a coach decide which players to keep are the Rebound and Outlet Drill, the Power Lay-up Drill, and Scrimmaging.

Basketball Tryout Drills
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Coach Anderson's passion is coaching basketball. You can get his printable tryout selection matrix in addition to lots of other basketball tryout drills on his blog:

http://www.online-basketball-drills.com/

cell phone watches Cheap Whatman Polycap Tf 150 Ptfe Capsule Filter Discounted Genuine Gm Parts 20793342 Driver Side Front

Life Coaching - Past, Present, and Future

If you have been searching the internet for something, you will usually end up with a life coach site popping up in your results at some point. Life Coaching has evolved over the years and continues to change and grow - but what is life coaching, how do you choose a life coach, and what should you be aware of?

Life Coaching Past:
Life Coaching really emerged, noticeably, about 10 years ago. Most life coaching was advertised as Executive Coaching or Leadership Coaching and they were usually hired by corporations for staff or individual training. With the onset of in-house corporate training teams, the need for Executive Coaches diminished and many sought other areas to continue coaching in. Since then, there are now life coaches that coach in every area of life you can think of and then some. Many life coaches specialize in one or two main life areas but many still coach in multiple life areas. Originally, life coaches were people who had some kind of previous work experience before going into coaching. Most Executive Coaches came out of the corporate business world and as an Executive Coach or Leadership Coach, were able to make great incomes. Many of these past Executive Coaches also have become Client Attraction or Marketing Coaches in today's climate and their services are provided to corporations still but mostly to small or solo businesses or individuals.

Life Coaching Now:
Now life coaching is common, easy to find and is for businesses and individuals and can be called just about anything. Today, there are many life coach training schools but there are huge disparities between the qualities of education students receive from school to school. In fact, there are no required educational standards that a life coach school must follow/provide and there is no regulation of the life coach industry. Anyone can call themselves a Life Coach and open a practice - buyer beware becomes a very serious phrase to remember. There are now a couple of professional organizations, such as the International Coaching Federation, which as a professional membership organization, is working diligently to establish coaching standards, life coach school standards and looking at types of regulations that could benefit the industry and consumers.

Life Coaching - Past, Present, and Future

There are now between 10,000 and 20,000 life coaches that are providing services to customers. There are an increasing number of people pursuing becoming a life coach. Many people want to help others but many think they can earn a tremendous amount of money while being able to work at home in their pjs, part-time. If only it was that easy. Today's world of having a web based business and all it entails has become very complicated and it isn't as cheap in start-up costs either. Most life coaches are earning much less than ,000 a year because they don't have enough clients. Many coaches fail because you have to be a person who can structure their own time while working from home. When you work in a business, it provides structure that you work within. At home, there is no structure except what a person creates and it is all too easy to not be structured. Marketing has become a huge part of daily life for life coaches, much more than ever before and many have taken marketing to an incredible level of hard selling. Those 'coaches' providing marketing or small business start-up coaching have created a huge income based industry but it has also gained tremendous competition over the last few years.

Niche Is In:
Niche in life coaching is the current theme - this means that a life coach 'specializes' in one or a few areas only. There are many life coaches though who still would be considered general life coaches and offer a much broader range of coaching services. The market is pushing life coaches to have specific niche's quite hard and explain that the public prefers 'specialists' and are willing to pay more for them. It is rather like the medical profession, you have generalists, generalists with a smaller focus, specialists with a broad focus and specialists with very specific focus topics. So, everyone entering coaching is told to have a niche; it could be life coaching, client attraction, marketing, public relations, Christian, organization, health, financial and many, many more areas that 'coaching' is being offered in.

Buyer Beware:
Throughout my research, I was totally amazed at how few life coaches will post their prices but also, and perhaps even more importantly, they do not post their educational or work experience! I don't know about you, but I'm not really interested in sharing my dreams and goals with someone unless they are qualified and that means having work, life and educational experience in their 'niche' or coaching areas. I've asked many other coaches, and some of them are very well known and successful, and been told that education and experience are not important! So, I guess from that, if someone worked at the local animal shelter and didn't graduate from high school, they are just as well qualified to provide life coaching services as everyone else. NOT in my book. We check out loads of information before we buy a car, before we choose a doctor, and even before we purchase a mattress. Why wouldn't it mean something about what education and work/life experiences a life coach has? So, buyer beware!

Marketing and using psychology to sell whether on the web or in 'real' life, is something every business uses. Unfortunately, the web is unregulated and you cannot check things out and be secure that the information you get is honest and truthful. There is no Consumer Reports or Better Business Bureau for the Internet. The science of selling is intense and is geared at: getting visitors to give e-mail address for a 'free' gift so they have you in the mailing data base; use words and colors to attract you and make you 'trust' them, offer free material to read and low priced items and then you'll receive e-mails about tele-seminars, videos, guest speakers, and high cost products/memberships/mentorships and mastermind groups. Many coaches are genuine but how do you tell the difference without making many painful, expensive and time consuming mistakes. Also read the fine print, many web businesses do not have guarantees or refunds available. Look for coaches who belong to national organizations, who post their credentials (experience and education), and did they graduate from a life coaching or coaching program or school? You can't trust testimonials often, due to a business may have provided services to hundreds but you will only see the few who wrote glowing testimonials, a site that has ratings on it is great but can be doctored, asking to speak to a former client is the best method of checking out a particular coach business, even many former clients is better. I hope there will be some type of review system devised someday, as in your community word gets around quickly about a company, but on the internet you don't have that check and balance system available. So, buyer beware!

Why people should try Life Coaching:
Life Coaching is an awesome way for people to stay motivated, keep their focus, gain self-insights and strive to achieve their goals. Life Coaching deals with the here and now and goes forward from there, it is an action based co-active coaching style that is not like therapy which deals with past life events and more psychological issues. A life coach should have the educational/work/life experiences and tools necessary to meet the needs of their customers and if not, then say so and refer the customer to a life coach that does. I recently tried to get a referral network started at the life coach school I attended, so that I and others would know where to refer a customer if I felt their needs could be better met by another. Only two other coaches felt secure enough to put their strengths out there - no one else!

In today's busy, fast-paced world, it is often filled with stress, little personal support and difficult to achieve your goals or solve problems. Life Coaching is a great means to help a person with achieving their goals, solving problems, getting the support they need so that life is less difficult and overall, improved.

What to look for in a Coach:
Tips for you, as a customer in choosing a life coach include: know ahead of time what you want to achieve with a life coach and be able to answer how a coach can best work with you and you with them. It is also helpful to have an idea on how long you are willing to be in coaching before you expect to achieve your results and how much you can afford; research different life coach websites and read their articles, newsletters and check out their education/work/life experience and training; interview 3 different coaches - include in the interview all your questions on experience, prices, examples of accomplishments related to your goal, how long do they think it would take to achieve your goal, explain how you prefer to work with a coach and ask what their style of coaching is; ask for two references that had goals similar to yours; and most importantly, make sure the life coach you choose is one that you 'connect' with or that 'feels right' to you. Other possible questions can be asking what the life coach feels are their strengths and weaknesses. Also be cautious if you get the impression that the life coach may end up 'telling you what to do' or pressuring you into goals or avenues that you do not want and they seem more the agenda of the coach than yours.

Life Coaching is supposed to be about the customer and what they want to achieve and their style of learning/growing/achieving through the process of reaching their goals. It is not about the life coach. In fact, every life coach's goal should be to put themselves out of business. If coaching were done well, then eventually, fewer people would need it. As the saying goes, 'teach them to fish rather than feeding them fish and they will never go hungry'. Costs for life coaching services can typically run 0-0 a month and some will go to 0 or more an hour. Some coaches actually earn ,000 hour. If the life coaches you check-out don't publish their costs, ask.

What is the future of Life Coaching?
Where is Life Coaching going in the future? While the economy and the increasing stress of everyday life is severely hurting the quality of people's lives, life coaching will continue to grow in the number of people it serves as well as the number of life coaches entering the field. The number of people utilizing the web and becoming web based businesses will continue to increase the number of coaches who provide marketing, client attraction and who start business types of services.

One of the newer life coaching waves coming is 'Wellness Coaching' which is similar to health coaching. Of concern to me is that many, who are entering this 'niche', receive only 20 hrs of training. Many life coaches practicing health or wellness coaching have not checked their state's laws on what they can and cannot coach on in this 'niche'. A life coach cannot treat, diagnose, cure, prescribe or provide counseling. As a Holistic Practitioner, Certified Life Coach and Licensed Social Worker, I fear for people receiving life coaching services on health related subjects from life coaches with so little background in health and thus the potential for harm of the customer may occur. This is my concern and opinion which is shared by some and not by others. The pressure for more specific specialization, 'niching', will likely increase as well.

Will social media change the face of coaching? That's unknown at this time. There are many blogs and forums now that people can access for support for their specific needs, meet and get to know other people interested in the same things. The world has gotten smaller and it is much easier to find people to talk to on the web, yet we are more isolated in our 'real' lives than ever before.

I envision the complexities of marketing, which include free give aways, membership groups, increased administrative time (which means less time for coaching), hard selling and heavy marketing will continue to increase, as well. I envision there will be expanded Coaching Schools that provide coaching education that gives core basics for all types of coaching and then gives additional education in specific areas of specialty types of coaching. These will greatly lead to better qualified service providers. I found it amazing, how many coaches actually came out of the computer field from computer programming, IT support, web design and such. I do hope that something can be done to make sure the competency, skill, education, and experience of life coaches becomes more uniform and is not as much a 'shooting in a barrel' experience for customers to find truly skilled and dedicated coaches.

In conclusion, life coaching has gone from corporate America to mainstream. The benefits of life coaching are becoming better known and there are many gifted life coaches available - but you will have to do some weeding first. Life Coaching can improve the quality of your life and even your physical and mental health and thus, it is hoped, it may be covered by health insurance as pro-active services someday. In the mean time, life coaching is affordable and easy to find. If you are in search of life coaching for a very specific area of your life or goal, there is likely a life coach that covers it. But the bottom line is that it is up to the consumer to pick the 'right' life coach for them and if it doesn't work for you, then stop and switch to a life coach that will 'fit' you better. Life coaching has evolved considerably and will continue to do so and in 6 years, we'll write another article updating you on how things have, yet again, changed.

Life Coaching - Past, Present, and Future
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

If you have Questions in your life, Tonia Boterf at http://www.thepracticalexpert.com has answers. A multi-tool approach of services and products for you to start getting Answers to your Questions is just a click away. Check out our series of books on caring for aging parents and decrease your stress too. Tonia Boterf is your Practical Expert to finding the tools and answers to get what you need and want out of life.

watch cell phone Buy Shure Pg14 Pg30 Wireless Headset System K7