Coaches are no longer just for sports.
In fact, entrepreneurs are increasingly using them to better their business game. Like their athletic counterparts, executive coaches offer strategic insights that help their "players" win in the business arena. They also keep clients motivated when they're down and work on improving specific skills and talents.
PROFIT recently caught up with a few executive coaching experts and asked the key questions about coaching.
How do I find a coach?
First, consider what areas you'd like help with. Executive coach have different areas of expertise. Some are best at helping you identify your personal strengths and weaknesses while developing your skills. Others can provide expert advice in specific business areas such as marketing or strategic planning. Still others specialize in leadership and team-building.
Once you've determined which type of coach you want, be sure that your style and personality matches his or hers. Ask for a sample session from them, recommends Madeleine Homan, a New York-based coach who co-wrote the recently released book Leverage Your Best, Ditch the Rest. Adding, if you don't sense progress is being made or some sort of connection in the first 15 minutes then you're probably not with the right coach.
As for tracking down a coach, Homan recommends asking your peers or checking the home page of the International Coach Federation, where you'll find the "Find a Coach" referral tool.
How much effort will being coached require?
The process works only if you want the help and are willing to put in the time and effort, says Reg Ellis, a 15-year coaching veteran and senior partner of Toronto-based Ellis Associates. "[Some] people come and park in the office and go, 'Okay, so you're the coach. What are you going to do?'" notes Ellis. "They kind of wait for the pearls of wisdom or the advice. They don't realize it's work that they have to contribute to."
Time commitments vary. A coaching arrangement might be focused and involve three or four sessions over a few weeks, or it can last several years. Ellis says his long-term clients might consult with him for a few hours every quarter or a half-hour every few weeks. Homan says her client relations can last a few weeks if they're dealing with specific issues or up to 18 months for some clients. Sessions can be over the phone or in-person, but most coaches prefer the latter.
What's the cost?
$300 to $400 an hour for top-level executive coaching is typical, says Ellis. Sometimes executives pay a retainer in the tens of thousands of dollars to a keep their coach accessible for a year. Homan is vice-president of blended services at the Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management consultancy with an office in Mississauga, Ont. The firm employs eight coaches in Canada and charges $750 for a basic three-session package. Longer-term arrangements start at $1,000 a month.
Sourcelink:- http://www.canadianbusiness.com/entrepreneur/how_to/article.jsp?content=20040609_154514_3664&page=2
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Stuff A Bus pajama and book drive
Winter has arrived in North Texas. The daily temperatures have been making it clear for at least two weeks. Unfortunately for some, winter means cold nights without the warmth of adequate clothing.
Without the proper clothing, children are most vulnerable to the cold and serious ailments, possibly even death.
In an effort to fight off the cold winter, the North Texas Chapter of the Pajama Program will be holding a Stuff A Bus Pajama and Book Drive from Dec. 8-12.
A charter bus from Executive Coach will be at the Ooh Baby at Stacy’s Furniture in Allen on Dec. 13 from noon to 7 p.m. as part of the Stuff A Bus program that has been a holiday initiative benefitting area children for more than a decade.
Through the Stuff A Bus campaign, more than 300,000 pairs of pajamas and books have been given to children around the world.
“The goal this year is to raise 10,000 pairs of pajamas and as many books as possible from strictly the Dallas-Fort Worth area drives,” said Rita Arn, president of the North Texas chapter of the Pajama Program. “We’re hopeful for a good turnout because we’re doing this for the children in need.”
Arn said the number of children benefiting from the drive depends on how many pairs of pajamas and books are collected throughout the week.
“There was recently a drive in upstate New York that raised 400 pairs,” Arn said. “Considering the multiple locations that we’ve got in the DFW area, 10,000 is definitely achievable.”
The Stuff A Bus program is different from other charity fundraisers because the collection is for new items and all proceeds will be divvied among the organizations that requested the sleepwear and/or books, Arns said.
In the past, the Stuff A Bus donations have benefited children at the East Texas Heart Gallery, Baylor medical services, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Collin County and Dallas and multiple homeless and women’s shelters across North Texas.
Arn got involved with the Pajama Project after watching a feature on “Oprah.”
“I fell in love with the project and it’s turned into one of my passions,” Arn said. “As a realtor, I am in the home business and I thought I could make some of these children feel safe at home if I could help provide pajamas for them to snuggle up in and a book to curl up with.”
Organizations can still sign-up to be recipients of the donated goods during the Stuff A Bus campaign at www.pajamaproject.org.
Four buses are scheduled to be stationed throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area to receive donations.
On Dec. 11, two buses from Alliance Bus Charters will be at the El Fenix Restaurant and in the parking lot of the American Airlines Center in Dallas from 2-7 p.m.
On Dec. 11-12, a bus from Eagle Tours, Inc. will be at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth from 2:30-7 p.m. Billy Bob’s is located at 2520 Rodeo Plaza in Fort Worth.
Also on Dec. 11, a charter bus from Executive Coach, Inc. will be at Ooh Baby at Stacy’s Furniture in Grapevine from 2-7 p.m. On Dec. 12, the buses will be at the Ooh Baby at Stacy’s Furniture in Allen from noon to 7 p.m. to collect donations.
In the Waxahachie area, a charter bus from Lone Star Coaches will be at the offices of Dr. Laura Morgan, located at 201 Ferris Avenue, on Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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