Life coaching tackles career & work life management

I’m keenly focused on the mirror in front of me while in tree pose taking a hot yoga class at Harbor Lights Yoga on Long Island. “Breathe,” I’m thinking to myself. I feel like I’m going to pass out. My thoughts focused on the countdown to completion, before I could bolt for the door from todays attempt at work life balance.

Yoga instructor Daniel Campbell (a friend and colleague) read my mind. “Judy, just a few more. (she laughs) I don’t have to tell YOU to breathe.” Daniel might be a yoga teacher (and oddly enough TV anchor) but in this scenario, she’s really my coach.

Life coaches come in many forms and we hire them for many reasons: personal development. career, fitness, stress reduction and even work life effectiveness . While it’s mostly anecdotal, The National Coach Federation website suggests an increasing interest in hiring life coaches especially in a recession economy when many are forced into job transition and baby boomers are rewiring their careers. With the blurring of the working and living experience in our WorkLife Nation, many are scrambling to figure out how to integrate the work life merge more efficiently with grace to avoid burnout.

The boom of interest has spread across the nation including on Long Island. Sunday, November 1st, the Long Island Coaching Alliance is hosting a conference, How to Thrive in Today’s World: An afternoon with New York’s Top Coaches. I’m thrilled to be presenting the keynote and receiving the groups Inspiration of the Year Award. You’ll have an opportunity to meet quality life coaches and to better understand the process of hiring one.

Career transition, mid-life crisis, and work life integration are among the many reasons to hire life coach. But how do you know if you’ll benefit from hiring a life coach?

“If you know you need support with a fresh perspective,” says life coach Rita Maniscalco who adds that coaching support is very different from therapy.

“Therapy works on understanding the past whereas coaching works on creating the future,” she says. If you’re looking for practical solutions and an accountability partner, you might consider hiring a life coach, Maniscalco suggests. Even if you’re not exactly sure where that future will lead according to Elizabeth Cassidy of Branching Out Life Coaching.

Describing the makeup of  potential clients who approach her, Cassidy says “They’re in there somewhere, and they know without a doubt that they want to and need to move ahead in their lives. But they need support and motivation – and dark chocolate when needed.” Part of that process is breaking through self-imposed barriers, reducing chaotic stressful patterns and creating realistic goals.

Lisa-Michelle Kucharz founded Ace The Race in 2007 as a career coaching company. You can find a life coach for just about anything these days, but Ms. Kucharz says each coach has “a unique style and recognizes the individual need of every client.”

“Many people seek the assistance of a career coach to figure out their ideal careers, re-enter the workforce, get their next promotion, find a new job, or start their own businesses,” says Ms. Kucharz who adds that those coaching sessions can take many different forms.

“The heart of most individual coaching arrangements is usually a regularly scheduled meeting that most often takes place over the phone once a week. Today, many coaches also are available by e-mail in between meetings,” says Kucharz.

Coaching sessions will generally focus on a client’s agenda, goal setting, strategizing, tracking results, discussing challenges, overcoming obstacles and celebrating successes. How to choose that special coach is a process, but well worth the effort to be sure you’re hooking up with the perfect fit for your needs. That means experience, referrals, and identifying your specific needs.

For example, I’ve been coaching clients to prepare them for media opportunities for many years. It takes time to articulate ones special message through ones own lens.  Talking points don’t come overnight and I know this because I’ve worked in media for twenty years. Talking points have to be massaged and contemplated before the right phrases emerge. My clients know this and that kind of patience is needed with life coaching as well. It’s a process of discovery and personal development with an eye toward building a new vocation – or reigniting your own passion.

Here are some tips to help you choose the right coach – for you.

1. Don’t just pick a coach off the internet. Get referrals from colleagues and friends.
2. Try your best to identify your greatest need for a life coach. Are you more concerned with finding a new job, changing careers or giving a boost to your current job status or career.
3. Speak with at least three different coaches prior to making a decision. Some coaches will offer a complimentary mini-session. This will give you a good idea of your chemistry with the coach.
4. Ask lots of questions about how they work. Some offer weekly phone sessions, others can work in person, but most are now working more and more over the internet. What works for your work life situation?
5. Price ranges can vary depending on the coach’s experience and the packages they offer. Some coaches offer deals for longer commitments. Ultimately your choice will be a mixture of your comfort level not only with cash – but also with your time.