Join us on Saturday, February 23rd and Sunday, February 24th as the Calgary Public Library presents the Mind, Body, Spirit Weekend. It is a weekend full of insight, rejuvenation, and inspiration held in the John Dutton Theatre at the Central Library. Over the next four weeks we will interview four of the nine presenters. This week we have Peter Kieran, who will be presenting Transformational Coaching on Saturday, February 23rd from 3 – 4 pm. For more information on our Mind, Body, Spirit Weekend and to register please see our program page.
What is the difference between coaching, counselling, therapy and mentoring?
The difference lies in where the
client finds the solutions to achieving want they want. In coaching we start with the assumption that the client is whole and has the skills, knowledge, ability and creativity to take the appropriate action. Compared to counselling, therapy or mentoring, coaching awakens the client to their own strengths and capabilities and is more transformational in its nature because of this. There is no attempt to fix the client or solve their problems for them. Rather than answering the client’s questions, a coach asks the questions from a place of compassion and not knowing, allowing the client to explore their own greatness and experience new perspectives in their lives that they otherwise might never have been aware of.
At Mind, Body, and Spirit you’ll be talking about transformational coaching. What are some outcomes that people can expect having worked with a coach?
Of course the specific outcomes are different for each individual however there will always be some level of increased self awareness, understanding of personal values and strengths and clarity in what they want and how to achieve their desired outcomes. Coaching usually leads to some sort of transformation in the client in the form of new perspectives on who they are, what they want and how it all fits into the bigger picture of life. Hopefully this translates for the client into a shift from a “problem solving” paradigm, to one that is more positive and generative.
If I decided to hire a life coach what would be the time commitment I may consider and why?
Typically coaching takes place over several months to a year and consists of 2 or three sessions a month. Because the client is responsible to take action on their commitments, time is needed between sessions to ensure that they have the opportunity to make changes. This also allows the coaching process to build on itself, as more is learned and new topics for conversation emerge. Sessions may be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and usually focus and one thing at a time to get the most benefit. As personal awareness increases and as they tap into their own individual strengths, many new and exciting possibilities often appear out of nowhere, creating endless opportunities for change for the client. Just as a triathlete might hire a coach to take them to the next level in their fitness, so too might someone hire a personal coach to take them to the next level in their personal development and overall success in their lives. We all have hidden potential within us. Hiring a coach is like giving yourself the gift of greatness. How great do you want to be?
Everyone likes to hear a success story, can you share examples of client success?
Anyone who is looking for change in their lives, clarity in who they are or what they want to do, or anyone trying to make a decision, improve a situation or how they relate to others will benefit from a coaching relationship. I recently coached a young man who was unsure what to do next in his life. He had a bad back, was overweight, and lived at home with no job. Together we found the path that led him to realize his passion and his strengths, helping him make a decision about where to work, leading him to move back out on his own, lose weight, change his relationship with his father and overall returned his confidence about who he was and what he brought to this world. I also coached a woman looking for what to do next in her career after having left a company where she was very unhappy. We tapped into her values and strengths creating a way for her to see future opportunities more clearly and she went on to become very active in her church and found employment at a new company where she is much happier than before.
What skills do you as a coach bring to the relationship?
Good Question! Each coach has their own style of communicating and their own strengths from which to draw. For me it’s a combination of a lifestyle of physical fitness, years of coaching in the workplace as a Team Leader or supervisor and growing up in a family of artists, giving me an appreciation for personal performance, art, nature and living in the moment. I can see, feel and admire the greatness in others and I use that ability to encourage my clients to have confidence in themselves and their ability to achieve their goals.
Peter Kieran is certified professional coach, who enjoys working with clients to help them discover who they are and what they want to accomplish in their lives, enabling them through self awareness and vision, to achieve their personal and professional goals. His coaching company is called Your Road, Your Way and he invites you to step forward and join him on the road of discovery.