Put simply, coaching is a process that enables clients to realise their full potential by helping them to bridge the gap between where they are now, and where they would like to be.
Every top athlete has a coach, and in recent times, coaching has had more widespread appeal as a way for people to achieve goals in their life and work.
The focus is on developing strengths and making sought after changes, which is useful for individuals looking to find a better work/life balance, those seeking specific solutions to professional challenges, or executives who are in need of an impartial sounding board.
How does it work?
The first aim is for Janet to help the client to identify their real goal(s). With coaching, they then look at the challenges or barriers, assess their resources and what options are available and viable, visualise the outcome and move towards achieving their goals or resolving the issue.
Janet helps her clients work towards maximising their performance, increasing their confidence and self-belief, and handling challenges. Providing a confidential and impartial sounding-board, she helps clients achieve their personal best. Clients are safe in the knowledge that someone is there every step of the way, supporting, encouraging, motivating and helping them to succeed.
With an extensive library of training and management tools at her disposal, Janet can also offer a range of solutions for clients to put to immediate use in their jobs, to help them be more effective and efficient.
Unlike counselling, which looks back in the past to find solutions, coaching starts with today and looks forward to where the client would like to be in the future and helps them get there – pretty powerful stuff.
I recently had a call with Janet Baker and it was both challenging and eye-opening. I am now very excited and invigorated for the future development of my business after just one session! I thought I was doing quite well, although I was a bit stuck, with the intended changes to my business but during my introductory call with Janet, I had a couple of "light-bulb" moments that actually gave me much more clarity on where I am going.
The call prompted me to finally get my video promo done for my Special August Offer. There were also a couple of other things that needed to be done and with Janet's encouragement and insight, helping me see and move the blocks, they are also on the way to being sorted.
What to expect
Coaching is a partnership between Janet Baker and the client that is carried out on a one-to-one basis, either online, over the phone, or sometimes face-to-face, depending on the client’s preferences and situation.
The experience is one of empowerment and clients are in full control at all times. A coach is non-judgemental and non-critical, acting as a facilitator rather than an expert.
Sessions are completely confidential and meetings or calls can be scheduled as often as the client needs.
Janet uses a range of effective techniques to help the client question where they would like to be, and then helps create a practical, step-by-step action plan to reach their goals, providing ongoing support and tools to create lasting change.
Why should organisations use coaching?
An organisation is essentially a group of individuals who are brought together to achieve a common goal. So, for this to be as successful as possible, it’s important that all employees and teams reach their full potential.
Coaching in the workplace is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to help people improve their performance by clarifying goals, overcoming any stumbling blocks that may be getting in the way and monitoring progress.
Examples of where coaching may be beneficial include, managers looking to develop and improve their leadership style/skills, teams in need of support to function more effectively, or individuals wanting to deal with factors contributing to job pressures, performance or work/life balance.
Training and coaching often work extremely well together. Whereas training provides the information and knowledge in a subject area, coaching is more about how things are done, such as taking ownership, implementing change or achieving specified goals. Janet dovetails the two processes nicely together to best benefit the individual and the organisation.
Janet has provided coaching for a wide range of organisational and individual challenges. The aim is to offer a fresh perspective and motivate people to become the best versions of themselves, find fulfilment and, in turn, have a positive impact in the workplace.
Coaching Clinics
The workplace has changed dramatically in the past two years and people are having to adapt to new ways of working. This has led to challenges that people are struggling to adjust to. Managers may be leading teams of individuals who are working remotely for at least part of the time and this can lead to challenges around trust, motivation and inclusion.
Workplace Coaching provides one-to-one access to a coach in the office, supporting staff with their immediate pressures, concerns and challenges. Coaching is carried out in-house and takes into account the culture and the needs of the organisation.
It involves Janet being booked in to an office in your organisation on a regular day each month, with appointments made available for staff. Individuals can book in advance to meet with the coach or may be able to drop in if there is space available on the day. They may choose to have just one session, or book a series of consultations over subsequent months, as required. These appointments afford staff members access to someone from outside the organisation, for impartial support and advice, and to help them improve their performance, confidence and job satisfaction.
Coaching appointments are usually 50 minutes long and up to seven meetings may be held in one day (with a ten minute gap between each).
Coaching is proven to help reduce overwhelm and improve morale and motivation. Common issues or worrying trends may be flagged to management, whilst maintaining confidentiality of staff members. The additional benefit of having the Coach in-situ in the workplace makes the environment a more attractive place to be and encourages people to want to come back into the workplace.
Workplace Coaching Clinics are available to be run on site in your organisation once a month.
Online Coaching Clinics
Run in a similar way to the Workplace Coaching Clinics outlined above, Online Clinics are the virtual equivalent, with the one-to-one meetings being held online, either on Microsoft Teams or on Zoom, according to the organisation’s preference. Useful for organisations where staff are mainly or completely working remotely.
Again, Janet would be engaged to run a Clinic on a regular day each month and members of staff can pre-book themselves into a 50 minute coaching session.
Coaching FAQs
What is the difference between coaching, therapy, counselling and mentoring?
Coaches help people to clarify where they are, where they want to be, and challenges and motivates them to move forwards and achieve their goals.
Therapy and counselling often seek to understand the past and what went wrong in order to be better in the present and to remedy clients’ issues. Coaching focuses on the present and looks to the future.
A mentor is often a senior person in the business, who guides a junior person from their greater experience. A coach does not have to be a senior person in the client’s line of business. The coach does not even have to know the business, just the client.
What is the difference between coaching and training?
Training is more directive in approach and involves the transfer of skills and knowledge to the learner. The trainer or teacher is the expert in that subject.
In coaching, the coach is not the expert, coaching does not give answers, but asks questions. Coaching helps the client explores the present and design the future. The client learns in the process, but the coach does not teach directly.
We do find that coaching dovetails nicely with training and provides a format whereby the client can work through areas learned in training sessions and, with support from the coach, can better apply them to their job, talk through areas of concern, set and achieve goals.
What are benefits of coaching to individuals and organisations?
Generally, clients will be clearer about what they want from life and will go after it with passion, because they have cleared away the obstacles that blocked them. Their lives will be more satisfying and happier, they will be more effective and skilled at their work and get better results.
In the case of organisations, coaching is a long-term investment in higher business performance. It is the most cost-effective way of getter higher performance from key individuals. Coaching is evidence of the company’s commitment to developing its people and contributes to a supportive organisational culture with high morale. It helps retain key employees, so avoiding the cost of retraining, loss of company knowledge to competitors and a drop in productivity should they leave.
What is the coaching process?
Your coach is there to guide you towards your own solutions and hold you accountable for taking actions.
We normally start the coaching process with the client completing a personal information factsheet, so the coach knows a little bit about their background before they start. An initial meeting then takes place, either over the phone, by Skype or Zoom or face-to-face if appropriate. This gives them chance to get to know each other, establish outcomes required, challenges/barriers, opportunities, options and priorities. Further sessions may then be booked.
Through questioning, the coach will help you to organise your thoughts, assist with forming a plan, work with you on your ideas and hold you accountable for taking action.
Clients may be given actions to carry out between sessions and the coach may give them useful information, tools, articles, etc. to help them with achieving their goals. Clients find it useful to be accountable and have support and structure to achieve their goals, as well as being held responsible for specific actions.
The duration of the coaching relationship will depend on the parties involved and the goal(s) to be attained.
Coaching