About us

What is coaching?

COACHING is partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process to inspire individuals to maximize their professional and personal potential. – International Coach Federation (ICF).

Why should I work with a professional coach?

In today’s complex and competitive world, many people struggle with balancing professional and personal challenges. Having a coach means having someone objective who is on your side. A coach is trained with coaching skills and techniques to enable you to listen to yourself and create lasting change in your life. By working with a coach, it can feel easier and you can get there faster.

What is an Executive or Business coach?

An Executive or Business coach is a credentialed coach who has chosen to work with leaders and entrepreneurs. These coaches usually have prior business experience and that perspective can enrich a coaching journey as they have walked the path you are on.

How is coaching different from therapy / counselling?

Coaching is solution-focused and future-oriented. Therapy and counselling uses defined theories with a focus on your past to solve issues in your present. Coaches are trained differently from therapists, psychologists and counsellors.

How is coaching different from mentoring?

In a mentoring relationship, you have a mentor who is usually more senior and more experienced than the mentee. The goal of mentoring is to pass on knowledge and experience to someone who wants to learn the same. It is common to give advice as your mentor usually knows the answers or has the professional experience you want to learn. In coaching, it is an advice-free zone. Coaches use open-ended questions to help the client find the best solution for themselves.

Why is it an advice-free zone?

Lasting and impactful change can only happen when the client has the motivation to make the change and makes the decision to do it. The analogy is like telling a smoker to stop smoking. You can tell them all the risks, show all the studies, but, if a smoker is not willing to stop, it won’t be successful to tell them to do so.

How do coaching sessions work?

Its just a conversation, under 100% confidentiality, where the coach and client identify a goal to work on, and the coach utilizes techniques to process to help the client find solutions. The client will commit to an action step at the end of each coaching session, which enables them to move forward towards the goal. This continues until the goals are reached.

What is the optimum time for a complete coaching journey?

It is completely up to the client. It depends on two factors: (1) how quickly you want to achieve your goal and (2) how much time you are willing to commit to both the coaching sessions and the action steps. As a rule of thumb, for simpler goals, usually 4-6 sessions are sufficient while more complex or multi-layered goals need at least 12 sessions. Some companies are even investing in unlimited annual sessions to support leaders grow and allow sufficient time to get there. You can always sign up for additional sessions in the future if needed.

How frequently should I set my coaching sessions?

It depends on you and the time you can carve out from your regular life. It can be weekly, every two weeks or every three weeks, with the least frequent being monthly. More frequent sessions can be shorter (weekly 30 mins) while less frequent ones (bi-weekly 45 mins). Most clients like bi-weekly 45 min sessions. A good suggestion is to imagine you are signing up for a tennis or yoga class and you commit to a regular schedule. This is more effective than scheduling sessions one at a time. By carving out time, you are able to better balance other priorities.

What is the range of pricing for Executive or Business coaches?

The range depends on many factors – credentials, certifications, past professional experience and coaching niche. Executive and Business coaches are trained to work on both your professional and personal goals and their fees range from USD 100 – 500 per hour. The higher range is for the Master or Professional ICF-certified coach with more senior professional experience (MCC or PCC).

How important is it to work with an ICF-credentialed coach?

In practice, Life coaches, or those clients working purely on a personal level, sometimes don’t require ICF credentials. However, for Executive and Business coaches working with external coaches (ie, not in their HR organization), it is more a norm and a minimum requirement. Corporate engagements (where the HR is hiring the coach as part of leadership development) require ICF credentialed coaches.

How do I book the coaching sessions?

You can click my calendar link and you will see my availability. You can book online and I will be notified once you have made a booking.

How are the coaching sessions done?

Most of my clients prefer to work with me online via a video conferencing facility (Zoom, Facetime, Webex). Clients can also choose to have video or audio only. Some clients like to use the video function at the beginning and the end, but prefer to use only audio during the coaching conversation as they feel more comfortable not having the video on. Face-to-face sessions are also available, but, more clients opt for video/audio conferencing to save travel time to and from the location. They say it’s easier to fit an online coaching session into their busy day versus doing a face-to-face meeting which will take more time.

If I pre-book my coaching sessions, am I allowed to cancel when an emergency occurs?

Yes. Cancellations are allowed up to 24 hours before a booked coaching session. If you want to cancel earlier, that will be appreciated as the slot can be opened up for other clients. If you fail to cancel a booked coaching session, you will be subject to a 50% charge of that coaching session.

What are some of the areas that clients have frequently been coached on?

Leadership and Entrepreneurship, as well as having to balance personal and professional transitions. For leadership, its can be leaders making the jump from individual performer to team leader, or existing leaders looking to get better at people management and other skills, or career growth to accepting the highest responsibilities at the C-suite level. Entrepreneurs have similar leadership challenges but some would also like to focus on building, growing or exiting their business. I am comfortable with these topics as I have been a leader and an entrepreneur myself.

What are the results and benefits of coaching?

Clarity in identifying what you want and having the confidence to achieve it with the support of the coach. Accountability, resilience, energy, motivation and focus also result from coaching. Clients have said there is also a ripple effect and confidence in work translates into other aspects of their life. At the end of the coaching journey, clients are poised for further success and confident in their abilities to continue on the positive path they have created for themselves thru coaching. Many say coaching increases their engament at work and their fulfillment in their lives.