Q: How is what you offer different from services I might receive from a coach?
A: First of all, I specialize in working with introverts who are in the professions, so that may be one difference.
More important, if you want someone to be a consultant to you as well as a facilitator, then you might find my help better meets your needs. The greatest difference between my work with you and what a coach does lies in the professional training in individual and group psychology and system interactions that I bring to bear on your issues. I offer both content expertise in these areas and process expertise in facilitating and helping you achieve your goals. So, in essence, you get two for your money.
A coach, on the other hand, is primarily a facilitator who lacks specialized professional training in and significant in-depth content knowledge of the issues you face. If you are not interested in specialized professional insight to what you face, then a coach might be for you.
To use an analogy, it's like the difference between hiring an attorney versus hiring a paralegal.
You'll find more information on this here.
Q: I'm not sure that I want to work with someone over the phone. How does it work?
A: Before I had experience with phone work, I had the same reservation. But I discovered that telephone work is usually very focused and productive. Some of its features include:
- It's easy to take notes and for each of us to refer to our own private notes, helping us stay on track.
- It leads to greater discipline with time so that we can cover a lot of ground.
- Like face-to-face meetings, we get to know one another and can quickly learn to read one another's voice to tell when there is more to be said, etc.
- It has the advantage of immediacy without having to type words and wait for a response.
- It's convenient. We need not deal with travel or be concerned with dress or appearance so we can be more relaxed.
- It's easier to schedule (due to not needing to travel).
- We include webcam sessions, if you prefer, so that long distance meetings are even more like face-to-face sessions.
What I always suggest though is for you to try it out for yourself.
Q: How do I get started?
The first thing is to contact me and get any questions answered that you may still have. It's that simple! See the process we follow here. We'll do an introductory session by phone or in-person to determine fit and then, if you wish to continue, you'll contract with me just for the assessment phase of our work together. In most cases, this is conducted in a 2 day session on-site at my location in Portland, so you'll make travel arrangements for that. The remainder of our work is done by telephone, Skype™, and email unless we decide that another arrangement better suits your needs.
Q: What will it cost me?
The fee will vary depending on your needs. For example, issues you want to address, their magnitude, your timetable, etc. We cover these topics during the assessment phase. There is no need to contract for all phases at once.
If you are a graduate student, a discount may be available.
Q: How long does it take?
Everyone is different. Assessment and planning can happen pretty quickly (see above on getting started). But implementing change in the real world of your work can take longer and how long it takes depends on your unique situation. Many of the changes that you may decide to take are not overnight fixes because they involve changing how you are perceived by others. This takes time. So it might take you as few as a couple of months or more than a year to get to where you feel that your goals have been accomplished. Regardless, the process is paced so that you stay in control.
Please send me an email if you have additional questions.
