HOW TO PUT THE "COACH" IN YOUR CAREER CONSULTING PRACTICE (July/August 2001 Issue)

Most of the success from Private Practice comes not from the "high-tech" aspect of our work but from what's come to be called "high-touch." Oh, of course, showing a client how to cruise Monster.com or post a resume online is valuable. Polishing resumes and cover letters and getting them in front of the right recruiting firms and hiring decision makers is an important part of the job search. But when the dust settles, we in private practice tend to find that a client's worst impediments to getting a good career position are often found somewhere between their ears!

Surprisingly enough, it's not learning how to manage the "high tech" world of internet vacancies, openings and hirings that trips most clients up. Instead, it's learning how to navigate the realm of motivation, clarity, passion, mission, purpose, excitement, fear, uncertainty, confusion, anxiety, etc. In other words, the real work of a job search is more often harnessing emotions than manipulating data. But the real work pays off: emotional clarity in a job search helps clients "score better" at interviews, speeds their progress toward their deepest goals, enhances their capacity to generate referrals, and overall governs their success or failure in the process. Guiding clients through the emotional minefields in the job search is the work of the highly specialized career and life professionals whom we call "coaches."

To illustrate, consider the HR field of "training and development." The distinctions inherent in that title are equally evident in the different aspects of career consulting. In the career business, the resume, cover letter, salary negotiation, etc., are all "training." We give instructions, and clients follow them; these skills are important, and our training makes a difference. But equally important is dealing with the interior landscape, in what we can call "development;" we make an even bigger difference there -- but a difference that's dependent on good training. The two aspects fit together like hand in glove, and a "well-garbed" career campaign is incomplete without either.

Of training and development, training is by far the easier. Anyone can tell you to show up on time, bring a resume, press your suit, and shake hands with good eye contact. However, only experienced and qualified coaches can identify and reframe fears, pinpoint insecurities and help the client overcome them, confront "busyness" as avoidance, identify denial and push through it. And although these interventions can at times border on therapy, they are a distinct activity unto themselves. Distinct, and vital.

This emotional work is not only vital to the client, but in the long run it's also the source of the majority of your referrals. Think about it. When you work with clients, the technician in you gets a "Thanks." But it's the coach in you who gets the, "Wow, I couldn't have done it without you!" -- and the glowing recommendation.

Where do you get training to be a coach like that? Two places: coaching "school," and your own personal growth experiences and workshops.

Coaching, as a sports profession, is very old. Using the word "coach" as a half-way word between therapy and counseling on the one hand, and consulting on the other, is very young. So, if you weren't aware there were such things as coaching "schools," you're not alone.

There are three main training organizations that teach people how to coach. One of these organizations, the Career Planning and Adult Development Network (the publisher of this Newsletter) focuses strictly on Career Coaching and Job Search Coaching. The Network trains career counselors, career coaches, career consultants, outplacement consultants and job search trainers. Each of the Network’s two credentials, "Job and Career Transition Coach" and Certified Job Search Trainer" require completion of a rigorous three-day intensive seminar where participants learn, discuss and demonstrate coaching skills. Contact the school at: careernetwork.org.

The other two coaching schools offer training in the broad generalist arena (life coaching, physical training, financial planning, and health and fitness). A second organization, Coach University, offers training by telephone and over the Internet. Their self-study workbooks are downloadable. Consequently, this organization offers students the option of learning from home. Contact Coach U. at coachu.com. A third training organization, the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), offers experiential training spread over five weekends where students observe "master" coaches and try out their own coaching skills. Contact CTI at thecoaches.com.

You can also learn to be a coach through your own personal growth experiences. See the "P.S." at the end of this column for a good sample of this -- free! You know the phrase, "Been there; done that!"? It's crucial to success in coaching. If an accountant comes to see you to get out of his job, you don't need to have experienced accounting to help him. But to be credible and effective in coaching, it's best if you've experienced "stuck" places in your life and used support and new-thinking to get out of there. Knowing your own denial can help you recognize, appreciate and confront your client's denial, and your own path up and out can help you assist your client in that journey.

Examples of "personal growth experiences" are legion: Tony Robbins' courses; Landmark Educations' Forum; The Artist's Way; and many many other new-age weekend self-exploration and personal-growth courses can expand your ability to coach your clients. I recommend you do two or three or more a year.

Developing this aspect of your private practice pays off three ways. One, you're more effective, so you get more referrals (i.e. money!); two, that same increase in effectiveness cuts down the time you have to spend with each client so you make more "per hour" (because if you follow my advice, you'll charge a flat fee, and thus you'll make more per hour); and, finally, your own life will be richer, more under your control, more open to love, respect, kindness, and less likely to judge, criticize, or become a victim of others' or your own ignorance.

So if you've mostly emphasized the "techie" aspects of working with clients to this point, you might want to consider investing the time and effort to bring your "touchy" skills up to the same level. Besides, learning new things -- especially about ourselves -- is just plain fun! And since the best way to learn anything is to try it for yourself...

P.S. - If you would like to experience the power of personal coaching, I can refer you to a coach who (if you mention my name) will give you a half-hour session -- a free sample! -- of coaching. She does it, of course, to increase her visibility and credibility in the marketplace [just as I suggest all of you do in your private practice] but don't worry, you won't get pressured into signing up for more. In fact, you'll most likely experience a breakthrough in some aspect of your life from just 30 minutes of this coach's time; she's that good, and the offer is worthwhile just to experience excellence in this realm. You may decide you want to use her as a guide in your own life, even be trained by her. Either way -- just enjoying the free half-hour, or taking it further -- you'll come out waaaaaay ahead, so I highly recommend you go for it! To apply for this session, copy this paragraph and e-mail it to GailBarrie@aol.com.

Gail has agreed to offer this session to five people on a first-come, first-serve basis, so you'll want to be proactive and get in on this quickly. Then wait for the fun to start! Be well.

Jack Chapman is author of:
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
He is a career consultant in private practice and runs ongoing support and training teleconference sessions for career consultants in private practice.
He can be reached at 847-251-4727 or jkchapman@aol.com.