FAQs

Q: What is coaching?

According to the International Coaching Federation coaching is defined as: “A partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today’s uncertain and complex environment.”

Coaches can act as sounding boards and as a confidential listening ear. Simply put, our job is to help you determine what you really want or want to work toward. Coaches help you dig deeper to understand the why behind what you want and develop an action plan to help you get there. The type of coaching that we do here at Effloresce is non-directional coaching. So we don’t tell you what to do; we ask excellent questions, make observations, occasionally share insights, quotes, analogies or experiences that you as a client can take or leave, and we help you figure out what the best solution is for you.

Think of it this way if someone tells you what to do vs. you come up with the plan yourself, which do you think you will be more committed to pursuing?

Q: Who is coaching for?

Coaching is for EVERYONE! We know that sounds like it can’t be true but it is. Everyone regardless of career regardless of place in their organization would benefit from coaching. How can you not? A coach is on your Coaching is for EVERYONE! We know that sounds like it can’t be true, but it is. Everyone, regardless of career, regardless of place in their organization would benefit from coaching. How can you not? A coach is on your side, a coach is there to give you time to dedicate to your development and learning, a coach allows you to share confidential situations that are challenging, and best of all, a coach is not there to judge you but to help you find a way forward.

Q: What does the process look like once you have hired a coach?

Here at Effloresce we always offer a free first session. We do this for two reasons. The first reason is that if you’ve never done coaching, you won’t know if you like it until you try it, and that doesn’t seem fair to make someone pay for something that they don’t know if they are going to enjoy doing. The second reason is that we might not be the right coach for you. Similar to any service provider, it isn’t one size fits all; you have to be comfortable with your coach, and your coach has to be comfortable with you for the coaching relationship to work. After the first session, you decide that you want to continue then we will discuss various options for packages and pricing according to your needs.

Q: What do you talk about with a coach?

The following list is by no means extensive, but it’s a sample of what might come up in a coaching conversation:

Q: What are the benefits:

The The benefits of coaching are infinite. The benefits depend on the person’s reasons for hiring a coach, but we find that people feel seen, heard, understood, and valued, which is a feeling that doesn’t happen in all relationships. They leave coaching with more confidence and a clear plan of action for where they can go and how they plan to get there. Often clients leave coaching sessions less stressed and more energized for their next steps.

Q: Do I need to hire a coach who is an expert in my field or has been in my role before?

A coach does not have to have done your job or worked in your industry to be a great coach for you. Coaching is more about connection and coaching style than it is about experience doing the same job. Coaches ask questions, actively listen to what you are saying, make observations, and help you determine an action plan. They do not need to have a detailed day-to-day understanding of what you do to do their job. But you do need to have a coach you trust and can be vulnerable and honest when talking to them. 

Q: Is coaching like therapy?

ItIt sometimes feels therapeutic, but it is not therapy. If we suspect someone needs support with their mental health (for example, depression or severe anxiety) it is our responsibility as a coach to recommend that they speak to a psychologist or counsellor about it. The truth is, many people have coaches and therapists because they work on different things with each practitioner. Coaching is very much future-focused and action plan-oriented! Therapy can be as well, but it is also about working through past experiences and sometimes managing mental health conditions, which is not the role of a coach.

Q: Are Coaching, Consulting, and Mentorship the same thing?

They are not the same thing. They are all valuable, but they are different. A mentor may ask you questions, but you work with them more to hear their experiences and for them to give you advice. Coaching is about you coming up with an action plan that works for you. When someone says: “While you couldn’t coach me because you don’t know what I do, I want someone to tell me what to do,” I say, “You might be looking for a mentor then, not a coach.”

Consultants tend to be experts in a specific area and you seek out their support to tell you how to do something better vs. a coach who would ask you questions, listen to your experiences and guide you so that you come up with your own plan of action. Effloresce does consulting work in effective interpersoanl communication, employee wellness, and creating positive workplace cultures. Although as far as consultants go we take more of a coach approach.

Q: How much does it cost to hire a coach?

The cost of coaching ranges from coach to coach or company to company. Coaching costs are sometimes hourly, monthly or purchased in packages that are several months to years long. We offer various options and work with clients to find what works for them and their budget.