Interview With a Business Coach
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<p><em>More and more freelancers and entrepreneurs are looking for coaches to help them grow their businesses. However, how can we ensure that we are in good hands when everyone can say they are experts? We asked Karine Chouinard, a certified professional coach, to answer our questions and give us a few hints.</em></p>
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<h3>Who are you, and why did you become a business coach?</h3>
<p>I am a career manager. I started my career as a manager at 22 years old. I always liked working with people to help them surpass themselves. I had a lot of success for 20 years in different management jobs. Then, in 2017, my husband and I worked for the same company (with him as the vice president and me as the director of a business unit). We were a little fed up with providing our experience and expertise to bosses who did not listen to us, resulting in no results. We decided to start a business together in business management consulting. Our goal was really to help entrepreneurs, freelancers, and managers develop their skills and become a better version of themselves.</p>
<p>While my husband, Yves, handles financial and strategic coaching, I care for the person behind the entrepreneur and freelancer. We like to tell our clients that we become the vice presidents of businesses that are not big enough to have some! Therefore, we play the role of partner, counselor, and accompanist to our clients.</p>
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<h3>How can we become a certified coach?</h3>
<p>There are many paths and types of coaches; several people have no training and call themselves coaches. I regret that our profession is not better structured. It hurts our reputation because the clientele can be disappointed when having an experience with a pseudo-coach. On my part, besides my University studies and my important experience as a manager and an entrepreneur, it was vital to get coaching training in a school recognized by the ICF, the International Coach Federation. My 144-hour training lasted 14 months and gave me an ACTP accreditation (Accredited Coach Training Program).</p>
<p>We must understand that coaching is not a discussion with our clients. It is not about sharing our experience, either. Coaching is a process based on 11 key components that a coach must have to help the student improve and develop, reach their goals, or achieve a transformation. Coaching takes form when we set goals and make action plans. Then, regular meetings allow the student to identify what is missing to achieve their objectives and determine strategies. The coach helps students realize things, but they will not tell them what to do. For this reason, there are significant differences between coaching, consulting services, and mentorships.</p>
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<h3>Why would a freelancer need a business coach?</h3>
<p>As for any entrepreneur, the freelancer can benefit from the advice of a business coach to achieve more performing results than the one they already have. They can also want to understand why some parts of their professional career are not what they want. Coaching allows the highlighting of blind spots or biases. Finally, a freelancer might want to realize a transformation (for example, a career transformation) and want some guidance. Whatever the type of entrepreneur, manager, or freelancer, a certified business coach can be an incredible ally. </p>
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<h3>How can we find the perfect coach for our needs?</h3>
<p>The first step is to define our real needs. Many people look for a business coach without having an idea of what does not work in their professional careers.</p>
<p>Then, we can ask for some business coach recommendations or start searching. As mentioned before, ensuring that the chosen coach is trained and accredited is important. Moreover, it is essential to have an exploratory meeting. Most business coaches will provide this meeting for free. During this appointment, we discuss the coaching project and try to see if there is a fit with the coach. Trusting your inner voice and instinct is vital when choosing a business coach. The relationship between a coach and a student is very intimate. Several personal aspects of your life will be addressed in coaching. Therefore, we must quickly develop trust in our coach.</p>
<p>Finally, we pay special attention to the coach’s <a href="https://www.momenteo.com/blog/the-importance-of-having-a-good-contract-of-services" target="_blank">contract of services</a>. We must understand that a good coaching process is mostly the client’s responsibility. The coach is a helper and a guide, but the student needs to do the work, including answering requests and doing homework, to help the reflection between the meetings. All important terms and conditions should be found in the contract. The expectations of both parties should also be mentioned.</p>
<p>In conclusion, I suggest working with a business coach who does not have a closed contract. I always say to my new clients that if they discover that they do not like how I work after three or four meetings, they can let me know and stop the process without any delays or additional fees. However, I am allowed to do the same if I notice that my student does not take seriously the process or if they do not complete the requested work. As I mentioned before, the relationship between a coach and the student should be based on trust and be a 100% match.</p>
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<h3>How can I ensure I am working with a professional coach?</h3>
<p>Training, of course! But recommendations as well. It is always a good sign when coaches have an established clientele, and their clients recommend them blindly. We can also check the websites and Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Without being bulletproof, you can learn more from the individual's professional experience</p>
<p>Also, we are careful about coaches who pledge incredible results in a short time or the ones who say they will change your life in one $10,000 weekend. Coaching is a medium and long-term process. As with every good change process, it can take some time. More importantly, since the success of the coaching process depends a lot on the work and implications of the student, a coach cannot promise guaranteed results! </p>
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<h3>How can we contact you?</h3>
<p>You can contact me by email at info@opsplus.ca or by phone at 514-915-5937. You can also visit our website at <a href="http://www.opsplus.ca/" target="_blank">www.opsplus.ca</a> to learn more about our services. It is also possible to contact us on Facebook via our OPSplus Consultation & Coaching page. </p>
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