Coaching is "an ongoing partnership that helps clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance the quality of their life. Coaching concentrates on where clients are today and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be tomorrow." (This definition is from the International Coach Federation.)

Management Coaching

PBI provides one-on-one or small group coaching to support the learning, professional, and personal development of leaders, managers, and supervisors. The following are typical topics that are covered in a one- to six-month coaching engagement:

• Relationships – relating better with leaders/managers, clients, staff, and/or peers
• Managerial Style – seeing themselves as others see them; understanding the impact of the gap; making the commitment to change; undertaking a multifaceted approach to behavior change
• Collaboration, Trust, and Communication – building collaboration and trust in your team; establishing/communicating a Vision; leading/managing change to "win hearts and minds"
• Performance Consulting – diagnosing/solving performance problems; rewarding excellence
• Developing the 2nd Tier – grooming the next level of managers and leaders using a performance model/comprehensive approach; training managers how to be coaches; helping new managers understand role expectations; developing competencies

Coaching can be provided in a "pay as you go" approach or via a "package" of sessions (the number, frequency, and time-duration to fit your needs).

Career/Life Coaching

PBI provides Career/Life coaching to help people in career transition; who are struggling with current job "stay/leave" decisions; who need better grounding in discovering their interests, personality drivers, abilities, and/or values (to be able to make good career decisions); and who are having difficulty implementing or sticking with a decision already made.

Knowing what you want to do with your career or life is something with which many people struggle. Our answer to that is simple, yet difficult. The simple answer is: "Live Your Passion; Give Your Gift." The difficult part is in defining your passion and your gift. We believe that every significant career decision is also a life decision (we can share our "Horizontal Maslow" theory for more background on that). Reframe the issue from "I could do XXX" to: "I want to do YYY." To do this right, though, requires a lot of work and commitment. When you do it right, THEN (and only then) do you have the confidence to take that first step and implement your decision. We'd be happy to show you our process for helping people determine their career or life direction.

Issues to consider when choosing a coach include the following:

• Background and Experience – Can the coach relate to your situation? Has the coach been a senior executive? Has the coach had at least one major career transition in their life? Does the coach seem to have a good life/work balance?
• Chemistry – Did you hit it off when you met with or interviewed the coach? Did you make a good connection with the coach or have a good feeling about him/her? Have you interviewed at least 2-3 coaches before making your selection?
• References – How long has the person been a coach? How successful has he/she been as a coach? Can they provide references from others they have coached?
• Coaching Philosophy and Approach – What is the coach's primary philosophy and approach to coaching people? Do you agree with it? Do you think it will work for you?
• Certifications – Is the coach officially certified? If so, by what organization(s)? If not, why not? What other certifications does the coach have?
• Other Aspects – Can you easily meet with the coach locally? Can you have some sessions via telephone? Do you feel comfortable with the coach's gender and ability to understand your situation?