Some Key Differences Between Life and Business Coaching

SOME KEY DIFFERNCES BETWEEN LIFE AND BUSINESS COACHING When guidance is needed to elicit a peak performance, many people turn to coaching. Whether it is on field or in office, or for hobbies, personal or professional reasons, successful people from all walks of life have been using this valuable tool to achieve their goals quickly and effectively for years. This may explain why new trends have emerged in which many adults are turning to life coaches in their off hours to search for personal fulfillment, while still others opt for a much different type of coaching at work to enhance their skill sets, expand their potential and make their employees more effective in their roles in company. But how does one differentiate between life coaching and business coaching? One major difference is that life coaching focuses on more personal issues, while in business coaching you anchor work in business objectives. The accountability is with client and his or her internal advocate so that what they are working on is improving their leadership skills and ultimately business bottom line. It does not solely revolve around client as it does in life coaching. For instance, in life coaching a client’s goal may be to lose weight, but if they choose not to work out or eat properly, it doesn’t affect bottom line of anything other than his or her own personal goals, whereas when individuals being professionally coached don’t meet obligations they’ve agreed to, there are extensive evaluations conducted throughout process and lack of expected results can resonate throughout an organization. Business coaching is a developmental process designed to help individuals and teams achieve and sustain top performance in ways that are linked to organization’s needs. Recently this type of coaching has taken on whole new connotation in modern workplace. The opinion of coaching has come full circle in corporate America. Today, it means that a company is interested in investing in its employees’ high potential. Another key difference between life and business coaching is in reporting structure—in life coaching it is just between coach and client, whereas in business coaching contract involves coach, coachee and that person’s manager. An alliance is created that is clearly understood and driven by client so that confidentiality and accountability can be built. But you should never have a situation where all parties don’t agree on level of disclosure—you can’t effectively coach someone if they say, ‘You can’t tell my boss anything. In fact, most professional coaches encourage collaborative meetings and teach their clients to share information about process themselves, so it is reported from client and coach.

DISPELLING THE MYTHS OF HOLIDAY JOB SEARCHING

DISPELLING THE MYTHS OF HOLIDAY JOB SEARCHING Five Tips from Experts at Lee Hecht Harrison to Make Most of Season’s Opportunities

Contrary to popular belief, holiday season is actually a good time to conduct a job search. While many who are looking for work tend to become depressed at this time of year, they should instead view holiday season with a positive attitude as a time ripe with opportunity. If you believe myth that job searching is a waste of time between Thanksgiving and mid-January, you may be reducing your chances of landing an offer when many hiring decisions are being made. This is a time when competition is reduced and when most organizations have developed their budgets for coming year and can predict their hiring needs and goals for year ahead. If you are ready to get into spirit of things and capitalize on many opportunities season has to offer, here are five tips: Set measurable goals: Don’t give in to depression or procrastination. Decide how many networking contacts you will make during season, how many meetings you will set up with hiring managers and how much research you will conduct. Taking daily action will lift your spirits and bring you closer to your goals. Attend holiday gatherings: Now is not time to stay at home alone! Holiday parties can provide valuable opportunities to network. Let people know you are looking for a new position when subject of careers comes up, but remember not to be too aggressive—while it is a chance to network for you, it is still a party for others.