Frequently Asked Questions

Who needs coaching? Coaching can be beneficial for professionals at any level because it is customized for each individual’s needs and challenges—from learning how to communicate clearly for early professionals to moving past natural career plateaus experienced by senior executives. An initial conversation with a coach is the best way to determine if coaching is for you.
Questions to consider include:

1. Are you getting the results you or your supervisors want? Does your life look the way you want it to?
2. Do you have goals, but too many “false starts” leave you unable to fully execute a change?
3. Is conflict or tension getting in the way of you enjoying your work or getting things done?
4. Have you reached a professional plateau, or are you consistently growing your professional leadership skills and opportunities?

In its simplest form, coaching is an integrated process of inquiry, assessment, awareness and action.

We work with you to:

• Integrate feedback from interviews and/or assessments to establish a work gradient
• Distinguish each leader’s unique gaps and blind spots, and how they are impacting their results
• Partner with clients to broaden his/her scope of learning and growth
• Support clients through communication breakdowns, conflict management and integration of new winning behaviors

Coaching is conducted in a variety of settings including individual and group coaching, as well as corporate professional development programs. Individual coaching is a high-touch approach that is conducted via a series of regular, confidential phone conversations between the coach and the coachee. Individual coaching allows you to dive deep into your specific issues and work at a pace supportive of your unique needs.

Group coaching conducted via corporate programs at your worksite or through our online courses is a great cost-effective alternative for professionals that value the support of a community environment where they learn from others that are addressing similar challenges and be coached in an open forum.

Since openness is key to the coaching relationship, finding a coach who understands you is essential. Here are some questions to ask as you go about selecting a coach:

• Can you be completely transparent and honest with your coach about what is or is not working in your professional life?
• Does your coach understand the complexities of your challenges?
• Is your coach professionally trained through an accredited program?
• Does your coach have a proven track record? What do others say about their coaching?

Lisa Carpenter believes coaching is most effective when it is a frank, intimate, and confidential conversation between you and a trained coach experienced at moving you beyond “business as usual.”

Coaching is not mentoring. Professional coaching involves great skill, practice and the ability to be confronting without being confrontational. Emerald Quest coaches have proven track records and have clients who are happy to share their experience and results. If you would like to speak with one or more of our former or current clients, don’t hesitate to ask. You are also welcome to visit our Testimonials page.

As with most things, in coaching, results are dependent on your level of effort and your openness to the coaching process. Research shows that coaching works!
According to the International Coaching Federation, coaching on average produces the following results¹:

• ROI of almost six times the program cost
• 77% improvement in relationships
• 67% improvement in teamwork
• 61% improvement in job satisfaction and
• 48% improvement in quality

Lisa Carpenter knows from her clients that working with Lisa produces results consistent with research. Visit the testimonial page to hear what our clients have to say about coaching.

1 International Coaching Federation. (2009) ICF Global Coaching Client Study (1st. ed.), Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Association Resource Centre Inc. Lexington, KY. Retrieved from coachfederation.org.

Emerald Quest coaching rates are consistent with the rates of other professional service providers that coach, train and support the development of lasting personal and professional skills. It’s also important to consider…what’s the cost of not taking action?