96% of coaching clients say they would repeat the coaching process, given the same circumstances
Two of the top motivations for people to seek coaching services are: Self-esteem / self-confidence &Work-Life Balance
Other Key motivators for seeking coaching include:
Communication skills
Interpersonal Skills & Relationships
Work Performance
Building self-esteem / self-confidence
Work-Life Balance
80% of individuals who have partnered with a professional coach experience a positive change
Organizations using professional coaching have seen an average ROI of 700% or 7x their initial investment
83% of coaching clients report being “very satisfied” with their coaching experience

All of the above from (ICF Global Coaching Client Study, 2009)

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) explains coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:

Discover, clarify and align with what the client wants to achieve
Encourages client self-discovery
Elicit client-generated salutations and strategies and
Hold the client responsible and accountable

People hire personal trainers for the body – a coach is a personal trainer for the mind. One meeting with a personal trainer can show a modest improvement. Consistent training is what makes the difference in changed attitude, behavior and results

Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes and managing personal change. Sometimes it’s helpful to understand coaching by distinguishing it from other personal or organizational support professions.

Therapy: Therapy deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual’s emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. Coaching, on the other hand, supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is future focused. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. The emphases in a coaching relationship are on action, accountability, and follow through.
Consulting: Individuals or organizations retain consultants for their expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, the assumption is the consultant will diagnose problems and prescribe and, sometimes, implement solutions. With coaching, the assumption is that individuals or teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks.
Mentoring: A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counseling and coaching. The coaching process does not include advising or counseling, and focuses instead on individuals or groups setting and reaching their own objectives.
Training: Training programs are based on objectives set out by the trainer or instructor. Though objectives are clarified in the coaching process, they are set by the individual or team being coached, with guidance provided by the coach. Training also assumes a linear learning path that coincides with an established curriculum. Coaching is less linear without a set curriculum.
Athletic Development: Though sports metaphors are often used, professional coaching is different from sports coaching. The athletic coach is often seen as an expert who guides and directs the behavior of individuals or teams based on his or her greater experience and knowledge. Professional coaches possess these qualities, but their experience and knowledge of the individual or team determines the direction. Additionally, professional coaching, unlike athletic development, does not focus on behaviors that are being executed poorly or incorrectly. Instead, the focus is on identifying opportunity for development based on individual strengths and capabilities.

SOURCE: http://coachfederation.org/need/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=978

Located at the western edge of Chicagoland I have help clients all over the country. If I am not personally available in your area I can help you to find an ICF life coach near you.