“Executive Coaching is defined as a helping relationship formed between a client who has managerial authority and responsibility in an organization and a coach who uses a wide variety of behavioral techniques and methods to assist the client achieve a mutually identified set of goals to improve his or her professional performance and personal satisfaction, and consequently to improve the effectiveness of the client’s organization within a formally defined coaching agreement.” Richard R Kilburg in Executive Coaching: Developing Managerial Wisdom in a World of Chaos, pages 65 and 67.

Life Coaching is a confidential, constructive and non-judgemental programme aimed at encouraging, supporting and challenging people to achieve their full potential, by getting over whatever hurdles seem to be restraining them. It's an ideal approach for anyone who's ready to break with past limiting beliefs and behaviour to create a compelling and satisfying future. Coaching can be applied in every area of life.

Essentially, a therapist is the professional with the answers to pain and brokenness; a coach is a professional partner to assist in discovery and design for growth. The shift from seeing clients as “ill” or having pathology toward viewing them as “well and whole” and seeking a richer life is paramount to understanding the evolution of coaching. To illustrate, here are some of the main differences: Dr. Patrick Williams, Ed.D., MCC, is co-author, with Deborah C. Davis, of Therapist as Life Coach: Transforming Your Practice (W.W. Norton & Company).

Coaching is about growing the person, the key professional, from the inside out. Coaching helps to determine goals that match individuals or business highest potential, create a realistic plan to achieve those goals, and be accountable for achieving goals within a planned time frame. While the coach might offer insight and advice, the primary purpose of coaching is to empower individuals, and through them achieve great things. Consulting brings the expertise of the consultant into the mix. A consultant offers information, advice, brainstorming and training. It’s about bringing the business expertise to help solve whatever issue or bring the company to the next stage through business processes and strategy.

An individual or team might choose to work with a coach for many reasons, including but not limited to the following: Something urgent, compelling or exciting is at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity) A gap exists in knowledge, skills, confidence or resources A desire to accelerate results A lack of clarity with choices to be made Success has started to become problematic Work and life are out of balance, creating unwanted consequences Core strengths need to be identified, along with how best to leverage them.

Coaching provides a productive ‘time-out’ for business owners to work on the business not in the business. Owners benefit from an independent and yet invested sounding board with whom they can discuss concerns or aspirations they are not yet ready to share with their teams. Employees will discover new ways of working together or on an individual basis, developing their skillset and themselves through the process. Therefore the results of coaching in a company can be very varied: Improved teamwork and working dynamics Improved efficiencies and business processes, which can lead to cost savings and better financial results Development of clear and outlined strategies for a part of the business or individuals Healthier and happier employees which will then perform better in their responsibilities Increases productivity through improved focus on the things that make the difference Improves retention by motivating/engaging key people Enhances leadership and management abilities e.g. improves specific skills and relationship Creates a competitive edge e.g. develops key people to take on more responsibility so owners can focus on staying competitive Helps owners to be objective about their business and think through strategic changes before putting plans into action Embeds new skills, knowledge and attitudes Accelerates culture change and smooth behavioural shifts.

Life coaching can literally transform any area of life, depending on the person’s commitment to change. Some of these changes are listed below but there are many more! Increases life satisfaction and personal engagement e.g. better relationships, clarity on own goals, better job satisfaction Realises full potential e.g. setting ‘stretch’ goals Heightens self-awareness and emotional intelligence Develops personal resilience and flexibility Improves performance by making the most of individual strengths and abilities and providing focus Builds and embeds specific skills e.g. planning, interpersonal skills, time-management.

Sophie is a creative and innovative coach with a unique approach that combines coaching and improvisation techniques in her practice while taking into account the needs of the individual and the organisation. Certified and member of ICF (International Coaching Federation), Sophie was trained by the Coaching Training Institute (1st organisation to be certified by ICF). Sophie is an experienced and dedicated professional ‘’co-active’’ coach focusing on increasing the self-awareness and revealing the potential of each person. Sophie worked for more than 11 years in Human Resources & Coaching areas for multinationals and HR consulting companies in France, Middle-East, Australia and New-Zealand.

You and Sophie will have an initial “Chemistry” meeting to decide if you would enjoy working together and how coaching will help grow your business or explore unrealised potential. From there, Sophie will develop a plan in order for you to achieve the goals you have agreed to together.

Sophie’s approach is very flexible enabling her to work with clients all across the globe. So while the rates hereunder will give you a rough guide, each coaching is tailored to each person and in the opening session Sophie will assess with you the best format and frequency. For Life Coaching through Telecoaching (over Skype or similar) or face-to-face, a 60-min session's rate will be 170 AUS dollars. For organisations or Executives Coaching, please contact Sophie directly.