Frequently Asked Questions

Coaching is about achieving something you want but don't yet have. You may want to start doing something, or stop doing something. Either way, it's about making a change that will better your work and your life.

Coaching is a partnership. Rather than telling you what to do, a coach asks questions that help you examine your assumptions, rethink self-limiting patterns and decide on the change you want to make. Then we build the path to get there, and you practice new ways of thinking and leading along the way.

These roles often get lumped together, but each one works differently:

• Coach: Offers an outside-looking-in perspective and partners with you to examine challenges through a broader lens, with the goal of reaching a future goal.
• Mentor: Guides you based on their own experience and expertise.
• Consultant: Provides services or expertise the organization is lacking. The goal is to move the company forward rather than build skills in individuals.
• Manager: Directs your work and serves as a resource when you need specific support.
• Therapist: Helps you work through past experiences and behavioral patterns.

With mentors, consultants and managers, one person typically imparts knowledge to the other. Coaching and therapy are partnerships of equals, built on questions rather than answers. The difference is direction: therapy looks back to understand the whys behind behavior, while coaching looks forward to who you want to become and what needs to change to get there.

The foundation of coaching is the same, but there are many specialties, including:

• Executive coaching: For those leading businesses, from vision to execution to succession planning and beyond.
• Leadership coaching: For leaders building the skills to manage people and lead through others, from first-time managers to those taking on larger teams.
• Career coaching: For those navigating a job or career change.
• Life coaching: For those wanting to make a change in their personal life or live more fulfilling lives.

People are complex, and their goals don't always fit neatly into one category. I'm primarily an executive and leadership coach, but I've also helped clients navigate career crossroads and personal challenges along the way.

The type of coaching is only one factor in finding the right coach. Communication style, demeanor, availability, cost and chemistry matter just as much.

The best coaching candidates are high-potential, engaged and motivated to grow. Coaching works because the change comes from within, so it's especially effective for smart, self-sufficient leaders who don't respond well to being told what to do.

Coaching is valuable at every level. My clients have ranged from account managers and analysts to directors, VPs and COOs, in industries including AI and B2B technology, energy, mining technology, healthcare and construction.

Most of my clients come to me at a turning point. The most common reasons:

• Moving from doer to strategic leader. They were promoted for their expertise, and now they need to set direction, delegate and lead through others.
• Building confidence and executive presence. They want to share ideas without fear, advocate for themselves and show up with confidence in high-stakes meetings.
• Communicating and influencing more effectively. They want to deliver concise, compelling messages, read the room and build buy-in with peers and senior leaders.
• Scaling with company growth. Their company is growing fast, and they need to develop the next level of leaders so they can step back and lead strategically.
• Navigating a career transition. They're weighing their next move and want to choose it deliberately.
• Setting boundaries. They feel responsible for everything, work follows them home, and they want to reclaim time to think and recharge.

Every engagement is different, but here are a few results my clients have achieved:

• A VP of Operations shifted from day-to-day firefighting to strategic leadership, protecting 20–30% of his week for planning while preparing his 300-person team for 40% growth. His CEO noticed he was coming across as clearer and more open.
• A Head of Marketing went from leading with caution to leading with confidence. She began setting boundaries, delegating and driving initiatives on her own, and her manager brought her into executive leadership calls to add a more strategic perspective.
• A Senior Director of Global Supply Chain developed a five-year procurement vision approved by her manager. Her improved communication caught the C-suite's attention and changed how leadership saw her impact.
• An environmental scientist made a career move into a more strategic role at a large energy company, with a higher salary. Along the way, she juggled two competing offers and negotiated for the role she truly wanted.

The research backs this up. Companies that invest in coaching report a median return of 7x their investment, and 80% of coaching clients report improved self-confidence, according to the ICF Global Coaching Client Study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Coaching engagements should be tailored to your needs and budget. My work with clients has ranged from a five-session sprint focused on a specific issue to an ongoing retainer, where we work through core objectives and then navigate the everyday pressures and opportunities that come up at work.

Depending on the engagement, the work may include:

• A 360° assessment based on interviews with your leaders, peers and direct reports
• Regular coaching sessions using real-time challenges, self-reflection and proven leadership frameworks
• Hands-on preparation for high-stakes presentations, conversations and decisions
• Between-session check-ins to keep you accountable and on track
• Alignment meetings with your manager or sponsor at the start and midpoint of the engagement

In my experience, the most effective engagements run at least six months, with two to four one-hour sessions per month. That gives you enough time to practice new behaviors, see results and make the change stick.

Most of my coaching sessions take place virtually, so I can work with clients wherever they are. For clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, in-person sessions are also an option.

Yes. Some clients hire a coach directly. In other cases, a company hires a coach to work with a specific leader. When that happens, the person or organization paying for coaching is called the sponsor.

The sponsor often helps shape the coaching goals and meets periodically with the coach and coachee to share the progress they're seeing.

Coaching works best when you come ready to grow. Much of the impact happens between sessions, as you reflect on your mindset and experiences and practice new behaviors.

I've also found it's highly effective when you share your coaching goals with your manager and report back on specific, measurable progress.

Yes. If you have professional development budget to use before year-end, you can pay now and begin sessions in Q1.

Finding the right fit matters. If I'm not the best match for your goals, I'm happy to connect you with other ICF-accredited coaches based on your criteria.

Pricing depends on the length and structure of the engagement. Let's talk about what fits your needs and budget.

Book a free consultation. We'll talk through your goals, and you'll get a feel for whether we're a good fit. You can contact me at katie@ksl-coaching.com.