In dormant Valley, coaching is wide awake
Local association launches new Website
January 2003

Silicon Valley's engine may not really be slumbering, yet it"s far being the dynamo it was just a couple of years ago. Things are certainly active on one Valley frontæpersonal coaching.

"Business has never been so good," says Jo Miller, President of the Silicon Valley Coaching Federation. "In the Valley, more and more people are making career transitions, starting new businesses, or otherwise reevaluating their life choices. Our members report a big increase in inquiries and engagements during the last year."

According to Maryam Webster, SVCF Webteam Lead, who works with women attorneys, physicians and other professionals, working with a coach simply makes good sense. "Lots of professional people want to change their lives, but most don't have the time or support to establish meaningful goals and achieve them. Working with a professional coach is a very efficient way to develop more rapidly, meet deadlines and have the deeply fulfilling life they deserve."

Jo Miller emphasizes that the coaching relationship is very different from consulting. "In consulting, you pay someone to come up with the answers. In coaching, we believe that the client is naturally creative and resourceful, and that the coach's job is to provide support, feedback, and an objective perspective. These are essential ingredients for the client's success."

Is the Valley's new attention to coaching just a reaction to the layoffs in the high-tech industry?

"That's part of it," says Bill Schaffer, a book coach and SVCF member, who has written extensively on high-tech careers. "What happened to high tech certainly shook people up. But I get the sense that people are looking for someone to be at their side as they tackle a variety of challenges, not just the question of employment. We've got over thirty members, and they are helping all kinds of clients."

International Coaching Week was the first week of February, and in conjunction with this event, the SVCF recently launched a new website, www.siliconvalleycoachfederation.org. "Our aim is to make it easy for visitors to learn about what the coaching profession is, and for them to find the right kind of coach to work with," says Miller. "There's never been a better time to figure out where you want to go, and then get there."