COACHING + CONSULTING | Part 2
Have you considered how the different interdependent components of well-being affect your family’s relocation experience?
What do you think coaches do to address those components?
In the first blog of this series, we talked about the impact of relocations on the well-being of accompanying families. We also took a deeper dive into the interdependent components of well-being and shared specific examples of each one.
REA coaches adapt the way they interact with clients to meet them where they are. Sometimes they are coaches, at other times they are consultants, and even more frequently they become coachsultants.
In this blog, we will discuss the differences between being a coach, a consultant, and a coachsultant and specific examples of what REA coaches do as they address the emotional, occupational, and physical components of well-being from these roles.
Let’s take a look at what REA coaches do from the perspective of these roles within the context of well-being.
Coaches | ask thought-provoking questions so that clients reflect on their experiences and uncover key motivators and concerns. “How did you feel when x happened?” is an example of a coaching question to elicit information and reflection.
Consultants | ask questions such as “What types of information would you like me to find for you?” They provide facts and information and contribute their expertise to open possibilities.
Coachsultants | ask questions like “What have you done so far to seek job opportunities?” and then screen share how to navigate on job portals as they shift seamlessly between being a coach and being a consultant. They create a cohesive narrative for clients to decide what they want to do while teaching them how to do it.
If you have worked with a relocation coach before, did you notice any differences in what they did to support you? How did the coach contribute to your and your family’s well-being?
If you have not worked with a coach before, what do you think would work best for you?
Let’s look at specific examples of how REA coaches address the emotional, occupational, and physical components of well-being as coaches, consultants, and coachsultants.
Emotional | Coaches find out if accompanying families have moved before and the emotions they experienced during relocations. They become consultants by providing information about typical emotions during this experience and contacts for additional emotional support. When coaches dive deeper into those emotions and share tips to assist family members in expressing them, they become coachsultants.
Occupational | Coaches explore with accompanying families what they would like to do in their new communities, whether to work or pursue other interests and what drives them to want to engage in those activities. As consultants, they provide information about the local job market and non-profit space for particular roles and guide clients through the process of finding paying and volunteer work. They become coachsultants by sharing personal examples of when they arrived at a new community to trigger reflection and then search for specific content for families to make better-informed decisions about what they would like to do.
Physical | Coaches ask questions about why accompanying families are interested in particular types of housing and neighborhoods so that the client has these criteria on top of their mind as they search for temporary and permanent housing. They later shift to consultants to research services, businesses, schools, and transportation available based on those preferences. They become coachsultants as they guide accompanying families to visualize what it is like to move to a new neighborhood and provide information about emerging topics.
In the next blog of this series, we will focus on how REA coaches address other interdependent components of wellbeing as coaches, consultants, and coachsultants.
REA’s coaches specialize in assisting professionals and their families in addressing these issues and many others. You don’t need to navigate your family’s relocation alone -- we’re here to help! Check out REA Flex Coaching services and REA's website to help you get a jumpstart on your path to a successful relocation!