I’ve never had a coach - what can I expect?

It all begins with a desire to better some aspect of yourself or your career, and being open to the idea of someone helping you achieve that goal. We will start in our first session to get a sense if there is a mutual connection, and then will work from there. As the client, you set the agenda for each session and what you’d like to work on. It’s the coach’s role to listen, put a spotlight on things you say, ask powerful questions, and help hold you accountable. Each session is 50 minutes and will be done via web video or phone call, or local if in the Portland-metro area. Coaching is not about solving your problem for you. It's about working with you to arrive at solutions and meet goals you set.

How long is a typical engagement?

It’s up to you. However, we recommend individuals commit to at least six months. We’ll meet every two weeks. In between appointments, you have time to work through what we talked about in the previous session, start implementing some of the action steps we created, and gather your thoughts around what to focus on next. 

Team Coaching takes place once a month for 3-6 months. 1:1 coaching and/or additional classes can extend the engagement. There can also be one-time class facilitation, or quarterly class delivery to build up your team over the course of a year or more.

For executives, the engagements often last up to a year. This is due to unpredictability of schedules, complexity of gathering feedback, and really digging in to identify areas of development if they aren’t known going into the engagement.

Does Coaching Huddle offer business coaching/mentoring?

Yes! For over 20 years, Mary has spent her career building teams, setting a strategic vision, and gaining executive buy-in at startups and Fortune 500 companies. She has rapidly scaled organizations across established corporate environments and nimble startups, designed change management protocols, and developed operational strategies — all while prioritizing empathy and trust. She has worked across horizontal functions of a company like Information Security, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Talent/Recruiting, and will partner with you to create a successful engagement strategy and action plan for you and your organization.

Does the Coaching Huddle logo have special meaning?

We wanted a logo that represents strength, resilience, equality, and a sense of order. Interlocking shapes also elicit the visual of two people putting their heads together — a huddle. Psychologically, squares can often evoke positive ideas and feelings such as reliability, robustness, stability, and a sense of order. Perfect.

The shapes also reflect the joining of two individuals to create one new square. New boundary lines. New size. Emboldened. Powerful. Out in front. That’s the client emerging from a coaching huddle more confident than ever, and a new chapter of their life often results when obstacles are removed through a coaching engagement.

Are there any books I can read to get started?

The sheer number of books available is mind-boggling, and feels like there are great books released every month. Depending on what you are seeking to better understand about yourself or your situation, there are a few books or articles that likely fit your needs. Our most recent reads (or re-reads) are Do Hard Things by Steve Magness and Thanks For the Feedback by Sheila Teen and Douglas Stone. 

We are also big fans of Mark Manson’s books The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***, and Everything is F**ked: A Book About Hope. Mark makes us laugh, but more importantly, he cuts right through all the jargon and the soft-shoe approach and is direct and honest with his readers. As you might imagine, his books contain some colorful language, so buyer beware if that turns you off of an author. As part of our engagement, we will tailor a list of books to help us in our sessions.

Does Coaching Huddle offer reduced prices or discounts?

Special consideration is offered for students, low income professionals, or individuals trying to return to the workforce after a medical leave of absence. Connect via the Contact Us page and let’s see what can be worked out.

Why don’t you list pricing on your site?

As each person is unique, so is what they need. Coaching can involve conducting feedback sessions with peers and colleagues, team coaching, class facilitation, or a one-time session. The complexity of the engagement determines pricing. Reach out and let’s discuss what you need and we can work through the package pricing at that time.

How do I become a coach?

We are happy to talk you through the route we took but know that there are many ways to become a coach. 

Mary found herself mentoring and coaching while working in tech companies, and even in graduate school as a graduate assistant. In 2018 she enrolled in the 15 month Hudson Institute Coaching curriculum, and put the rigor and practice behind her experience and inclinations towards wanting to improve her approach and results. After graduating as a Certified Hudson Institute Coach, she went on to continue learning in small group engagements and Supervision classes where master coaches facilitate discussions and situational coaching to further enhance learning.

Is that Zio on his sunset table in the picture above?

It sure is. That table was built specifically for him, and he knows it. Good luck using it to place a glass, book, or device.