“Hand UP
Coaching Helps Women Succeed”
by
Cardell Phillips, April 2004
After downsizing wiped out her $80K salary,
Jane was having trouble finding work. Just
released from jail, 22-year old Marie didn't
know how she was going to provide for her four
kids. Frustrated and frightened, both women
needed "a hand up" to help them take charge of
their lives and move forward.
Luckily, for Jane, Marie, and countless
others from all walks of life, Taylor Hunt's
dream had come true. She had dreamed of creating
a nonprofit organization to bring the power of
coaching to low-income women. And when she
mentioned her idea during a teleclass, it
sparked the interest of Michelle Payne. "I
called Taylor and asked to be part of that
dream," says Payne. "It all started from there."
In February of 2001, the two launched A Hand UP
Coaching, a nonprofit program designed to help
women establish and reach their own professional
goals.
Gail Nape volunteered to coach for A Hand UP
Coaching after hearing about it through her own
coach. "I liked the idea of championing women,"
she says. "There were times in my life when I
couldn't have afforded a coach, so I know how
valuable a gift like this is. It would have
eliminated a lot of my doing it the hard way."
Nape says the challenges of working with
participants in the program depend on where they
are and what their experiences have been. "The
most important point is initially, the clients
don't know what to expect," she says. "They
think I'm just going to give them a set of
goals. I try to give us a chance to get to know
and trust each other. I get them to trust me so
they can learn what coaching is all about."
It didn't take long for Claudia McNeil to
find that out herself. She was hoping to gain
some insight into how to switch jobs when she
signed up for A Hand UP Coaching. It became much
more than that. "I was at a crossroad, and Gail
asked me for my story," says McNeil. "I had
dated a superior at work, and the relationship
didn't work out. Soon afterwards, I was fired. I
had to sell my house, and the only job I could
find paid about a third of what I had made
before. I began to ask myself questions about
what I would do for the rest of my life.
"Gail showed me how to take responsibility
for my own behavior and set boundaries with
people. She taught me about envisioning what you
want. Instead of just getting career coaching,
I ended up learning life skills."
Nape says the reason they were successful was
because McNeil put the ideas they talked about
into practice. "It was a joyful experience to
support her," says Nape. "She was willing to do
everything we talked about. That made all of
the difference. We could have come up with all
kinds of ideas, but without her follow through,
nothing would have happened."
Commitment like McNeil's is key, says Payne.
A Hand UP Coaching is serious about that
personal investment. After potential clients
fill out applications, a team of coaches reviews
their materials to determine which candidates
seem most likely to make that kind of
commitment. Any participant who misses two
sessions is dropped from the program. A Hand UP
Coaching only accepts women who not only
sincerely want to change their lives but who are
also ready to do the work necessary to make that
happen.
According to Payne, more than 80% of those
clients who sign up with A Hand UP Coaching
completes the program. But client commitment is
not the only reason for A Hand UP Coaching's
success. Many people have helped Hunt and Payne
along the way. And it's the team of dedicated
and qualified volunteer coaches that make the
program work so well. Those who are interested
in becoming volunteer coaches fills out
applications and authorizes background checks.
To qualify, coaches must be students or
graduates of accredited coaching schools, or
they must be members of the International Coach
Federation. Qualified coaches are then selected
and approved to participate in A Hand UP
Coaching's intensive orientation and training
program.
Once they are assigned to a client, coaches
stay in close contact with their clients. They
conduct three 30-minute phone sessions a month
for three months with each client. In addition,
they fill out monthly progress reports. "Some of
the clients have extreme challenges, and it's
hard to avoid getting pulled into the drama,"
says Payne. "Coaches need to watch the
boundaries between therapy and coaching. It's
not easy to not get pulled into the drama."
Gail Nape has experienced those challenges
firsthand and knows how important it is to keep
the line between therapy and coaching clear. "I
coached a woman who had a problem with drug
addition, and during our time together she fell
off the wagon," says Nape. "It disrupted our
sessions, and she started missing appointments.
I recognized that she needed professional
support for her problem. I told her to contact
me if I could help her later, and I detached
with love."
Despite the challenges, Nape says coaching
for A Hand UP Coaching is a rewarding
experience. "I like the sense that I'm giving
something back and helping other women. You can
see the results from week to week championing
these women." McNeil credits Nape with helping
her change her attitude towards her job. "When
I first started getting coaching, I hated my
job. For me, the shift was my gaining a sense of
purpose. It became a challenge to see how well I
could do the job." Clearly, she met that
challenge. McNeil was instrumental in her
department meeting its sales goal for the first
time in eighteen months. For her work, she
received a great performance review and an
excellent raise. "Now, I look forward to going
to work, and I enjoy the people I work with,"
she says.
But those who run successful programs like A
Hand UP Coaching know that it's impossible to do
it all alone. Hunt and Payne work hand-in-hand
with Dress for Success, an organization that
helps low- income women buy clothing and
accessories for the workplace that are donated
by various organizations and agencies. Its
Professional Women's Group extension provides
educational support.
"We teach women the skills they'll need in
the workforce," says PWG facilitator Mary Ellen
Romano. "That's where A Hand UP Coaching comes
in. It opens doors so that women see what they
can do with their lives."
Romano saw for herself the difference that A
Hand UP can make. "The profound affect coaching
had on their outlook overwhelmed us," says
Romano. "We saw their increased self-esteem and
motivation. It was like the Cinderella's
transformation from a kitchen drudge to a
princess."
Payne says that this is what A Hand UP
Coaching is all about-providing women with the
resources that can make their lives just a
little bit better. And when that happens, those
women, in turn, make the lives of others
better. "If they can each help one person, it's
made a difference."
We can all get caught up in the drama of our
own circumstances when life deals us challenging
blows. But, with a helping hand, each and every
one of us can pull ourselves up out of the mire
and move forward. A Hand UP Coaching offers just
that.
Cardell Phillips is a freelance writer
specializing in articles and features about
entrepreneurs, success, and personal
development. His articles have appeared in
magazines, newspapers and webzines.
phillips@sounderco.com.
