Coach Q & A

At Roving Coach International, we provide coaching in focused 30-minute sessions for employees at all levels—not just the big dogs! Our coaching is situational and is offered on an as-needed basis, rather than the usual long-term coaching relationship.

But our offering at Roving Coach International is more than just a “coach in a seat.” We refer to it as The Roving Coach Experience™. The Roving Coach Experience™ provides:

• Access to dynamic anonymous employee engagement data in a user-friendly dashboard format that reveals how employees perceive their work experience and how their engagement levels increase when they have open access to a Roving Coach. We do the work to:

• Identify the specific employee satisfaction and engagement data corporate clients want to capture.
• Elicit responses from employees through anonymous pre- and post-coaching session surveys.
• Process the data through our robust IT platform.
• Provide HR leaders with regular dynamic pulse data that reveals their employees’ engagement levels over time.
• Provide evidence to support the ROI for the financial investment in The Roving Coach Experience™.

• A Customized Marketing Campaign strategy that Roving Coach fully manages. It’s plug and play simple! We work with HR leaders to create a tailored strategy to motivate employees to sign up for their Roving Coach sessions. All leaders have to do is help us identify which questions align with their internal engagement metrics and provide us with the contact information of those who will participate in The Roving Coach Experience™. We take care of the rest!
• Consistent, Powerful Coaching. On-going access to 30-minute coaching sessions for targeted employee populations as a benefit, offered by highly-skilled RCI-vetted coaches who provide a consistent, confidential experience to each employee. It’s a safe third-party conversation all about them! The Roving Coach Experience™ provides the newest supplement to traditional coaching typically seen in the workplace, offering coaching as a benefit for all employees that truly changes the conversation.

Our services are offered to our clients’ employees as a benefit which they can use once… or come as often as they would like. The topics discussed with a Roving Coach can vary from work related to personal, although our Coaches make it very clear that we do not provide counseling or therapy. (We are prepared to offer information to the coaching client on their company’s Employee Assistance Program, if necessary.) We also provide coaching for clients at special events such as sales meetings, employee development events, etc.

We believe that our offering at Roving Coach is a benefit… a perk. Participation in a Roving Coach session is always voluntary. We are clear with our clients that we do not do remedial or intervention work, where employees who are on Performance Plans or whose jobs are in danger due to their performance are forced to attend coaching sessions. Of course, we would be delighted to coach these individuals as part of a more general contract, provided their participation was voluntary.

We also do not do outplacement training or coaching for populations of employees who have been laid off. Roving Coach is not a direct competitor to large outplacement firms such as Right Management, Lee Hecht Harrison or Drake Beam Morin. Again, if there are employees in a client company who have been notified that they are about to be laid off, they are welcome to participate in a voluntary manner; however, we do not provide training, mentoring or job search consulting services.

Absolutely! Roving Coaches support clients in shifting their thoughts, feelings and actions routinely… sometimes in less than 30 minutes! This is situational coaching at its best!

We provide our clients with internal marketing support so that our coaching clients already have a good understanding of our offering before they visit a Roving Coach. They also understand the strict confidential nature of the coaching. We have found that this helps the rapport building process so that the coach can make a great connection in a short time. There is plenty of time in the initial few minutes to make sure the coaching client is comfortable and feels warmly welcomed.

The coaching we do with our clients is situational. This means that we are coaching for results for a specific situation, rather than building a long term relationship with the coaching clients, although it should be noted that many of our clients enjoy and benefit from the experience so much they come back for repeated visits. Coaching with the Roving Coach Situational Coaching™ methodology helps keep the session targeted, but allows the Roving Coach to stay open to the coaching client’s agenda and their needs.

First, and foremost, we believe that our clients will hold themselves accountable because they are adults. We also ask them point blank how they plan to hold themselves accountable. We have said that we are not in the business of changing behavior, but rather in the business of shifting consciousness or awareness. Once a coaching client is aware that the thoughts, feelings and actions in which they are currently engaged do not work for them, they will hold themselves accountable to make shifts in those thoughts and feelings, and to take different actions.

We may also suggest that the coaching client identify someone they trust to act as an accountability partner with whom they can share their action plan and ask for support.

Last, but not least, the Roving Coach will encourage the coaching client to come back for another session to share their results or strategize around lack of results. We have found that people are staying accountable and achieving results, and they love to come back and share it with the coach!

We work with mid- to large-size organizations that are, or aspire to be, Great Places to Work™. That being said, we would not turn away any organization that wants to provide this unique benefit to its employees. Coaching for mid-level managers and other key employees is not only a wise strategic move (involving such key areas as engagement, retention, productivity and morale), it also supports the organization in demonstrating to their employees that the company believes they matter!

You bet! As a Roving Coach, it is never a requirement that you market Roving Coach International. However, a lot of our coaches are well-connected. For those who wish to share The Roving Coach Experience™ with their contacts, we will provide you with training on how to represent RCI, as well as some professionally created collateral materials (brochures, one pagers, etc.)

The best connections for us are warm introductions to people who are decision makers within their company. If one of your connections expresses an interest in hearing more about Roving Coach, we will provide you, in the training, with an explanation about the best way to make that connection. One of our Relationship Rovers will take it from there, keeping you informed of the status of that lead during the process.

If your warm lead should turn into a contract, we will thank you profusely. We will also share with you a finder’s fee that will vary depending on the size and length of the contract. Additionally, you may be given preferred placement with that client as a Roving Coach. We welcome referrals from any individual. However, to be placed as a coach with a client, you must first be a fully vetted and contracted Roving Coach. (Be aware that there may also be some potential mitigating factors which could keep you from being placed, such as conflict of interest, etc.)

It is not easy to become a Roving Coach. We are looking for the absolute best coaches to work with our clients. You can find our requirements on the Team Requirements page of this site. Most of these requirements are non-negotiable; that is why they are called requirements. The requirements, however, are just the beginning. We are looking for coaches who resonate with our RCI We COACH™ values.

Roving Coaches must also professionally and confidently articulate a strong understanding and belief in the value of coaching. Additionally, our coaches have a passion for working with mid-level managers and other underserved populations in a corporate environment. Our corporate clients choose to work with us because they know they will receive professional, qualified, confident, experienced coaches who can appropriately deliver coaching within a consistent methodology with their employees. This is what matters most to them, so this matters most to us.

If you believe you meet our requirements, please go to the Apply page and fill in the required information. Remember to attach your resume, and please be sure that your resume highlights your corporate experience, your coaching experience, your coach training, and any ICF certifications you now hold. When you click the Submit button, you will receive an auto-generated acknowledgment to let you know that your information has been uploaded to the Roving Coach International database. We will follow up shortly with a more personal acknowledgement, but based on our work load, you may have to wait to be interviewed.

Being a Roving Coach is a unique responsibility and we fine-tune our selection criteria accordingly. Once we have reviewed your online application and have determined that you meet the basic qualifications, you will be contacted about a phone interview, references and a recorded sample of your coaching skills. Once this process has been completed and you have been recommended for the final step, you will interview with both the CEO and the President of Roving Coach. If you meet all the above criteria AND you have the ROJO (the Roving Coach mojo), you will be invited to join the team as a contracted Roving Coach.

Please note that a signed contract doesn’t guarantee immediate deployment; several factors come into play with placement, including demonstration of proficiency in the Roving Coach situational coaching methodology, client needs and your availability.

If you are a new coach or an experienced coach who does not quite meet our qualifications, but you have strong skills and resonate with our values, we may be willing to put you on our “watch list” of up and coming coaches. We would be happy to discuss with you the steps you might take to meet our qualifications. Please do not send us descriptions of a training program you have completed that is “like ICF accredited programs.” Only ICF is qualified to make that determination, and we are relying on them to provide us with that assurance. Do remember, however, if you are not a graduate of an ICF accredited program, you can also qualify to be a Roving Coach by obtaining your ICF PCC certification.

For most coaches, Roving Coach is a supplemental, part-time opportunity. Roving Coach is interested in working with professional coaches who are currently engaged in their own coaching practice and we strongly support you in the development of your own business.

Roving Coaches work with us on a 1099 contract. This means you are an independent contractor and are responsible for your own taxes, benefits, etc. As we get new clients, we will be looking at many factors to determine if you are a “fit” for that client. We would then talk with you about your availability and interest in working with that client. You would be paid a flat day rate for most assignments. At the end of each month, you would submit an invoice for the number of coaching days you worked and any approved travel expenses. We will pay you on a Net 30 basis. While you may only work a couple days a month for that client, it is possible that your participation with them could last the duration of the contract. It is also possible to be placed with more than one client, depending upon the availability of coaching opportunities.

Because we believe strongly in the amazing energy, experience and talent of our coaches, we have developed a Coach Council. Coaches meet to support Roving Coach through brainstorming sessions, mini projects, and other opportunities. Participation in the Coach Council is totally voluntary.

Absolutely not. There are many good coach brokering services available today and we believe in the value they provide to their clients and coaches. To be clear—Roving Coach is not a coach brokering service.

The way a coach brokering service generally works is that you sign up with them as a member of their brokered service. They may charge you a membership fee. They will probably have a website where you can post your bio. The brokering service then goes out to market and sell the services of its members. As potential clients become interested in coaching, they may locate you on the brokering service’s website and contract with you. You then pay a finder’s fee to the coach brokering service to work with this client. You represent yourself and your business in that interaction. Often, your contract with the client is independent of the coach brokering service, which means that you will negotiate your own contract and be paid directly by the client. If there are problems with the payment, you will deal with those issues on your own.

Roving Coach International is a coaching business. A coach cannot simply sign up to work with us. We believe that the quality of our coaches is fundamental to our business and there is a thorough vetting process. If you are contracted as a Roving Coach, you will never be asked to pay a membership fee. When you are placed on an assignment with one of our clients, you represent Roving Coach International. RCI is responsible for all marketing, sales, contracting, etc. You would also be paid by Roving Coach rather than by the client.

Yes…eventually. The current requirement for a coach to be contracted by Roving Coach International is that you be a graduate of an ICF-accredited coach training program. Many of our coaches already have ICF certification; the rest are currently working on completing requirements to be certified. We do have the expectation that you will eventually achieve certification at the ICF PCC level. Your work with Roving Coach can be considered as paid coaching hours, and therefore, will help you work toward that certification.

Most of our corporate clients ask about the vetting process and the qualifications/certification of our coaches. If a client specifically requests an ICF-certified coach(es), and you are not certified, you will not be able to work with that client. Also, there are ongoing, currently low-level discussions about coaches needing to be licensed in the future. We believe that if this were to happen on a state or national level, it makes good sense that ICF certification would be a key factor. From a strategic position, Roving Coach cannot afford to contract a large number of coaches who could not become quickly licensed.

As a coach, you will never be charged a fee to work with Roving Coach International. That does not mean there are no costs involved. If you are an iPEC graduate, you are already a little ahead of the game on expenses, but let’s talk about some of the costs involved:

• Coach training – If you are not currently a coach, or have been coaching without formal coach training, you must get that training from an ICF-Accredited Coach Training Program to work with Roving Coach International. We believe strongly that if you wish to be in this field as a professional, then training is a necessity. If you are currently considering coach training in your future, we strongly recommend the coach training program at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). Of course, graduation from any ICF-accredited coach training program will make you eligible.
• iPEC Mod IV and Roving Coach Situational Coaching™ training – If you are an iPEC graduate, then you have already aced this one! If you are a graduate from another ICF-accredited coach training program, you must complete the iPEC Mod IV training and the requirements for the corresponding Energy Leadership Index assessment Master Practitioner designation (ELI-MP). You must also complete the training on the Roving Coach Situational Coaching™ methodology. You can receive a discount for attending the Mod IV training as a referral from RCI. (See the Team Requirements page for details.) RCI will not reimburse you for these costs, but you can wait until we express an interest in contracting you to obtain the training, if you wish.
• RCI Culture Orientation – Once you are invited to contract with RCI, we will ask you to attend an RCI Orientation to become familiar with our unique culture and the guidelines involved with being a Roving Coach. And, frankly, we would like to meet you face to face! There is no charge for attending the full day Orientation program, but there may be travel costs involved.
• ICF Certification – Once you become a Roving Coach, ICF certification will be a strong recommendation. In the future, it may become a requirement. The expense required in obtaining and maintaining your professional accreditation status is your responsibility.
• Tools and Materials – At Roving Coach, we will supply you with a badge and other materials to support you in your role. It is possible that you may need to have available to you at your own cost certain technology capabilities. You should certainly have a computer with email and Internet capability. We will also share with you any technical requirements you may need to enable you to hold a conference call with a coaching client via WebEx or unlimited long distance calling from your office phone. (Note: at this time we are not asking you to have your own WebEx account.)
• Extended Opportunities – Our contract has a very specific non-solicitation clause and we expect that Roving Coaches will not solicit our clients for their personal business. That being said, there may be times where opportunities for additional business may occur for a Roving Coach. If that additional business comes to you as a result of your participation as a Roving Coach, we will ask that you pay us a 10% finder’s fee.

Roving Coach International holds in highest regard the program, the staff and the graduates of the coach training program at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). We believe that they have one of the best, if not the best, coach training program in the country. We also value their Energy Leadership model so highly that we have built the structure of our business around it.

We are currently honored to be interacting with iPEC in a Strategic Alliance partnership which offers many benefits to both of our companies. As one of many mutual agreements, iPEC offers discounts on Mod IV training to Roving Coaches. We at RCI have also made a commitment to give strong consideration to iPEC graduates in our hiring. Please note that this does not mean that every iPEC graduate will be hired, as there are many requirements that designate a good fit for Roving Coach. It also does not mean that non-iPEC graduates will not be given fair consideration.

We believe strongly in the iPEC Energy Leadership model. We also believe it is an excellent model for working with our clients. The Energy Leadership Index assessment is a strong tool and we will be using it with some of our clients. (Note: many of our coaches use it in their private practices as well.) However, the REAL reason we require you to attend the Mod IV training is that it provides a very strong foundation in and understanding of the Energy Leadership Model.

The Energy Leadership Model is also foundational to the understanding of the Roving Coach Situational Coaching™ methodology that enables us to assist our coaching clients in making valuable shifts in a short time.

When we started Roving Coach International, we conducted focus groups with many HR managers from different corporations. One of the things we heard these leaders express was their concern over lack of consistency between the coaches they were hiring. While we do expect our coaches to have their own unique coaching style, Energy Leadership and the Roving Coach Situational Coaching™ methodology give us the consistency of language and style that our clients desire.

We wish there were an easy answer to this question. There is not. One of our goals at Roving Coach is to have clients in 30 states within 3 years. We are also talking with companies who have international presence, and would love to involve internationally-based coaches as the business expands. We currently have a Director of UK Operations who will help provide us with coaching support for current clients with a UK presence.

We are also currently talking with a number of large companies who are interested in using remote coaching for their employees. For that reason, you may be deployed as a Roving Coach without having to leave the comfort of your office.

The bottom line is that if we offer you a contract, we will deploy you as soon as we have client availability. That deployment may take a while or it may occur rather quickly.

Great question! Since we founded RCI in 2009, we have had a SUPER POSITIVE response from coaches across the country and around the world! The response has been fantastic, but it is also a lot to process. The vetting process in itself is extensive. We ask that you be patient as we work to follow up personally with all our applicants.

Becoming a Roving Coach is truly an accomplishment for any coach, since we are very discerning about who we choose to represent RCI worldwide. For this reason, not everyone will become a Roving Coach. If we do not ask you to join us, it is not necessarily a negative reflection on your coaching ability. It may simply mean that we do not feel you are a good match for us at this time. If you are lacking specific qualifications, we can give you that feedback and you can reapply later if you wish.

If you have additional questions, please contact our Coach Liaison at stephanie@rovingcoach.com
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