Frequently Asked Questions 

1. How do I know you are legitimate?

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I’ll be happy to get on a Zoom call if you think I am an avatar instead of a real person. 

 

References, including clients, as well as contacts from Business Schools that I am affiliated with, whose alumni or graduate students I coach regularly can be provided. 

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2. What kind of coaching do you do?

The majority of my clients seek coaching help because they feel stuck in their careers or they are eyeing for a coveted promotion.

 

The issues they face range from not knowing what vocations they should be in to how to navigate tricky workplace situations. These include individuals who are about to graduate to mid or late-careers with significant experiences and master degrees under their belts. There are also individuals who need help in their transitions, such as preparing to take up a new promotion or introducing change initiatives in the workplace. Those working in Family Businesses tend to have work and family dynamic issues that vex their hearts. 

 

Those who retain me on yearly contracts focus on improving their leadership quotient and I also act as their sounding board for strategic matters, for example, fundraising, M&A and talent management.

 

Topical interventions such as improving confidence, exhibiting executive presence, changing the leader’s vocabulary or widening influencing styles might occur during our coaching sessions only if they form a part of the holistic journey that serves an integrated purpose. 

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3. What can I expect to take place during coaching sessions?

Firstly, you can expect full confidentiality. Everything we discuss is strictly private & confidential. Occasionally I share coaching stories of my clients but I will mask their identities and obtain their approval before sharing. 

 

During coaching sessions I will be asking questions and you will find yourself doing the majority of the talking. An important part of my role is to listen and ask insightful, and sometimes, uncomfortable questions that aim to shift your perspectives. I could also provide you with some hypotheses which we will deliberate together and then for you to validate these hypotheses. 

 

You will also be doing agreed ‘homework’ in between our coaching sessions. While coaching does provide a safe environment for my clients to discuss important matters, growth accelerates when you take actions. 

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4. How long does it take for me to see results? 

It depends on your specific situation. I have clients who obtain clarity within their first coaching hours despite feeling stuck for years and have tried to answer this vital question of what role they should be in. 

 

Generally a 6-month process of 6-8 sessions is helpful for someone seeking Career Transitions, while 18-24 months is ideal to obtain the full benefits of sustainable personal growth and breakthrough, into Peak Performance. 

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5. What is it that coaching does that I cannot obtain from classroom training & workshops, reading a book, talking to a friend or watching YouTube videos?

 

It is wonderful if you have been doing some or all of the above in seeking your personal growth; these are vital. One of the biggest strengths of coaching is, it is totally contextualized to your unique situation. Hence it is targeted, a lot more productive and your learning experience is a lot more vivid. 

 

While I love to read, knowledge from books can be clouded by our own subjective lens and our abilities to understand and apply, all huge limitations. In addition, 1 to 1 Coaching evokes emotions and imagination which are key ingredients to firing up your aspirations and commitment. 

 

As your Coach I am also your advocate and accountability partner that journeys with you through your growth journey, which are likely to be uncomfortable as all growth situations usually are. 

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6. Are there situations where coaching doesn’t work? 

 

Absolutely! Coaching does not work when the Coachee is self-absorbed, narcissistic, or has deep underlying emotional or psychological issues that are unresolved. However, I do have clients who work concurrently with me as well as with their therapists and psychiatrists. 

 

It doesn’t work if the Coachee comes with the attitude of, ‘Come, tell me everything I need to hear!’, because directive teaching is only a very small component of effective coaching that seeks to empower the coachee to engage and self-discover through the coaching journey. 

Coaching also loses its effectiveness if the Coachee does not take actions that are agreed upon. Put simply, the Coachee should be more interested and invested in his or her breakthrough than the Coach, right? 

 

7. Will you guarantee a new Job or Promotion if you coach me?

 

What I can assure you is you will experience clarity, self-discovery and a new set of tools and processes that you carry with you when your coaching ends. A new job or a promotion are factors that are heavily influenced by market and organizational dynamics that are beyond my control. 

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8. Can you give me advice on my CV, Cover Letter, LinkedIn Presence, Interviewing & Networking Skills, or even how I should work with recruiters, or negotiate my salary package?

 

I am most happy to work with you on any of these. After all I spent nearly two decades as a retained search consultant.

 

9. Do I need to be of a certain seniority to work with you?

 

Absolutely not. I have coached senior executives, next-generation leaders of Family Businesses, Business School students, Undergraduates, PhDs, Office Managers, Administrators etc. I am equally comfortable and effective in working with anyone from the range of Billionaires to Bankrupts.

10. Do you specialize in any particular role, sector or region?

 

I don’t and that’s the beauty. I spent the first decade of my professional career across functions within financial services and my work in executive appointments, leadership & career coaching, as well as mentoring venture building teams have provided valuable opportunities to work across Asia Pacific & Europe, across various sectors and roles, for example:

 

• Consumer, Corporate, Investment & Private Banking

• Agriculture

• FMCG, Supermarkets & Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Aviation

• Legal

• Real Estate

• Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical & Next-Gen Genome Sequencing

• Digital Business & Technology

• Shipping & Shipbuilding

• Engineering & Supply Chain

11. What tools do you use during Coaching?

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Depending on your unique situation, I may use modified versions of 360-degree feedback, Transaction Analysis in Social Psychology, Peak Performance Thinking, modified MBTI, Pyramid Writing style, Role Playing, Improvisation, or work through Art Pieces, etc.

 

 

12. What should I do next? 

 

Drop me an email at patrick.pacificpillars@gmail.com and let’s schedule a phone or Zoom/Skype/Whatsapp Video/Line Video/WeChat video call and explore how we can work together.