Coaches offer different services. Some coaching companies offer packages that include one-on-one sessions with a coach, participation in an online writing peer group, and editing of documents. Do you have an idea of what you need and want from a coach?
Some people are on track after one session; some need multiple sessions. How much “hand-holding” do you want? How tough do you want your coach to be? Do you want the Coach from Hell to whip you into shape or do you want a Fairy Godmother Coach to pat you on the back and cheer you on? Best to know now, before you get Coach Nazi when you were hoping for Coach Sunshine.
Getting help or going it alone: The lonely decision of the non-traditional dissertator
What do you want from a coach? For each item below, choose a number from zero to 10 to indicate how much you want your coach to do the things in the list. Zero, obviously, means you don’t want a coach at all. Trick question, I guess. A 10 means you want the whole enchilada.
- Hand-holding__________________
- Critical feedback______________
- Discipline______________________
- Frequent interaction__________
- Telephone calls________________
Scoring: add up your numbers
- 0 to 15 You are a DIY kind of person.
- 16 to 30 You are somewhat confident.
- 31 to 50 You think you need a lot of help.
Normally, your Chair and/or Committee members should give you at least some feedback and support. Your Chair should help steer you back on track when you are heading for a cliff. Not everyone is so lucky, sadly. When your Chair doesn’t seem to be doing his or her job adequately, it might be time to hire a dissertation coach.
