SPG Blog

Sage Portfolio Group offers a unique and affordable coaching option that we call ‘coaching gym’. Like a fitness gym, a coaching gym provides unlimited monthly access to services and programs for a monthly ‘membership’ fee. The coaching services are provided in a one-on-one format by telephone and email, and we offer the occasional group format teleclass to members who are working on a similar issue.

We offer this coaching gym access to our employees and contractors as a workplace benefit. I felt it was important that my staff who do not have coach training receive direct experience with coaching, not only to enhance their professional and personal development, but to increase their understanding of what it means to work for a coaching company. I want those associated with Sage Portfolio Group to truly believe in the products and services we offer. Our staff have been using the coaching gym for about six months now. They coach on their own time and we allow flex time to make it all work.

In the beginning, there was a bit of resistance. Some staff thought it might be hokey. When I explained my reasons for their participation, they humoured me and gave it a try. As time went on, I started to see them get more and more engaged with the process.

First, I heard that it was helpful to have an outside opinion. Then a staff member told me she had been working through a specific problem in the coaching gym and she felt she was making progress. Slowly, I started to notice that my staff were regularly scheduling their time in the coaching gym. Then another employee took the time to tell me how much she really enjoyed the coaching gym and how powerful it was for her. We have been hiring a new employee for our organization this week. “Make sure to tell him about the coaching gym,” a senior staff member said. “It’s a really cool benefit!”

I am fascinated by the slow and steady change that has taken place in my staff as they have grown to accept and then embrace coaching. Offering coaching to our team allows us to show them that we are different, we are dedicated to their ongoing growth as individuals, and they have a resource to access that will support their problem solving and learning. We believe in our employees and our ongoing positive relationship with them, and the coaching gym helps us stand out as we recruit some of the best talent in our industry.

For more information on Sage Portfolio Group’s Coaching Gym, click here.