Working Coach Profile #1: Greg Schaller, ACC

Today is Profile #1:  Greg Schaller, ACC.

Dr. Greg Schaller, ACC and his family recently moved from the west coast of the United States to Dubai, the largest city in the UAE. Having been a full-time pastor for most of his career, Greg left his pastoral role to transition into a new role as full-time leadership coach (he had done some coaching previously).  Now he works mainly with pastors, church planters, church leaders and missionaries in the USA, Dubai and the Middle East. But, he says coaching also gives him the ability to mix and work with business people in the Muslim world, which his past role as a full-time pastor might not have led to so naturally. Dubai is right in the heart of the 10/40 window where Christianity has very little in-roads – and Greg feels like this title of leadership coach helps him cross cultural and religious boundaries.

Why Coaching: About ten years ago, Greg was sitting at a conference when he had his ah-ha moment. Something clicked for him that day and he has been coaching ever since. “Coaching has made me more in tune with people. It’s made me realize how important trust is in relationships and it has made me a much better listener. I’ve realized it’s not how much you know, but often it’s how well I listen and that I am present to hear my client’s issues and discoveries.”

Client Story: In passing, a client of Greg’s shared a ministry dream that the client had little hope in and little energy to pursue. They began to discuss this dream, and started brainstorming ways and possibilities that this could come to life. Together, they designed an action plan, and in a matter of weeks, the dream came to life with funding to make it happen.

Personal Development: Gregg’s next steps are to gain coaching hours and the education required to apply for PCC credential. He works with a peer coach and has done some mentor coaching with the CoachNet staff.

Some of Greg’s coaching goals include:

1. Being a gift to those he coaches.
2. Becoming the best coach he can become.
3. Growing leaders.
4. To be used of God in the coaching process.

On Finding Clients: Greg says that positive, personal relationships are what help him find and maintain clients. He likes to quickly move from email to a phone conversation or a face-to-face meeting when geography allows. In Dubai, which presents different challenges than perhaps most other locations, he offers pro bono coaching for churches and pastors. This way the church takes very little risk upfront, but can quickly experience the power of coaching. Once he sees the pastor/leaders feeling supported and finding clarity, he moves into a formal contract.

In corporate settings, he aims for a face-to-face meeting with a high-level executive or employee. He talks through their needs and shares how coaching can help with those needs, adding in testimonies when they fit the context of the conversation. And he added that he always asks for referrals, leading to a client funnel that he says is “highly personal, very low cost, and simple”.

The Business of Coaching: Since starting his own coaching practice, Greg has learned that the business side of coaching is important. He’s learned that marketing is essential and that finding and focusing on his niche has been critical. He says “people are not so much interested in coaching as they are finding the solutions to their issues and problems. Coaching is not the end point rather the client’s growth and performance.  Many times it takes multiple exposures of the coach to a company, group or person for them to decide ‘yes, I’m signing up’. I find it’s helpful to start with people with whom you already have some kind of a relationship.”

Why CoachNet: “The training offered at CoachNet Global is outstanding. The trainers exceed my expectations in every offering. I would recommend 100 Launch as a baseline for every coach. It gets to the core of how to coach people. Someone could take this course to see if they want to proceed with ICF certification. And also, it’s important to put into practice what you’re learning right away – even with one or two people.”

Next Steps in Coaching for Greg:  He’s working on a PCC!