A Desire To Help People Guides Coach To Greater Achievement
By Mary Kaempfen
Ever since she can remember Natalie (Rowen) Gahrmann "always liked helping people."
And so she does. She now gives support as a partner to people all over the world who are "ready and committed to change."
For' Ms. Gahrmann is in charge of NRG Coaching Associates, which specializes in helping working parents achieve more balance and success in heir personal, family and work lives.
tier work is done with professionals, executives, managers, educators ' entrepreneurs and business owners who realize there is a gap between where they are and where they truly mat to be in their personal or professional lives. Ms.' Gahrmann helps her clients define, clarify and reach their goals.
What are some of the serves she offers? She provides, personal, business or parent aching to help her clients find balance between work and family life, transitioning to or from the world of work, raising happy kids (parental coaching is exclusively for parents and provides a support structure, and accountability.
She also offers her clients tools to help them become better parents, attain career goals or other personal or professional growth; enhance their relationships and even plan for starting up a business.
Recently Ms. Gahrmann was awarded the Associate Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation. The credential is granted to coaches who have demonstrated a commitment to high standards of professionalism, ethics and training.
The ICF is the largest nonprofit professional organization world-wide with personal and business coaches numbering 6,000 (1,000 are currently certified) with more than 145 chapters in 30 countries.
A coach like Ms. Gahrmann, who does her work by telephone phone, e-mail and in person, says that her role: is to, listen, support encourage and challenge her clients to achieve more of what they want in life.
The coach can be objective, and with the client can have a unique relationship as they work together toward the client's goals.
Ms. Gahrmann graduated from Coach University in 1990, after having received a master's degree in Administration and Supervision from Montclair State University in the late 1980s.
A stint at teaching a high school business course was followed by work in the corporate world, and then by being a super-busy parent who ultimately let a friend inspire her and lead her to coaching. N-R-G Associates has now taken off on a business life of its own.
What did the ICF see in Natalie so as to make her a certified coach? She demonstrates commitment to high standards, professionalism ethics and training.
Ms. Gahrmann had also submitted notes on her work with clients, plus she garnered recommendations from other coaches who attested to her professionalism.
I asked Ms. Gahrmann, "Do you need a lot of psychological training to be a coach?"
"Coaching and analyzing as you do in psychology are seen from a different perspective," she explained. "Coaching focuses on the what and the how (how you get there, what you want to do). Psychology focuses on the why (why is it important to you?)."
Ms. Gahrmann gives an example of a coaching situation: a person has a full-time job but is unhappy with his schedule or his boss. She will ask if they can talk about it, if there are any options ("Life is stressful," she adumbrates, "and there are more jobs being lost - is it wise to take a chance on losing a job?").
Ms. Gahrmann added here that she has to do her homework for each client, her research she has to look into sources and find out what is needed.
Her own book, "Succeeding as a Super Busy Parent," can also be a source book for clients.
Ms. Gahrmann makes requests from her clients who are trying to straighten their lives around and are committed to the task. She wants me to know that she has to be a good listener, be intuitive, hear what the person is saying as well as what be is not saying, that she picks up what is being said from the tone of the voice as well as conversation.
She may make an affirmation to her partner "I can hear that you are saying that you are not happy." The bottom line is for her to help bring a greater level of success and balance and personal effectiveness into busy people's lives and work.
With one of her flashing smiles, Ms. Gahrmann recounts that one of her greatest joys is "seeing that someone's goals are accomplished."
We took a moment out to sort out one of my problems that I haven't completely committed myself to solving - Ms. Gahrmann proved to be a good listener and a problem solver who showed a great deal of awareness.
Ms. Gahrmann belongs to several professional organizations, including the International Coach Federation, the International Association of Coaches, Coachville, New Jersey Professional Association of Coaches, Impacting Women Organization, Central Jersey Women's Network, and Alliance of Work/Life Professionals.
Since the late 1980s, the number of coaches has grown to between - 10,000-20,000 worldwide. Media attention has grown, and Ms. Gahrmann has appeared live on Comcast's CN8 Morning Show and on Mom talk Radio. Ms. Gahrmann has also appeared in a number of media publications, and she offers seminars and workshops, among others things.
She has also appeared on local Channel 8, and in 2004, during the last Wednesday of January and the first Wednesday of February, she will speak to audiences at the Hillsborough Municipal Building.
And she is her own Webmaster - maintaining www.nrgcoaching.com and www.superbusy parent.com for her current and future clients.
Whether speaking before a group or being interviewed for a publication or guiding a client, Ms. Gahrmann will continue to emphasize how to achieve a balanced life, how to minimize stress.
Ms. Gahrmann lives on Winding Way with her husband Richard and her children, Matt and Kaitlyn. This energetic lady is a school volunteer, a cheerleading coach for the Junior Raiders, a Cub Scout leader, and a member of the Inter Coach Federation.
Last but not least Ms. Gahrmann is an old-fashioned woman at heart - she's a cookiemaker ... but she stays thin with exercise.
Story courtesy of Packet Publications
