As our coaches complete their three millionth session, we reflect on all that we have learned from the journey.
April 13, 2017 – a coaching milestone!
Just another day for many, but here at WebMD Health Services April 13th was good reason to stop and remember just why we do what we do. This day marked the three millionth coaching session either by phone or in person by WebMD Coaches since January 1, 2007.
In just over 10 years, the popularity and reach of our coaching program has grown tremendously. The first one million sessions were completed in four-and-a-quarter years in April 2011. Roughly three-and-a-half years later in December 2014 the second million had taken place. Now, in just over two years and a few months, we’re hitting the three million mark.
This growth has only been possible for one reason—coaching works. Just ask Verizon Communications, Inc. Their initial Weight Management Coaching program targeting 14,000 people was so successful that they have now opened up Lifestyle Coaching to more than 100,000 people.
You could also ask Keith or Karen, both of whom transformed their lives with the help of WebMD coaches.
What we’ve learned.
But, perhaps what makes reaching this three million mark so special isn’t what we’ve done but what we’ve learned along the way. What has all of this experience taught us? A lot.
Lesson #1: People appreciate help.
Most people really do want to feel their best but many simply do not know how to start, where to look or who to trust for guidance along the way. Changes may feel too overwhelming to achieve on one’s own and cutting through the noise to find help can itself be a hurdle too big to overcome.
These reasons alone sometimes prevent people from making the changes they so badly want to make. By offering people the help they need from someone they know they can trust, our clients help their populations leapfrog their way to achieving great things.
Lesson #2: The “why” matters.
In Matt Ferguson’s recent blog post, Motivation: The Key to Unlimited Potential, three of our coaches shared their insights on how they help people tap into the root reasons for making changes. It is here that true motivation is found. By getting to this emotive level, goals become clearer and the desire to reach them stronger, making it more likely that they will actually succeed.
Lesson #3: Coaching is an art and a science.
Together our coaches have an average of nearly eight years of industry experience. All hold undergraduate degrees and national certifications; two-thirds hold advanced degrees and specialty certifications. They understand behavioral science as well as biological science. But, they also understand people. They know how to flex. No two coaching sessions are the same because no two people are the same.
Thank you for three million amazing sessions.
At WebMD Health Services, we are honored to have been part of so many people’s journeys for these past 10 years. Over the course of our work with in most recent two million coaching sessions, we have seen many positive results including:
- Exercise boosted over 4 million minutes per week.
- More than 812,000 pounds lost.
- Reduced 25,000 cigarettes smoked per day.
- Increased fruit and veggie intake by over 140,000 daily servings.
These results are just the tip of the iceberg and a big part of why we’re so excited for the next three million sessions. For now, however, thank you to everyone who gave us the opportunity to reach this milestone.
