FAQs

Since 2006, we have coached hundreds of adults in addition to the thousands of students we have worked with. In 2020, we created a new division, WorkSmart Coaching, especially for adults who are seeking Executive Function support. Visit WorkSmart Coaching and learn more about how we help adults become more effective.

We work with many students, parents, and adults who are struggling to manage their work, due to ADHD, diagnosed Executive Function deficits, or other learning differences. These individuals are often frustrated and discouraged, especially when their challenges are perceived as laziness. Most of the people we work with are very bright but haven’t been taught the tools and strategies required to achieve success. Our coaches provide the encouragement, strategies, and insight one needs to become more effective and confident in life. Parents gain peace of mind as they see friction at home subsiding - replaced by greater independence and less nagging.

The coaching process is transformative and takes time. Students in coaching are learning entirely different ways of viewing themselves and discovering their own motivation, often for the first time. Beyond skill-building, we’re helping individuals to take responsibility for their life’s direction. For work at this level, coaching can take many months, depending on one’s readiness for change and the scope of their needs. Progress is dependent on several variables such as how motivated the individual is, how self-aware they are, how narrow or broad the goals are, and how long the challenges have been present. A highly motivated but disorganized person may need just a short time to learn, practice, and internalize a new plan for managing their daily life. By contrast, a person who is easily frustrated struggles with attention, and doesn’t know how to get work done on time might need more time to learn the specific skills they will need and to apply them independently. Our goal is to help clients achieve confidence, competence, and independence as quickly as possible. Our reputation is built on that premise.

Executive Function is the set of self-management skills that help people achieve goals. In order to effectively meet the challenges of ever-increasing school, work, and life demands, people must be able to manage their emotions and attention, organize and plan their work and time, and reflect upon and revise their tactics as circumstances change. Our goal is to help individuals become more effective by teaching skills that apply well beyond the current challenges faced. Coaches use real-life situations from school or work as vehicles to build these Executive Function skills.

As coaches, we teach the skills that allow one to become effective and independent. We use current challenges - a night of homework, preparing for a test, preparing a presentation, turning in hours worked on projects, balancing a social life with academics or work - as a springboard to teach how to approach the next challenge. We apply a gradual release approach where we begin with considerable support and then focus on the client’s acquisition of tools and strategies so that they can become more capable of doing the work on their own. As one sees success, they become more confident, more willing to invest greater effort, and more capable of working independently. In addition to the school/work-specific skills that this sort of coaching provides, the Executive Function lens allows us to build broader skills, such as time management, organization, sustained attention, and self-awareness, that lead to success in other areas of life.

Coaching sessions are held via Zoom from wherever will be most conducive to a coaching session.

Online coaching provides greater flexibility for scheduling and more options in finding the right coach for your student from our 350+ coaches on staff. Clients can also work with their coach in the safety and convenience of their own home or office. Lastly (and most importantly), we coach online because we've found through our research that it works in improving Executive Function skills.

Weekly coaching sessions can be scheduled on any day and time that's convenient for you (including weekends.)

Beyond BookSmart has developed a secure online portal that clients can access to view priorities, tools, and strategies addressed in coaching sessions. Coaches also include assessments in two areas: mindset and mastery of a particular skill. We track progress along both of these lines. Clients can see notes regarding session highlights and the degree of mastery of different tools in the portal.