What would the first steps to coaching with you be? The chemistry session
We will start with an initial “chemistry” session of around 45 minutes to an hour, the key aim of which will be to check that you are comfortable with the proposed format for our sessions, with my approach as a coach and with me personally. You shouldn’t hesitate to say after this session that you don’t feel it is the right time for you to undertake coaching or to do coaching with me.
In this session we will go through your personal and career history and start to consider potential goals for our coaching and areas you’d like to explore.
Length of each session
Generally I find it is best to allow for sessions of at least 60 minutes to give is sufficient time to really investigate issues, get specific on goals and work through any actions you would like to take. Shorter sessions are possible and usually work best once specific goals have been identified.
Frequency
The length of time between sessions will vary depending on what we are working on together. Sometimes sessions every one or two weeks are helpful when we want to establish real momentum in working towards a specific goal. In other circumstances a gap of 4 to 6 weeks can work well, giving you sufficient time to absorb the effects of the coaching session and put agreed actions into practice. For some leaders ongoing coaching on a monthly or six-weekly basis, with no set limit on the number of sessions is more helpful.
Ongoing support
I am available via email or to speak on the phone between sessions. This is often helpful when practising changes you want to implement or where events occur that it is useful to talk through in real time.
What might the coaching sessions cover?
My approach to coaching is based on a belief that generally most people have the answers to issues they face somewhere within themselves and that these answers can be brought out if people are given sufficient space, support and constructive challenge when considering them.
Areas you might consider exploring range from the very specific such as formulating a business plan or enhancing performance in large meetings, to broader issues such as work life balance, long term career goals and consideration of the purpose of life and core values, often a useful foundation to change.
My approach is holistic so, although the focus is on career and performance at work, we will consider both home and work circumstances with a view to supporting you to be as effective and fulfilled as possible in all aspects of your life, in turn enhancing your performance at work.
I will very much be led by you in determining the format and focus of our coaching sessions after the initial chemistry session but starting with a session focussed on core beliefs and values can often prove a useful foundation to later work.
It may also be helpful to seek feedback from people you work with or for us to review previously completed or to complete new personality or strength profiles.
Will the sessions be confidential?
One of the most essential features of the coaching process is that it remains 100% confidential between coach and coachee. Without this there is a risk that you would not feel confident in being open with me and our coaching sessions would lose effectiveness.
Where an employing organisation is involved they may be keen to set parameters and goals and be given confidence that the coaching is having the effect they are hoping for. This can absolutely be achieved while retaining full confidentiality with the client. My default approach is to facilitate 3 way conversations to promote transparency and confidence in the process.
How would it work if you are employed by my organisation?
If I am retained by an organisation I would generally anticipate a three stage process:
- First a conversation with the employer (HR representative or manager) about the potential coachee, what the areas of focus might be, including is the coachee keen to be coached
- Second a “chemistry session” with the coachee as referred to above to check our chemistry
- Lastly all 3 of us together to discuss expectations and outcomes, agree the number of sessions and the best timing for a mid-way and final check in.
What if I want to discuss leaving my organisation?
Coaching will often involve a discussion about future career and life plans and this will often extend into consideration of whether you currently in the right role. Where I’m employed by an organisation I make it very clear that this will be the case and that the principle of confidentiality must be maintained so that the organisation is very clear that one of the outcomes of the coaching is that you may wish to change roles or even leave the organisation.
Will you take notes?
I will take a few notes during our sessions, usually more in the initial chemistry session, so that you do not have to re-explain things in subsequent sessions. As with everything in our sessions these notes will be confidential and will be destroyed an appropriate time after our sessions together end.
Post session record
About 15 minutes before the end of each session you will complete a brief summary of the session which you will e mail to me for a quick discussion. I find this is really helpful, both as a historical record and memory jogger, but also for you to refine in your mind what you are taking away from the session. I keep a rolling copy of these records so we can both have this as an ongoing summary of what we’ve been working on and what more we would like to focus on.
How should I prepare for the session?
No major preparation is required but the following would be helpful:
- Consider potential areas of focus you would like to cover in our time together
- Consider any outcomes you would like to achieve, what would you like to walk away with from coaching that you do not have now
- Consider what might be useful evidence that the coaching process has had the effect you are looking for.
- Review or bring with you any personality or strength profiles you have completed previously that you think might be helpful
- Review or bring with you any appraisal or promotion forms or feedback that you think might be helpful