Coaching is partnership or alliance between myself and the coachee in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the coachee to maximize personal and professional potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation / development of personal, professional or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.

I normally work with people in blocks of 6 or 7 sessions. There is no set format but ordinarily we start by setting some programme goals as a basis for the thinking we want to do together. Importantly, the time we have together is yours and you set the agenda by identifying the changes you want to see. My role as coach is to help you to think through the opportunities and challenges and help you to develop a plan of action which you believe in and can commit to.

In my experience people embark on a coaching programme for a wide range of reasons; some are starting a new role or taking on new responsibilities, others are seeking to overcome particular difficulties or make the most of opportunities. For whatever reason, the individual wants to improve their situations and achieve goals. They want to learn new ways of thinking and approaching situations, in order to get better results.

Goals which people want to work on might be improving confidence, overcoming imposter-syndrome, better delegation, time and priority management or improving relationships.

The coach’s skill is to utilise observation, questioning, listening and feedback to create a conversation which can facilitate growth and learning which enhances performance.

The coachee will experience a focus and attention that enable them to increase awareness and appreciation of their own circumstances. In addition, they will also create new ways to resolve issues, produce better results and generally achieve goals more easily.

Common benefits people experience from coaching include:

• Improved performance

• Improved sense of direction and focus

• Increased knowledge of self / self-awareness

• Improved ability to relate to and influence others

• Increased motivation

• Improved performance effectiveness, e.g. focussed effort

• Increased resourcefulness / resilience, e.g. ability to handle change

• Increased confidence

Most of my coaching is with leaders who are performing to a high level in their career, often they are transitioning to new responsibilities or facing new challenges in a role which they have held for a period of time. Coaching is for people who have the desire, commitment, time and drive to grow.

A coaching session usually lasts 60-75 minutes and since Covid most sessions are conducted on-line though in-person coaching can also be arranged.

The session will always start with a check-in before moving into a discussion which may cover reflection on previous discussions but will move quickly to whatever your current priorities are. The time will be spent focussing on your goals, considering any obstacles and limiting factors which may inhibit your ability to achieve them and working on how you need to be in your leadership in order to achieve the results that you want.

Most sessions conclude with one or more actions which you are committed to.

Most commonly, I work in blocks of 6 or 7 sessions, scheduling 1 session each month. At the end of the first block we feedback and review and sometimes a second block of 6 or 7 is arranged.

Longer or shorter blocks can be arranged depending on what kind of development you are looking for

One-off sessions are only valuable if a clear and specific goal or challenge can be articulated beforehand.

Coaching is not mentoring and isn't about me advising you or solving problems for you. Whilst I may have some experience which appears relevant, coaching is about you bringing your best self and your best solutions to your unique circumstances.

Coaching is not therapy. Of course our conversations may cover areas of personal development across a range of subjects but should you require support with your mental health, this should be sought elsewhere.

Leaders who get the most out of coaching commit to thoughtful preparation for each session, communicate honestly, remain open to feedback and assistance and commit the time and energy to participate fully in the program. I can't emphasise the importance of this enough, without it we are just having a chat.

You will need to be able to articulate the areas where you want to see improvement and invest in the thinking required to make progress.

Ultimately you are responsible for implementing the commitments made during coaching in order to achieve the desired outcomes and goals which you set out.