|
Our coaching practice is focused on assisting leaders to define their goals and develop specific action plans to achieve those goals. Discussions often begin with strategic or team issues, but typically broaden over time to include more personal impacts on leadership performance, including work-life balance or particular skill deficiencies that have been identified.
The process is designed to draw on experience, skills, expertise and intuition. It is a process of challenging and questioning which enables each client to find new and creative solutions to the challenges of leadership and management.
The goal is to define and design change in behaviour to create better leaders.
A successful coaching partnership is built on a foundation of rapport, trust and collaboration between the coach and the client. This is established over time with mutual commitment to the process. There are some critical elements of the coaching process which are not linear, but all are required for the success of the coaching endeavour.
Establishing the coaching partnership
There are typically three parties involved – the coach, the client and their manager. The scope of work is agreed between all parties. Once this has occurred, the coach and client can work together to establish a Coaching Agreement which outlines their roles and responsibilities as collaborative partners, and the expected outcomes.
Action planning
This allows the coach and the client to define some specific goals and the steps required to achieve those goals. The GROW (Goals, Reality, Options, Wrap-up) model is used to guide discussions which will result in SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goals.
Rehearsal and review
This is devoted to reviewing progress, problem solving, role play and addressing obstacles. Critical elements of this phase include support, challenge and stretch to make sure that the client is able to embed new skills and behaviours beyond the coaching session.
Evaluation and follow-up
This presents an opportunity for the coach to provide summary feedback on progress. It also allows the coach and client to jointly determine whether further coaching is required and to discuss methods to ensure that slippage does not occur.
How long does it take?
There is no prescribed time for the coaching process, although engagements are typically a minimum of six months to ensure sufficient depth in discussions and the ability to embed new skills and behaviours. Sessions are typically ninety minutes long and are held every three to four weeks to allow sufficient time for practicing new skills. |
