Introduction to Coaching
What is 1:1 coaching?
At its heart 1:1 coaching is focused, purposeful conversation between two individuals, a coach and a coachee. The overarching aim of coaching is to enhance the performance of the individual in their role. The conversations can explore the factors that impact an individual’s ability to be at their best and fulfil their potential. The coach will work with the client, using their skills to listen intently, ask insightful questions, offer hypotheses, broaden perspective and help the coachee gain clarity and insights into the area they are exploring.
When working with a professional coach, the coaching is ‘contracted’ which means there is a specific purpose for the coaching. Boundaries, confidentiality and style of support are clearly discussed. The coach works under a coaching code of ethics. It is a more formal arrangement than a coaching style conversation with a colleague.
What does a typical coaching agenda include?
It is valuable to identify a number of desired outcomes from the coaching process. These will be discussed in detail as part of the coaching contracting meeting before any coaching formally starts. Some clients may or may not have a list of issues they wish to bring to the coaching. The range of themes typically explored in coaching include (but are not restricted to):
strategic management
organisational politics
managing upwards
team performance
emotional intelligence (self and relationship management)
behavioural change
personal support
leadership development
thinking time on problem issues
inclusion
personal challenge
work/life balance
career progression
meaning making
Executive coaches work with individuals around widening their repertoire of behaviour, controlling their emotional responses, developing their emotional intelligence, getting closure around unfinished issues, cultivating leadership presence and, for some, finding out what they want from the rest of their lives.
What is coaching not?
Training - training involves leveraging best practice and providing input to help the individual develop in a particular area. There is an expectation that the learner will be taught by the trainer. Coaching is a relationship of equals and draws on the resources of the individual, with the coach providing very limited input or theory.
Counselling/Therapy - seeks to develop personal insight and heal individuals emotionally and psychologically. It is more likely to explore the individual’s past and history, than coaching. In coaching, a coach may scan a person’s past to identify patterns that might explain the present but we are not ‘processing’ that work. Coaching is more future orientated.
Mentoring - mentoring and coaching do use similar skills of good questioning and listening, but with mentoring there is an expectation that the mentor has some relevant experience and can offer advice that the mentee would find valuable.
What can I expect from coaching?
Your professional coach can provide a distinct form of support. They will focus solely on your situations with the kind of attention and commitment that you may rarely experience elsewhere. Your coach will listen with curiosity to understand who you are, what you think and generally how you experience the world. Your coach will reflect back to you the kind of objective assessment that creates real clarity. During conversations, your coach will provide the challenge and support to help you overcome obstacles and get into action.
Initial meeting: Typically a coaching relationship commences with an initial meeting. This is an opportunity for the coach to find out about you, your role and begin to explore the area you want to focus on in coaching and how you may work together. Importantly, it is also an opportunity for you to get a feel for the coach and their coaching style. Once there is an agreement to progress with coaching, your coach will draw up a coaching confirmation form and the coaching programme commences.
Contracting: Your coach will spend time with you to cover elements such as boundaries, confidentiality, coaching style and what would be most valuable for you in terms of challenge and support. This is a key part of the coaching process and in ensuring you work with someone you feel comfortable talking openly and honestly with. It also ensures you begin the coaching work with a shared understanding of what this will involve. Part of this discussion will form the initial meeting and may explicitly revisit this in more detail in your first session.
Coaching agenda: You own the coaching agenda and commitment to working on the goals defined. Your coach maintains a commitment to support you on your journey in a way that supports your wellbeing and development.
Involving your sponsor: Your coach may suggest a 3 way meeting with your performance manager or sponsor for the coaching if relevant to your circumstances. The intent of this would be to ensure there is a consistent understanding of focus for the coaching and that they can support you to make the changes you want and need in the business as a result of the coaching.
Duration/Frequency: You will typically work with a coach for a defined period of time. The frequency of the sessions will vary depending on the situation, but a typical arrangement is a series of one to two hour coaching sessions every 3-6 weeks. Some clients prefer to have frequent coaching sessions, so they can implement insights gained during sessions and then quickly reflect on how those experiments applied in the real world have gone. These typically take place via 45 minute weekly video coaching sessions, which create a regular cadence to aid reflection time and momentum for taking action in service of change each week.
Feedback/other forms of learning: Your coach may suggest the use of 360 or psychometric feedback to help with self-awareness. They may also recommend seeking out mentors and/or reading material to support your personal development.
Actions in between sessions: Reflect on how much time you can realistically invest in your coaching process. Sessions can be typically 45 minutes each week and homework in between can vary in length based on how much time you have and how much progress you want to make in the next few months. It is recommended clients diarise both their coaching session time and their homework time to make sure assigned activities get done and don't get lost amongst overall day-to-day competing demands (e.g. work, childcare and downtime). Consider when would work in your week (where you have time to reflect and can be in your calmest state).
Coaching Code of Ethics
Successful coaching relationships are based on truth, openness, and trust. For maximum benefit you need to feel comfortable talking openly and honestly with your coach. Below are the code of ethics that guide how many professional coaches operate.
Confidentiality, care and respect - professional coaches maintain a level of confidentiality that is appropriate and agreed at the start of your coaching relationship. Your coach may recommend sharing the outcomes of your discussions with other parties, but will not do this themselves. Your coach will ensure that all records/notes are kept safe and secure and understands that professional responsibilities continue beyond the termination of the coaching relationship.
Competence - professional coaches are aware of their strengths and preferred style; they are committed to operate within limits of their own competence, recognising where it is necessary to refer you to a different coach, a counsellor or advisor. Professional coaches engage in ongoing professional development and supervision.
Conduct - the primary coaching relationship is with you and it is important that you own the coaching agenda. It is expected that you understand the purpose and appreciate the organisational rationale for the investment in coaching (if your organisation is funding the coaching), and maintain a commitment to the coaching process.
If your coaching is on a referral basis (where the coaching is sponsored by your organisation), the emphasis will be on you (not your coach) to share outcomes of your discussions with your Sponsor. Your coach will only disclose information from your coaching discussions with your specific permission. The exceptions being where they have a duty of care to you and the sponsoring organisation and have a concern for your safety, that of others, or that you have or will take an action that could damage the reputation of the sponsoring organisation.
Typically you will work with your coach for a defined period of time, and will agree any follow up or review around this.