HOW DOES COACHING WORK?

My three main objectives in a coaching session are:

1. to help you better understand and be more aware of your issue
2. to help you draw up plans for a positive outcome
3. and to support you in carrying through those plans.

I coach either face-to-face or over the telephone. E-mail, letters or Instant Messaging are not effective because they send only limited information. If I am to help open up your thinking, it's essential that I am aware of all the messages you send out – not just what you say.

GROUND RULES

• Our sessions are conducted in absolute confidence and trust
  You must be able to examine your thoughts and feelings knowing that anything you say will go no further.
  
• As your coach, I am not judgmental or critical in any way
  My job is to provide a platform for you to examine your true position and desired outcome based on what you, yourself, think and feel. You will find that often you are more judgmental and critical of yourself.
  
• I am your staunch, 100 per cent supporter
  My role is to look after your interests so that you leave the session feeling positive and energised.
  
• All sessions are conducted entirely under your control
  This means I do not dictate to you what you should address or to what depth. You can, at any time, stop the session, change the subject under consideration, or decline to follow a train of thought for whatever reason.

ANATOMY OF A SESSION

So what happens?

Review: We always start with a review of your progress and achievements since the last session or something positive that has happened in your life.

Topic: I then ask what you would like to work on in the session. You might want to explore something specific or look at the priorities in your life and work. Or you might just want to use the coaching session as an opportunity to think aloud about anything that comes to mind.

Discovery: We then examine the current situation to create a strong starting point. Open-ended questions help you gather information about where you are, for example:

• what have you achieved?
• what do you think and feel?
• what are your values and opinions?
• what lifts your energy and what drains it?
• what makes you stressed and what relaxes you?

If we are exploring a specific issue, I might ask questions such as:

• what are the facts as you see them?
• who else is involved and what is your relationship with them?
• how frequently does this issue occur and what is the impact on you?

Just simply asking these kinds of questions opens your mind to possible solutions and to your desired outcomes.

Goals & Outcomes: Then we work on how you'll find the energy to carry out your plans by exploring your determination to get to the goal:

• is it still an appropriate goal?
• do you need to break it down into smaller steps?
• does it put you on the path to your dreams?
• is it your goal?

Options & Action Plan: You evaluate your options of how to get there and draw up an action plan with dates. You now know what you're going to do and when you're going to do it.

Close: We finish with a review of what you have achieved in the session, and close with appreciation.