My Approach

In my approach to a coaching assignment I prefer to work with a five step process as outlined below. This will include a minimum of four coaching sessions and will include up to three ‘LookInside‘ psychometric assessments for the client.

” Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom “

– Aristotle –

I would expect to allow a timeline of between 5 and 7 months to work through this process depending on the nature of the coaching assignment.

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• Step 1

  Discovery Session

  This first step is a crucial part of establishing rapport with the Client and initiating the first steps in the coaching relationship.  

  This step in the process includes personal introductions, assessment of chemistry & fit, initial identification of needs, outcomes & key stakeholders, and introductions to the proposed coaching process & approach.

  

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  Step 2

  Contracting

  Once there is agreement of fit and the coaching needs are understood the next stage is ‘contracting’.  This stage is important in building trust as this sets clear boundaries, agreements and measurements of success.

  It also allows any stakeholders to be clear about the issues to be addressed and firms up confidentiality and reporting processes.

• Step 3

  Primary Coaching Sessions

  My initial contracting approach is for four ninety minute (min 60, max 90) sessions. Generally, my approach is to manage these sessions in 3 or 4 week intervals. In this way we ensure that the client has enough time to reflect and engage his/her thoughts and to enact any actions that might be agreed.

  Across these primary coaching sessions I will utilise my preferred psychometric assessment tools as needed and as agreed with the client.

  

  Within this step, the following coaching sessions would take place across a four month timeframe which includes time for psychometric assessment, reflection, homework and actions.

  • LookInside Session 1: In this first session together we will work to clarify the clients topic for the overall coaching assignment. Of particular interest in this session is information about achievements and past successes which will be surfaced through a review of a pre-coaching questionnaire that the client submits prior to this first session. We will explore, inquire and discover the clients sense of self, personal values, deeply held beliefs and fears, as they relate to the current realities associated with the coaching topic.

  • LookInside Session 2: In this second session we will continue with the discovery and build on the clients positive self-regard with respect to the coaching topic. Here we will further refine and potentially deepen the coaching topic to better understand the clients picture of success. At the end of this session we should have identified the core goal or objective for the coaching assignment.

  • Subsequent LookInside Coaching Sessions: By the end of the 2nd coaching session we will have usually agreed on the focus for the rest of the coaching relationship, having identified past successes, current capabilities and future potential with this topic and now having arrived at a clearly defined goal for the coaching assignment.

    From this point forward the coaching relationship can vary significantly in how we continue through the coaching assignment. These subsequent coaching sessions will be less prescribed than the first two with client leading the conversation and exploring how they can access and use their inherent and natural strengths (personality traits, emotions & state-based strengths) to incorporate a solution-focused perspective to the coaching challenge.

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  Step 4

  Reviewing Progress

  While within each coaching session we will review the usefulness and effectiveness of the session itself, I also deliberately schedule a formal assignment review after the first four coaching sessions as a way to gain an overall sense of progress against the original goal.

  Depending on the outcome of this step there may be the need to agree up to two additional coaching sessions (secondary coaching sessions) in order to bring the original coaching goal to a natural conclusion. 

• Step 5

  Final Review & Assessment

  Any this stage we bring the coaching assignment to a conclusion. The intention here is to reach a point where my involvement with the client as their coach ends and they continue without my support.

  In this closing stage, I, along with the coachee, will acknowledge the key points of progress and benefits, alongside requirements that may not have been met or anything else that remains incomplete.