A brief introduction to coaching

Coaching is a non-judgemental, open, collaborative and confidential conversation between coach and coachee – focusing on the coachee’s own thoughts, challenges, outcomes and goals.

It is helpful to understand coaching by knowing what it is not. Unlike therapy, which is about helping people understand their past, coaching is generally forward looking and helps people to clarify their goals and how to achieve them. Unlike mentoring, which is when someone gains explicit advice from a person with a specific knowledge base, coaching is non-advisory and is about enabling you find your own solutions.

Coaching can take many forms, but generally you will receive a number of 1-1 sessions over a set period of time.

THE ROLE OF A COACH

To fully engage and support you during every session

To provide order and structure to your thinking

To be an objective, careful and empathetic listener

To act as a mirror to facilitate greater self-awareness and identify blind spots

To ask questions and use tools as needed to help you broaden your thinking and progress quickly

To be committed, open and willing both during sessions, and to taking action between sessions

To understand that it is ultimately the achievement of your goals are not the coach’s responsibility, coaching is a catalyst for change, not the change itself.

To prepare for each coaching session and to arrive with a clear idea of what you would like to discuss.

THE ROLE OF A COACHEE

WHAT DO PEOPLE USUALLY GET COACHED ON?

This is not a definitive list, just some suggestions of the kinds of things that often come up in coaching:

- - Sense of Direction (setting clear goals, confidence in decision making, career planning, making an action plan)

- - Wellbeing (dealing with stress, anxiety, a space to think to work through frustrations and find solutions)

- - Untangling Complex Problems (structure, workload, productivity, work/life balance, challenging relationships)

- - Self-Awareness and Self-Management (becoming aware of strengths, what is important, what you value, building confidence and resilience)

- - Identifying Sabotaging Behaviour (overcoming procrastination, assumptions, limiting beliefs and blocks to effectiveness and fulfilment)

This is only a very brief introduction!

Contact me for more information on the ins and outs of coaching

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