Coaching FAQs

What is coaching? Coaching is a partnership designed to:

• maximize human potential by capitalizing on existing strengths, 

• deepening an individual’s understanding of their impact and 

• furthering the development of new skills. 

Coaching helps clients articulate their vision, identify their defining values, set goals they feel passionate about, and create and plan their own self-directed learning. The coaching partnership is based on mutual agreements designed by coach and client.

OK, but what does coaching look like? It looks like a focused conversation between a coach and a client in which both are focused on unlocking the client’s potential and his or her ability to manage change. For more on the mechanics of the process, scroll down.

That sounds a little like therapy. How is coaching different from therapy?  Coaching differs from therapy in a number of ways. Differences involve the context of the relationship, the condition of the client, and the content of the sessions. For example, therapy is based on a medical paradigm, begins with the premise that the client needs healing, and is focused on the relationship between what’s happened in the past and the present condition. Coaching is based on a personal growth or business skill development paradigm, begins with the premise that the client is whole, and is focused on helping clients realize aspirations.

How do you use coaching as an organization development tool?  I believe that one of the best ways to impact organizational change is by starting with you, the individual. As you are coached to reach your maximum potential, you’ll also learn valuable coaching skills. You’ll then be able to use these skills in interactions with both your colleagues and your clients.

What will you do with the information I share with you in the coaching session? I keep it to myself. Your individual coaching is entirely confidential. If there are questions about your progress from others in the organization I will refer them to you. I keep brief notes from our sessions and copies of your pre-work. These files are mine and  shared with contracting organizations.

So what does the process look like? It begins with a process that allows you to define what you want from coaching. This includes a personality assessment, a 360⁰  feedback instrument (detailing how others see you), and a brief autobiographical form. We’ll use this information to create a development plan for you plus an informal contract outlining what we are working towards. We then meet or talk on the phone either one or twice a month. I occasionally meet with people for a single, intensive session, followed by monthly calls. For more information on this process, see Days of Discovery.