People come to professional coaching for different reasons and from different routes, as individuals or through their organisations. Every client is different, too, but whether I am working 1-to-1 or with groups, all are seeking change. What matters is the impact of the coaching, the changes that come as a result of it, and the positive value of the return on the investment. Because the outcomes people are seeking are so varied, whether you are a self-funding client or a leader or senior manager seeking coaching for yourself or members of your team, I generally operate a two-stage process, to ensure I am the right coach for you. The first stage is to schedule a gratis pre-coaching call (of up to 30 mins) to determine the ‘goodness of fit’ of my coaching style with your needs. It is also to ensure that coaching is indeed right for you and that, should you wish to proceed, you receive the highest-quality experience from me as your coach and that you will know the cost involved.
Moving forward, we would then have a 2-hour getting-to-know/intake meeting, after which, if you want to continue, we will plan a course of sessions, usually six in all, though it could be fewer. In organisations where 1-to-1 coaching is being organised for a team member, this first meeting might be a three-way meeting with your manager to jointly set parameters and goals, though thereafter the relationship is entirely confidential between me and the individual coachee. I recommend 1.5 or 2 hours per session, usually monthly, but it’s all about what will be most effective and helpful to you, the group or your organisation and all this can be tailored to your needs. Face-to-face coaching is always preferable but if your time is in very short supply, we can meet via Skype or Facetime.
See also My Practice and My Approach.
What people say
You asked relevant questions and encouraged me to look at some things from a different perspective so that the priorities soon became very clear! You also encouraged me not to be so demanding on myself, which was very good to hear from an external perspective. You really seemed to understand what my dilemmas were and could help me find solutions to everything! Despite only meeting a few times there was never a moment when you didn’t address exactly what I needed.” Translator
Following my coaching with you, I have started to organise my future with much more insight and precision – making decisions based upon reason and research and less on emotion. And my behaviour has changed: I am approaching challenging situations with more insight into my responses and awareness of my motivations.” Deputy Headteacher