What is Coaching?

What should I expect?

Well, let’s start with what coaching is not: it is not a process where the coach provides instruction or answers, nor is it about “fixing” a person or their problems. It is a relationship of equals where the coach provides a structure, questioning and challenge that enables a client to explore options and identify a path towards the achievement of their objectives. However, it is not just about creating an action plan. Whilst many people seek coaching for a specific problem or challenge, life is complicated. To achieve the optimum, sustainable outcome it is necessary to explore and challenge an individual’s perceptions, influences and experience to create an environment for effective decision making. Bringing the whole self into the conversation.

This might sound intimidating, but it is not! My coaching sessions are calm, reassuring, and non-judgemental. I endeavour to use humour effectively, but also have the ability to challenge when appropriate. I aim to help people understand that they have choices and utilise my coaching skills to help them to evaluate those choices. These techniques enable clients to challenge their own thinking, identify the best solutions to their challenges and develop a strategy to ensure that their goals are achieved.

How does the coaching process work?

It is very rare as an adult to find a place where you are not judged, where you can be open, honest and vulnerable: that is exactly what coaching provides. To create an effective foundation for a coaching process it is important for the client to have trust in me as a coach, and for me to have confidence that I can meet the client’s expectations. So, the starting point is an initial 20-minute session with a phone or video call to start to explore the client’s objectives, the potential coaching process and begin to get to know each other. There is no charge for this session, and at the end, either party may decide that they do not wish to continue.

If the decision is to move on to the coaching process, sessions of 1 hour will be scheduled at weekly intervals. These can be face to face, on the phone or video call. Prior to the first session, you  will be asked to complete and return a questionnaire to provide more detail of your objectives and expectations. Whilst I will provide structure to each session, you will set the agenda in terms of the scope and duration of the coaching process.

"It is never too late to be who you might have been."

- George Elliot