So, what do you do?
I’m an Executive Coach.
At this point I usually get one of two reactions
a) Oh, how amazing! I think coaching is so important. I had a coach last year and it literally changed my life
Or
b) [Quizzical look.] Oh, right, so, what do you actually do?
So I thought it might be worth explaining.
Let’s start with the why. People come to coaching for many different reasons. Maybe they’re starting a new role and want to think through how they’re going to develop their leadership to meet the challenges of a bigger team, more responsibility and less control. Others are established leaders who want to stay fresh, to create space in their pressured lives for reflection and growth. If you have any (or many) questions about how to do your best work, then coaching can help.
But perhaps you’re also wondering what actually happens in coaching. What will it be like? Do I need to know exactly what I’m after? Will I be laying on a couch having to share my deepest, darkest secrets? Will you tell me what to do? Let me break it down:
🧪The very first step is to meet and see whether you think we might be a good fit for each other. We have a short call for you to share what your situation is or what you’re looking for – even if it’s not entirely clear yet. And I explain my approach to coaching, give you examples of the different topics I cover, and answer any questions you have about how this might work.
📝If we go ahead, before our first session I’ll send you some information about our work together and ask you a few more questions about you and what you’re hoping for now that you have a coach. It’s completely up to you whether you fill this in and how much information you give. Being unsure about your goals is fine!
🔎In our first session we’ll go over those questions and talk through what brought you here and what good would look like for you by the end of the coaching. This might mean exploring what questions you want to answer or where you want to get to in your role or your career. We’ll also talk about makes you tick, what helps you make positive changes in your ways of thinking and acting and what kind of support you think might help. We’ll decide on what rhythm of coaching will work best for you and make a longer term plan.
🎮Throughout the coaching I’ll be checking in with you on what is and isn’t working. You decide how much you want to share, how deep or how practical you want to be. You steer when you want questions to help you think something through and when suggestions might be helpful. There’s no couch and this isn’t therapy. You might choose to bring in things from your past if you want to – our focus will be on what this means for how you are making sense of things now and what this means for your future. Trust and confidentiality are paramount: they allow you to be honest, with me and yourself.
My own coach helps me take a step back, to think things through, to understand and challenge myself and to get things done that I never dreamed were possible. With her I reflect and I learn and I grow. Yes, I still seek out new knowledge and better skills – going on courses, reading books – but I know that at this stage my most fruitful investment is in how I think (and then act).
If you want to find out what it might be like for you, get in touch and let’s see…
