Moving you towards your potential
The Coaching Process / The Nature of Coaching
1. Everything we discuss is completely confidential between you and me. No one else will know it unless you choose to discuss it elsewhere. In case of a sponsor, all I report is the time and date of the meetings. It is up to you if you wish to relay these discussions with them.
2. This venue has been chosen to provide a safe, interruption free environment for us to talk.
3. I subscribe to the code of ethics as laid down by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council
4. I will ask you what you want to talk about. You may have one or more topics that you wish to resolve.
5. As your coach my role is not to provide you with solutions but to give a framework of thinking, through carefully targeted questions, that allows you to produce your own solution and help you realise that solution by holding you to account for your decisions. This is very different from the usual interaction with a consultant who, we are all taught, will produce better thinking than the client – why else pay them?!
6. It is my intention that you leave here feeling that you have gained momentum and moved towards achieving your desired outcome.
7. Coaches rarely interrupt their clients and will wait until you have completely finished a thought. This may result in periods of silence. This is normal in any coaching session but not in general conversation. Are you comfortable with this?
8. I will pose questions designed to help you to examine the topic
9. These questions are formulated in such a way as to help you (automatically) consider and reflect on the choices and options you have.
10. Reflection on certain topics can sometimes create highly emotional states. This is normal and understood.
11. As your coach I may switch roles to serve you better. The roles can move from Coach to Challenger to Cheerleader to Confidant. At all times, I have your best interests in mind.
12. I may offer additional choices for you to consider as part of the options you are considering, once I believe you have exhausted all your perceived options. I will ask your permission to do so.
13. The intention is to help you create an action plan to achieve your chosen solution and how you will know whether you are succeeding in your goal.
14. As agreed we have allowed 2-3 hours for this session. However we can take as long as you want. If it is a complex topic and you need more time, you can decide if want to book a second session or several.
15. From time to time I will be taking notes. Is this Ok? During this time I will not be looking at you.
16. Is this process ok with you?