Our Approach to Executive coaching in detail

Briefing

The Coaching contract starts with a briefing meeting with the coachee and sponsoring client (if applicable). It is at this meeting we agree:

an explicit contract with the coachee.

Where clients are sponsored, we involve the sponsor in transparent contracting of objectives, confidentiality agreement and evaluation. During objective setting we expect sponsors to:

be clear about their expectations.
point out the implications of current performance gaps on the business.
agree rules around confidentiality, politics and individual responsibility

We also use this briefing meeting as a chemistry check between the coach and coachee. This is critical for the success of the relationship.

We then agree a programme of coaching, typically meeting monthly for coaching sessions of two to three hours over a period of 6 or 12 months supported by unlimited telephone support. We are happy however to flex the programme according to our client's needs.

Taking stock

The early sessions are devoted to getting to know our client and helping them to reflect on where they are now. We encourage them to draw their lifeline highlighting highs and lows which we analyse together. We use various diagnostics to evaluate their personality profile, personal values, leadership style as well as 360 degree feedback (where required) to help them see how others view them. We take a holistic approach reviewing business goals, personal goals and general Executive wellbeing.

Action planning

By now we have clarified what makes our clients distinguishably good, what makes them stand out. We stress the importance of playing to their strengths first and foremost but we are also focused on identifying areas for improvement and addressing any potential derailers.

We train our sights on the longer term - "Where do you want to be in 5 years' time?" and capture the elements which will determine their personal and career fulfilment.

We then pull the focus in to the short term and identify 4/5 challenging business objectives. The action plan is then devised to address these objectives whilst playing to their strengths and addressing their development needs, always mindful of their longer-term business and personal goals.

Implementing change

This is where the real learning starts to happen. We meet with our clients face-to-face to discuss progress against the action plan. We update the plans as their situation changes. We give them the confidence to play to their strengths and experiment with different styles to achieve the desired outcome. We challenge them when we feel they are avoiding facing up to an issue and support them in discussing what is holding them back.

In between sessions we continue the dialogue via email and telephone calls to maintain the momentum.

Close and Review

At the end of the assignment we revisit the coaching objectives with the coachee and sponsoring client (if applicable). We identify the behavioural changes the coachee has successfully made, the improvements in leadership style and the quality of the contribution they have made to the business.
We ensure the coachee has strategies and mechanisms in place to maintain their business and individual performance.