Coaching Professionals

It begins with an initial, no-strings-attached exploratory conversation. Call me. We discuss what you want the coaching to do, and explore your commitment to it, and what you would love from me. We also talk about how it will work with timescales and budgets. When you’ve had time to consider and have agreed to begin we put it all neatly in writing, and you get a Coaching Resource Pack that helps you begin to explore things.

In the first session we get to know each other even better; finding out more about you, the subject you are bringing to your coaching and how we work best together. And you’ll probably have a few ‘Wow, that’s interesting’ moments in there.

Then typically we begin a series of sessions. Most commonly this will cover 6 months or so. It usually begins with fortnightly conversations, then move to monthly. People tend to get so much from the conversations that it takes a few weeks to reflect, commit and do something within a busy work and personal life.

Sessions themselves vary from 30 minutes to half a day. It can be ‘dive straight in’, or ‘let’s take time to explore’. We’ll chat through the options and find what you are most comfortable with.

Skype video is increasingly the preferred choice for clients, especially if we’re working internationally and if we’ve met at least once in person.

For those based or able to meet in central London and southern England, face-to-face sessions are greatly enjoyed.

I have 3 price bands: Corporate, small business, and individual/charity/good cause. Prices can be affected by length and nature of assignment, and travel time (if appropriate). When we speak and talk through the support that’s most appropriate for you I’ll give a clear figure that you can rely on.

This is a great question to ask yourself. How much do you want to make something happen NOW? How painful is ‘not doing something’? Does it feel that if you act now, things will shift? Will things get easier or harder if you delay? The success of the coaching will depend on the inner ‘urge’ you have to make changes happen.

What else are you thinking of spending it on? What will that bring you more now, and over time, than the coaching? If you could make the changes that you are thinking about, address the challenges that are taking up your thinking, what will that do for you? How do these things balance up?

Yes. I’m credentialled as a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (the world’s biggest professional coaching body) – a process that requires me to adhere to a tough Code of Ethics, keep my professional development up to date and to demonstrate my training, knowledge, experience and capability to impartial expert examiners. I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders and have over 2500 professionally logged hours.

The best leaders have coaches, mentors, and trusted teams around them. Just like the best sports people, actors and performers – people who step out and do something extraordinary. The weakness, if anything, is in thinking you or anyone should be able to do everything alone. Or thinking you should be perfect. Or that because you are smart/ well educated/ well brought up/ dealt with hard knocks so far in life/ etc., that you should be able to cruise trouble-free through work and life. If you like, you can tell people that you are working with a world-class coach because you want to do something important to you. It shows boldness, drive and commitment.

One acknowledged approach (sometimes called The Manchester Review after the publication it appeared in) is to consider what effect you expect the coaching to realistically have on something that can be financially measured. Then think of a percentage that reflects how much of that figure can be put down entirely to the coaching. Then think of a percentage reflecting your confidence in those 2 estimates. Then multiply them. eg:

If you think you could save/gain $70K over the next X months/years, and that 50% of that may be down to the coaching alone, and that you’ve, say, 30% confidence in those estimates, the benefit could be calculated as 70 x .5 x .3 = $10.5K.
If the cost of coaching is beneath that figure the financial return begins to look justifiably healthy.

We will often be ‘checking in’ with how things are going for you. I will always be inviting you to raise anything that is happening that is not all that you want so that we can discuss and adjust. If things are still not right, or if at any time I feel someone else is better place to support you than me, we can discuss that, and if appropriate terminate any agreements.

Coaching can require courage, boldness and openness to vulnerability. There will always be care and compassion. And you are always in control; we frequently discuss and agree the scope, pace, direction and boundaries of the conversation to ensure you are comfortable. Also, coaching is not counselling or therapy, and other learning and training options are available. We can discuss other forms of support that may serve you well, or better, at any time.

At this point, you probably don’t. When we talk, you will get a better measure. When we work together you will find out. If it’s not working, we can simply part as friends. That has happened twice in the last 8 years.

We will discuss exactly that, and explore ‘What could go wrong?’ so that from the outset we avoid problems, address any issues and reduce any risks.