FAQ
- What is coaching?
For the purpose of this programme the term ‘coach’ refers to a professional executive coach. Executive coaching can be defined as follows:
Executive coaching is an experiential and individualized development process that builds a leader’s capability to achieve short-term and long-term organisational goals. It is conducted through one-on-one interactions, driven by data from multiple perspectives, and based on mutual trust and respect. The organisation, an executive, and the executive coach work in partnership to achieve maximum impact.
Another useful definition is ‘Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maxi-mize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them’. (Sir John Whitmore).
- How does coaching work?
Coaching provides a context to talk openly in a way that is not generally possible within an organisation. A coach is often described as an ideal sounding board.
Coaching is goal orientated and focused on achieving specific outcomes, be that behavioural or emotional.
Coaching can help increase yourself-awareness and awareness of others. Increased awareness generates a broader range of choices that in turn can generate different results.
Coaching can help you discover and consider different options for solving issues, dilemmas and problems and, through this process, promote new and innovative thinking.
A coach facilitates this by posing questions and challenging your fundamental beliefs and attitudes.
- What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
There is a clear distinction between coaches and mentors. Coaching helps you find your own answers and unlocks potential whereas, a mentor offers advice and guidance based on their own experience and track record of relevant situations and people.
- How do I get the best out of coaching?
Take accountability for your goals and learning; your coach will support you to find the answers but you are responsible for applying and embedding the learning.
Focus on your wants and needs; come to a coaching session with a direction in mind and specifics that you want to address.
Consider how you want to feel and not just what you want to think and do.
- What can I expect from coaching?
A peer to peer relationship built on trust, openness and safety. Your coach will support and challenge you to raise your self-awareness, define a clear development plan and explore feedback and your reaction to feedback. New behaviours, options and choices will emerge. You will be listened to attentively from a cognitive and emotional perspective.
Leadership development is a journey and your coach will support you to unravel complexity and simplify focus and intentions. The coaching approach is not prescriptive. You set the focus, topics and priorities.
- What shouldn't expect?
- You will not be judged – coaching is a safe place to explore ideas, thoughts and feelings. You will not be given recommendations and solutions. The coach facilitates your reflections to support and expand your thinking.
- What are the confidentiality principles?
The conversations between you and your coach are confidential. This is a key principle and ethic of coaching. Boundaries around this will be discussed and agreed at your first coaching session.
Emerging themes will be captured and fed back to the organization. No information will be directly attributable to an individual. The types of themes fed back to the organization are common issues, hurdles, and learning needs to contribute further to the development programmes of the organiation.
It might be useful for you to share your personal development needs/personal learning plan and your reflections following your coaching session with your line manager however, this is absolutely a personal choice. The principle of confidentiality is of paramount importance, and the coaching is entirely separate from the performance management processes within your organization.
In line with professional coaching standards, coaches receive regular supervision and may choose to discuss aspects of their relationship with you with their supervisor. This is bound by professional codes of ethics and confidentiality. For professional accreditation purposes, coaches maintain a log of coaching hours featuring the name of their clients and your approval for this will be sought in your initial meeting with your coach.
- Do I have the chance to give feedback?
Feedback is encouraged and welcomed, your coach will ask for feedback in your coaching session. Please give feedback to your line manager and organisation as you feel appropriate.
Feedback can be considered against the following questions:
- What worked particularly well in your coaching?
- What could have been even better?
- What did you achieve as a result of the coaching?
- What was your overall experience of the coaching?
If you have any questions which you would like to ask, but are not answered in the above then please contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.