What is professional development coaching?
At its heart, coaching is a conversation. You know how sometimes you can solve a problem or come up with new ideas by talking things through with someone? That’s what coaching is, but with a structured approach to making the most of that conversation.
How is coaching different to mentoring?
Coaching is often confused with mentoring, training or counselling. The main difference is that a coach doesn’t tell you what to do. We know you have all the skills, experience and knowledge you need, we just hold the space for you to find the best solutions to help you to get to where you want to be.
Is coaching only for executives?
I coach people who work. They might be leaders, or they might be contributing as experts in their fields. They might be employed by large organisations or they might be running their own businesses, but they are all interested in doing their best work and achieving their goals.
What can I expect from a coaching session?
Coaching is confidential and respectful, based on trust. It’s not about me telling you what to do; it’s about me asking the right questions and creating the space for you to reflect on the mindsets, habits, behaviours and assumptions that might be holding you back from reaching your potential.
Above all, coaching is about action. We will focus on defining and committing to the steps you’ll take on your path towards your goals.
What can a coach help me with?
Professional development coaching can help people who are navigating change, like a new role or a new structure at work. It’s also great for people who want to take charge of their careers, or who find themselves trying to decide the next steps in their careers. Ultimately, coaching helps people to work out where they want to be and how best to get there.
How long is a coaching program?
A typical program involves six one-hour meetings. We have an introductory meeting beforehand to discuss the process in more detail and to start to think about your goals for the program. If your organisation is sponsoring your coaching, we can add an additional meeting at the beginning or end with your people leader if you’d like.
How often do we meet?
The timing of the meetings is flexible and you decide what works best for you. Some people like to meet every week or every couple of weeks, especially at the start of the program, and others like to catch up once a month so they have time to work on their actions and reflect on how it’s all going.
How do I get started?
To find out more about coaching and to decide if it’s for you, send me a message via my contact form and we can set up a time for a chat.
