How Does Coaching Work?

The Coaching Process

The coaching process helps clients assess where they are today and determine what needs to be different in the future to accomplish their goals. It then supports and challenges the client in identifying changes in thought, mindset, behavior, or areas for growth/development, along with designing goals, actions, or mind shifts focused on achieving desired outcomes.

Setting Goals

The first step in the coaching process entails a cooperative effort to establish the client's overall goals for the coaching engagement. The company sponsor or stakeholder may provide input on overall engagement goals in company-sponsored arrangements. The client will then be responsible for providing a specific focus or goal for each coaching meeting. At the same time, I am accountable for interweaving the focus or goal to stay on track.

My Role as the Coach

During each meeting, the client can expect me to communicate, in a non-judgmental and unbiased manner, exactly what I observe and hear. I will offer reflections of what I hear, sense or intuit for the client to consider, confirm or correct. I will share observations, when appropriate, to expand the client’s thought process. I may challenge the client’s deep-seated beliefs or mindset and introduce new insights concerning their thoughts and actions. However, the centerpiece of my role is to actively and deeply listen to the client and utilize thoughtful, incisive questions to create the awareness necessary for new invigorating solution-oriented discoveries. From these discoveries, we will work together to design goals, actions, or mind shifts for the client to focus on in between meetings when much of the client's growth occurs.

Creating Results

The objective is partnering to achieve purposeful, productive and sustainable results for the client. Creating results depends upon a client's commitment to the coaching process, the topics, issues, situations, challenges, or opportunities brought to coaching, and a client's willingness to take action. You, as the client, are in the driver’s seat as it relates to creating results – coaching is the vehicle. Coaching brings new awareness, leading to new ways of thinking, acting and interacting. Finding solutions and taking the action necessary to create growth and change takes time and effort. That said, a committed client should experience small incremental growth or change early in the process, with more extensive growth or transformative change taking more time to emerge.