Coaching Part 3: Designing the Alliance...

• Article 1 - Coaching: An Introductory Overview

• Article 2 - Coaching: What makes coaching distinctive?

The series seeks to identify the basics of coaching for the uninitiated, managers and those seeking a coach right now. If anyone reading this article has already decided to hire a coach or is looking to train people within a business on the key skills of coaching please call us on 01435 865 711.

So far we have looked at a definition of coaching and what makes coaching distinctive. In this article I am going to be exploring the first interaction between coach and client - in coaching parlance, the interaction which will help to DESIGN THE ALLIANCE. I am concentrating on one to one coaching at present and will explore group coaching in a later article.

So, a decision has been made to do some coaching and probably at this stage the coach will have at least a basic understanding about what the coachee wants to achieve. In business, the coaching might be taking place for a variety of reasons. These might include;

• to support some training that has already taken place (this is often how we coach people at hr TEAM; on the back of for example a presentation skills, management or consultancy programme)

• A manager may have suggested coaching to meet a required outcome, or because an individual recognises that coaching is required to explore a specific issue

• Coaching may be needed to help with a career transition

In all the above cases there will be an initial session which will allow both parties to agree the most appropriate way of interacting, to set some ground rules and decide what, at least initially, is going to be the focus of discussion. This first session is called the intake.

INTAKE

Typically an intake session lasts for between 1-2 hours. It is usually done face to face although it is entirely possible to do the intake over the telephone. This is the initial phase of designing an alliance that will work for both parties. The value of taking time with an intake appointment cannot be overstated. Everything that follows in a relationship begins here. Coaching is not a standard product or service and as such the relationship between client and coach is unique. Hence the importance of a fairly long first session. Subsequent sessions might last from 30-60 minutes typically. The intake appointment differs from later coaching in that the coach will be setting the agenda - in subsequent appointments the agenda is decided by the client. So, typically what might you expect from an intake session?

1. An information mindmap
2. Completion of an agreement form
3. A wheel of life inventory
4. An exploration of the client's values
5. An agreement and discussion around the primary focus for coaching
6. An initial discussion of outcomes
7. Agreement about confidentiality

I want to look closer at two of these - Wheel of Life and Values.

WHEEL OF LIFE

The inventory or balance wheel is a snapshot of what is happening at the moment in the client's life. It will look something like this:

Why not complete your own wheel now? The 9 sections in the wheel of life represent balance. Seeing the centre of the wheel as a 0 and the outer edge as 10, rank your level of satisfaction with each life area by drawing a curved line to create a new outer edge. How bumpy would the ride be if this were a real wheel?

The wheel is a snapshot. It changes day by day, but at least affords the client the opportunity to reflect on what is happening and noticing what is in balance and what is out of balance. It will be used as a reference throughout the relationship.

Of course it is quite possible to design lots of different wheels. So if the focus was purely on business the sections might include promotion prospects, relationship with boss, relationship with colleagues, relationships with key customers, industry knowledge, and so on.

VALUES

Our values help us make choices about what we commit to in our lives. If you are not honouring your values when you make choices about activities and relationships you will get a sense that something is missing or not quite right in your life. Values are the qualities that define you, that are at the core of who you are. It is enormously useful to know our core values but not always easy to identify them. So the coach can help by asking the right questions. These might include:

• What's important to you?
• What do you care about?
• What do you want in your life?
• When has life been full, rich and exhilarating? What values were you honouring?
• What drives you crazy?
• What is so much a part of you that you have not thought to include it on this list?

Finally a core component is the primary focus. What is it that the client wants to focus on at least for the initial sessions (often a coaching relationship will last a minimum of 3 months). What area might bring the greatest reward? This might be quite specific - if it is linked to an initial training programme. On the other hand, the client may not at this stage be able to see a clear focus as yet.

Coaching is about give and take and the intake session reflects this. The client determines the success of the relationship as much as the coach. Designing the alliance is an ongoing process which is greatly enhanced by a successful intake, which allows the client valuable time to reflect on what is happening in his/her life and allows the coach time to get to know what makes his client tick.

In my next article I will consider some of the core skills required to be a successful coach.