What is Leadership and Career Coaching?

Coaching is a process where an individual forms a partnership with a coach, who helps them work through a challenge or growth opportunity they are facing. Often, an engagement will last several months, but in some cases, even a single session can help get you unblocked and back on a growth path. 

In this process, my role is not to provide direct answers, but instead support you in finding the answer that is right for you. I have no agenda other than to support your growth. I will not “tell you what to do.” Instead, you will discover the right path for your own journey. For example, if you are going through a career transition, I will help you find the right next step for you. If I was in a similar position, I may choose a very different path, and that is ok - this is the beauty of coaching! This does not mean that I don’t bring my professional experience to bear. As our conversations unfold, I may share what I have seen from other people I have worked with, industry trends you may not be aware of, or any other context that they believe will be helpful in order for you to find your own answers. 

There will be moments in our coaching where I will remind you that only you will know the answer to what is right for you. It will likely be unfamiliar not to be given advice or be told what to do — but bear with it, and you will reap the benefits.

Benefits of Coaching

Coaching will provide you with increased confidence in your choices, and in making difficult decisions. You will have the confidence that you have considered your choice from different angles, have taken your own values, preferences, requirements, as well as other relevant context, into consideration. Over time, I find that the self-reflection that coaching unlocks will lead to a sustained increase in the your self confidence. This is a beautiful change to observe.

With increased self-understanding and confidence also comes increased performance. When you make choices that reflect their own values, you are able to align their work life to those values. I have seen over and over how such resonance leads to better performance and indeed higher levels of job satisfaction and indeed happiness! 

Choosing the Right Coach

Like in any partnership, it is important to find the right fit, so that you can reap maximum benefits.

Qualifications and Experience

Depending on your life situation and coaching needs, find a coach that has both qualifications and experience that you need. This is why, as a coach, I specialize in leadership and career coaching, because I have extensive experience leading teams, helping individuals thrive in their careers, and supporting many individuals through career choices and transitions. In addition, I have taken extensive training as a coach, which has allowed me to bring my coaching skills to bear in many situations. 

Last but certainly not least, I have been coached as a client for years and have worked with quite a few coaches, which has helped me understand how it feels to be on the receiving end and reap the benefits of coaching myself!

Coaching Style

My coaching style is one of strong support, flexibility, and accountability. Some coaches will hold back and let the client discover everything by themselves. If you ask me a direct question of what I have observed in my many years of working with individuals, I will tell you what I’ve observed. If you ask me what you should do, I will remind you that you will need to make your own choices.

As you decide on what steps to take, I will hold you accountable if you are open to being held accountable. I have worked with coaches who did not do this — there was no follow-up, and honestly, by the time the next coaching session rolled around, I had absolutely forgotten what I’d committed to, and my coach probably had, too. Or at least they didn’t bring it up. It took me time to figure out that coaching is more effective when there is follow-up between sessions. Put another way, I benefitted from “homework,” and I am happy to work with clients to provide it and hold them accountable for it.

Compatibility

Experience isn’t everything — compatibility is critical in a client/coach relationship. I like to laugh, have serious conversations, look at situations from all kinds of different angles, analyze, and brainstorm next steps. Compatibility isn’t something that you can determine from a blog post, so please reach out and set up a sample coaching session to find out more about me.

Testimonials and References

I have listed some testimonials on my website here, and am happy to provide more upon request. I’m also happy to provide references upon request.

The Coaching Process

Initial Assessment

Our first step together will be a conversation where we get to know each other, assess compatibility, and design how we would work together. This is an informal conversation where you will have ample time to ask whatever questions you may have.

Goal Setting

As we decide to work together, we explore your goals: this may be a career transition, a specific leadership challenge you are working through, finding out how to align your leadership to your values, or many other topics, as directed by you.

Ongoing Coaching Sessions

Each session will be focused on a particular topic. In some cases, we can tackle multiple topics, but typically we take our time to really explore the topic you have brought in. It is key that you determine the topics — you are in charge!

Sessions often result in an action plan that you take home. You determine what next step or steps you will take towards your goal, and how you want to be held accountable. Again, you’re in charge and I am here to support you.

Conclusion

At the end of our coaching engagement, we will take a look back at the journey we have taken together, and reflect on the growth that you have accomplished in this journey. I am confident that you will find that you’re in a different place, with more confidence and awareness of your own values. 

Wrapping up and taking the next step

Coaching is a partnership and a journey. If you’re ready for growth and change, I’d love to work with you and support you! Please feel free to set up time to connect with me.