Coaching Process

A More Detailed Look at the Coaching Process

Individual Coaching

The process is adapted to specific needs and wishes of the client (person coached) and the organization.  For individual executive coaching the key elements include:

  • Introductory discussion between the client and the coach to answer any questions about the process and expectations and to become acquainted.
  • Some questions to answer in writing before the first coaching exchange.
  • An in person meeting with the client for about two hours.
  • Completion of a 360 Assessment using a web based instrument or in person interviews.
  • Sharing the confidential report on the Assessment with the client and the person to whom the client reports.
  • Meeting with the client and the person to whom the client reports to discuss the goals to be achieved and how success will be measured.
  • Beginning the twice monthly, fully confidential coaching exchanges.  At the beginning of each exchange the client sets goals to be accomplished during the exchange and the commitments made during the previous exchange are discussed.
  • At the end of each exchange, asking the client to recap the discussion and to commit to those actions the client has said needs to be carried out.
  • Frequent assessment and measurement of the success achieved in reaching the established goals.
  • Three months into the coaching exchanges another meeting between the client, the person to whom the client reports and the coach to discuss progress and goals that remain to be met.
  • At the end of six months, the coach writes a report that includes an assessment of the progress made, continuing points to be emphasized and the coach’s recommendations.
  • This confidential report will be sent to the client and to the person to whom the client reports.
  • A third meeting with the client, the person to whom the client reports and the coach is held to discuss progress and next steps.

Individual executive coaching requires an openness and interest in expanding and honing one’s thinking and leadership skills.

Team Coaching

There are several proven ways to accomplish new team goals. The specific process will depend upon the needs of the leadership team and the organization. Some consistent elements include:

  • An explanation of the coaching process to the executive leadership team to be coached.
  • The coach being present at and observing a regularly scheduled executive leadership team meeting.
  • Creating an environment in which team members feel safe in presenting their honest ideas.
  • Facilitating agreed upon ground rules for giving and receiving questions and feedback.
  • An understanding that the coach’s client is the entire team.
  • A candid assessment of the level of genuine trust within the team.
  • Assessing the level of openness, creativity, support for team decisions and the ability to produce everyone’s best thinking.
  • Each team member’s best thinking on common goals for the team culminating in agreement to a few key goals.
  • Facilitating development of a stretch goal for the entire organization.  This measurable goal for the entire organization and the team goals will be integrated as a key part of the team coaching over a six to twelve month period.
  • Establishing measurements to determine success in meeting the agreed to goals.
  • Introducing fundamentals of coaching that can be highly useful in creating greater trust, exceptional decision making and a higher level of team effectiveness and performance.  These include:
    • Listening
    • Asking open ended questions.
    • Acknowledging others.
    • Providing honest, thoughtful feedback to others.
    • Encouraging others.
    • Recapping what you heard.
    • Holding oneself and others to a high standard of accountability.
  • Measuring progress towards meeting the team goals and the overall organizational goal during each team coaching exchange.
  • The coach will attend quarterly a regularly scheduled executive team meetings and share his observations with the team.
  • An executive team meeting will be held monthly devoted to a coaching exchange.

The team will determine before the exchange what it wishes to accomplish during the hour long meeting. These goals will relate to achieving the team goals and the stretch goal. The coach will ask who will be accountable for each goal set forth in the meeting.

Creating a higher level of trust, exceptional decision making and overall team performance requires openness to positive change, specific and measurable team goals and sustained effort and commitment.

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