Frequently
Asked Questions
Leadership coaching is a tailored, one-to-one developmental process designed to help leaders and emerging leaders unlock their potential and support them in achieving professional and organisational goals. Coaching is a partnership whereby a coach helps a client set stretching goals, build self-awareness of both strengths and blind spots, and build confidence in the person (and leader) they are becoming. In our leadership approach we often explore aspects of personal branding and presence, influential communication and EQ, stakeholder management, alliance building, and enhancing strategic capability.
Team coaching in a corporate context provides the structure, support and challenge to enhance a team’s collective performance and cohesion. Unlike one-to-one coaching, team coaching focuses on the team as a whole agreeing ways of working, values, principles and roles, while also developing relationships and communication both within the team and with other critical stakeholders. Key examples are an Executive Leadership Team, Heads-Of Leaders, a Middle-Management Team, a Sales Team.
In team coaching, a specific team that works together consistently (e.g. executive leadership team, sales team, product team) work with a coach to define team culture, roles and principles, ways of working and to define success measures. Conflict can sometimes be a challenge in teams which can be a key reason for hiring a coach. In contrast, a group brought together for coaching are likely not from a single team. These people may not work together on a day to day basis but will share an interest, or goal to develop a core skill such as interpersonal relationships, personal branding or influential communication skills. In both team and group coaching, workshops and sessions are facilitated by a coach.
No coaching and mentoring are not the same discipline although some coaches can also mentor. Whilst a mentor imparts their own wisdom and might share the exact steps they themselves previously took to achieve a particular outcome, a coach’s focus is primarily non-directive. In coaching, the coach assumes the client is already competent and capable, and facilitates the client’s developmental journey towards finding their own solutions. The coach’s role is to help the client define what they want and define the person they wish to become, and to ask questions to help the client overcome both their real and perceived obstacles. Leadership coaches often have previous corporate experience and, should the client request it, can flip between coach and mentor roles to suit the particular conversation and client need.
No coaching and counselling are not the same discipline. Although both coaches and counsellors are trained to listen to and empower their clients, there are some clear differences. In a basic sense, while coaches help a client focus on their current situation and future (goal setting; strengths building; progression), counselling focuses more on how the past could be informing the client’s present situation (mental wellbeing; healing; resolution).
Every leadership session is unique and tailored to a particular client, their needs and goals. Before your program begins a client and coach will work to define the objectives for the program. Each time they meet , usually every 2-3 weeks, the client will select a topic area and then define a session goal to focus the discussion. The coach asks lots of questions during a session to help expand the client’s thinking and problem solving capability. The client will walk away with clear actions, that the coach will hold them accountable to.
Every client is unique in their values and goals for coaching. Most clients come to coaching wanting one or more of the following:
- Greater clarity on their goals, direction, or decisions
- Confidence in their leadership style and choices
- Practical strategies to handle challenges or career transitions
- Improved communication and relationships at work
- To step up into a new role
- To work on an identified area for development
- Accountability to follow through
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. In fact, part of the coaching process is helping you define what success looks like for you, and then working together to make it real. If you’re open to reflection, honest conversations, and taking action between sessions, you’re likely to get meaningful, lasting value from coaching.
An effective coaching relationship is more like a partnership. For that partnership to be most impactful, there needs to be a genuine rapport between client and coach and both parties should feel safe to be completely transparent with one another, to enable the client’s true progress and growth. When exploring the right leadership coach for you, a good starting point is to look for credibility points. Does the coach have experience coaching clients like you? Do they publish client testimonials? What are their LinkedIn recommendations like? Do they have recognised coaching credentials? The most important step is to meet with your new potential coach for a discovery call to help you both decide if the relationship is a good fit. Ask as many questions as possible about what to expect and how this coach could help you move forward. And ultimately, listen to your gut.
