The span of time you are involved with your coach in our executive coaching program is considered the coaching engagement. Each individual meeting with your coach is considered a coaching session. The first session will be one in which you as the client will spend time with your coach getting to know each other and determining your compatibility. If you are work-referred by someone in a leadership role, they may also attend a session with you and your coach, early in the process in order to set the stage and help provide understanding for the desired outcomes that coaching can provide you. There may also be subsequent meetings with your leader, so you can provide updates to them on your progress or if at any time you feel your engagement goals need to change.
However, the coaching sessions between you, “the client”, and your coach is a safe space and what is said in these sessions is strictly confidential. Your coach will work under the International Coaching Federation’s Code of Ethics. Information shared with your coach will only be divulged if there is concern for harm to yourself or others, if the coach is subpoenaed by the court to testify, or you, (as the client) have given specific written consent for release of the information.
Session Blueprint
In preparing for an upcoming coaching session with your executive coach, you will need to do the following:
- Give some thought to the upcoming session ahead of time and come to the session with a specific topic or goal to discuss.
- As your coach asks you questions, be open and willing to dig deep to hone the goal and to develop your awareness around the topic.
- As you gain awareness and understanding of the importance of this topic to you, open yourself up to consider your motivation and the importance this topic has for you.
- As your coach continues to question you to help hone your definition and clarity on the particular topic, expand your thinking to identify potential solutions – push yourself to think “outside the box” and try new approaches that you may never have considered previously to get you to your desired outcome. Stretch yourself.
- You should leave each session with 2-3 small steps that you are committing to act on prior the start of your next session which will provide you wiht forward progress toward your desired goal.
The Client’s Responsibilities and Timeline
- Prepare in Advance
Identify a topic/issue to be addressed before you come to each session - Envision the Future
Be willing to dig deep and determine the goal – what you want to achieve - Explore and Experiment
Be open to new ideas, different approaches and methods - Commit to Doing
Following through with small steps/experiments you identify in your session
Coaching Sessions
In each coaching session, your coach will be prepared to devote the full time to you, and likewise, you should do the same. Distractions should be minimized, in order for you to get the most out of the time you invest. As the client, you should prepare in advance, by identifying the item or issue to be discussed. Your coach will partner with you to navigate each individual session toward overarching engagement goal. Your coach will help you explore and gain personal insight into your strengths, and how you can enable yourself to take that next step and continue your journey toward your desired session outcome.
Ultimately though, you are the person in control; and you are the one who is responsible for the results achieved and progress made. At the end of each session, you should have identified two to three take away action steps to work on prior to the next session. The sessions are important to help you plan for the work and progress that you make in between meetings. Following through on the action steps is paramount to achieve your forward progress and desired coaching outcome.