Delivery of the coaching

We have now arrived at what all the preceding parts are there to inform and support – the coaching delivery. Actually, this is not strictly true because coaching will have been happening all the way through in different guises. Nevertheless, there is a time when all the diagnostics and preparations are complete and the series of coaching sessions starts. This is when the impor- tance of good coaching method comes into play. Here are some guidelines, tips and reminders about what constitutes good coaching.

Being fully present

First and foremost you need to be fully present. Coaching is a dialogue not an interview. That means really getting engaged and making genuine contact. To do this, it can be helpful to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally before sessions to minimise distraction and be ready to focus in the moment. Just as sportsmen and women warm up to get focused and ready for performance, 20 PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF EXECUTIVE COACHING

and their coaches loosen up with them, so executive coaches need to find their ways of switching into coaching mode. Some coaches take time to read notes from previous sessions. Others ensure that they have some quiet time to get focused.

I emphasise this because I firmly believe that things happen when we are in contact – contact with ourselves, our client and the relationship between us. Conversely little happens when we are not in contact. So here is the first challenge – to be fully present. If you are, then one thing’s for certain: you’ll soon know whether your client is. If he isn’t, due to distractions and a busy mind, then the session may remain at a relatively superficial level and neither of you will feel very satisfied at the end of it. If there are several sessions of this nature then there is a distinct possibility that the busy executive will drift away. Sessions may get cancelled and your attempts to get the schedule back on track may seem unduly difficult. For these reasons it essential that you confront, perhaps gently through humour, the issue of whether clients are finding it possible to really bring themselves into the coaching space.

When fully present, both coach and client can decide how best to focus and use the session. Early sessions often address the prioritised and targeted issues arising from the coaching agenda. It may be obvious to both sides where best to start and, as a general rule, a momentum begins to develop. New sessions pick up from where the last one left off and agreed actions are reviewed for key learning points.

Both parties will share a desire to maintain momentum and feel that progress is being made. When it isn’t, you as the coach need to have the courage to voice your concern and be prepared to acknowledge if you feel that you might have a part in it. This may take you into a review of the quality and depth of the coaching relationship to see whether any blocks have developed. As trust builds and rapport grows stronger, the coaching process develops a life of its own and often becomes highly enjoyable and rewarding for both people. Clients look forward to their sessions despite a slight trepidation at again placing themselves in a vulnerable position. They feel ‘held’ by the coaching and a sense of psychological security grows.

To ensure that clients feel able to tackle their most pressing issues it is essential to balance support and challenge within the coaching dialogue. Too much support over time and too little challenge can leave a client under- stimulated and even bored. Too much challenge without sufficient support can produce stress and an unsafe environment for learning. Some coaches struggle to find the balance. They either have difficulty conveying empathy and warmth or lack the capacity to confront and rock the boat. This may be a block for some coaches and require supervision and personal development to understand it more clearly.

A key to maintaining momentum lies in the coach’s ability to get to the core issues. This is where a greater level of psychological competence can help

because many complex coaching issues invariably have an inner dimension to them as well as an outer one. Executive clients typically have a high expectation that their coach will be able to get to the heart of a matter and this is one of the key competencies of an effective executive coach.

Many coaches work on the assumption that they will act as the only coach for their client throughout the entire period of coaching delivery. For some clients this is very important, especially where trust and confidence in the coach has been hard won and is not to be risked lightly. However, there can be value in the client being exposed to different influences and I some- times suggest that one or two sessions take place with a different member of my coaching team. Typically the reason for doing this is to provide clients with an opportunity to work with someone who may just bring a coaching presence, through their own unique skill sets and life experience, which adds value for the client. No coach can be all things to all people. Sometimes the client may need a stronger psychological focus or a more strategic one. And sometimes I simply follow a hunch.

If you are thinking of suggesting that your client works for a little while with another coach then you need to ensure proper preparation takes place. It does have its dangers. The client may feel passed on or even rejected or abandoned. It can only be done if you have built a solid coaching relationship and it will be inappropriate with some clients. There is a risk for you too. What happens if the client likes the other coach more or rates his or her skills more highly? New coaches should probably take their time before considering this intervention and make a point of consulting their coaching supervisor before committing to anything. However, in my experience, it can add to the quality of the coaching experience for the client and should be borne in mind as a coaching delivery option.

Practical arrangements

The locations where most executive coaching is delivered are the coach’s consulting rooms, the client’s office or training suite, and hotel conference facilities. Some coaches favour telephone and electronic coaching and many use these methods to supplement their face-to-face work. Little research yet exists to tell us how effective coaching that is not face-to-face can be com- pared with contact sessions but there is little doubt that many executive coaches feel the need to offer both. There is an obvious logic to this. Clients may have just left their last coaching session when a highly significant new issue emerges that they would like to run past their coach. If the next session is scheduled for four weeks time then the whole episode may pass by. The client wants help now. For this reason alone it is advisable to have an open door for more immediate needs to be dealt with. The coach may fear that this could be abused by clients – I have to say that this has not been my 22 PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF EXECUTIVE COACHING

experience. Executives are often overly self-contained and require many offers before taking up extra assistance.

Extras

A very important gesture, usually well received by busy executives, is the spontaneous reach out. This is where the coach thinks of something that might just be useful to a client and acts on that thought. It might be an article in a newspaper or journal, a card to wish the person luck before a promotion board, or a short email to stay in touch. Some clients appreciate the gift of a book and despite the apparent lack of interest shown by many executives in management literature there are those who genuinely value recommended readings or CDs.

Availability is also a critical issue for the coach. The more successful you become the cleverer you need to be in managing your time so that you remain available to your clients. Purchasers of coaching services are often concerned that the executive coach may be very busy and ask just how much time the coach really has to devote to executives.

One final point about the delivery of coaching, which finds its way into a number of coaching texts, is the notion that the coach should care as much for the person as the results. This first appeared in Gallwey’s writings on coaching. Caring does not appear on too many coaching competency lists but it is fundamental to any helping activity. The kinds of people drawn to practising as coaches will tend to have a strongly developed caring side to their natures. The message here is not to be afraid to express it.