Firstly and above all, the engagement is driven by you. I’ll describe a ’normal’ engagement here, but we can tailor things to your needs.
The first step is to have what in dry academic circles we call a ‘chemistry session’. This is usually 15-30 minutes where we’ll have a chat, you can let me know what you’re looking to achieve, and we can get a feel for how we both operate. I’ll send you on some light reading, such as my coaching agreement and the codes of ethics I operate by.
If, after the chemistry session, you decide you’re not feeling it; then you can let me know, and that’s perfectly fine. I’d much rather that happen than someone feel like they’re going through the motions or feel pressured to continue.
If you decide you’d like to work with me, we’ll schedule 4 one-hour sessions, generally long enough apart that you can try things, do some more in-depth thinking, or otherwise have enough breathing space between sessions. 4 weeks or so between sessions is fairly normal.
These sessions are generally going to be online – although I am based in Dublin and can show up in person if you have a place you want to meet.
The session will generally comprise a conversation where you’ll do most of the talking; I’m interested in hearing what you’re looking to achieve or figure out, and I’m here to help, prod, cajole and gently nudge you toward self-identification of what you could try, and where you’d like to go. I may use one of a few ’tools’ I’ve built up, such as surveys in between sessions, or white-boarding of ideas in a structured way. For engineers, think of it as a brainstorming session just for you. The outcome is that we end up coming out of each sessions with a lot to think about, and maybe a few things we’ve promised to each other to do.
After the 4 initial sessions, we can choose to continue if you’re getting enduring value. For the duration of our engagement, I’m also available via email, and will likely pass on content and tools useful to where our conversation is.
There are very few instances where we get to the end of a coaching engagement and the client says “Everything is fixed and I am now fine forever”. Your career is a long road; coaching is there to get you back on the path that works for you, and maybe give you a few tools and tricks to do right by yourself in the future.
What can we talk about?
We can talk about anything you’d like help developing. This is your time. Even if your employer is sponsoring the coaching, our conversations are still completely private – nothing we talk about makes it back to your employer; I am bound by the ICF and EMCC codes of ethics which are very specific about client confidentiality.
Still not sure?
I offer free “chemistry sessions” for folks, to make sure they’d like to work with me. Hit the big orange ‘Get in Touch’ button and…get in touch. If you’re not interested in moving forward after that, there is absolutely no obligation to do so.