Coaching Case Study By Sui Hunn Cheong
(Career Coach, SINGAPORE)
Coach: Cheong Sui Hunn
Client: Candace K
Date of coaching session: 10 February 2018 at 10:30am; third session of coaching with this client
Subject of coaching: Client’s (Candace’s job selection; what she is looking for and why she turned down a job offer on 8 February 2018)
Outcome: Is Candace happy with her decision and ready to move on in her next job search
Coaching model used: The Grow Model
Identify the coaching outcome for the session – Enabled Candace to determine whether she is happy with her decision to turn down on a job offer and she is free and ready ( with increase self awareness of what she wants in her next job) to move forward in her next job search
Reality – Supported client with probing questions to enable client to be aware of
- Financial ability to sustain a long job search – how many month is she giving herself in her job search?
- Does client have the relevant skills for her ideal job
- Why she turn down a particular job
Options – Asked client probing questions to increase herself awareness of her skills, experience, what she really wants, possibility of open more career option doors
Will – Asked Candace what she is doing during her job hunting period to increase her opportunities to find the right job
Outcome – Asked Candace whether she is happy with her decision on turning down the job offer and her state of mind to move forward in her next job search; end the coaching session on a positive state of mind with more self awareness from client’s perspective on her strengths (SAP, regional exposure, people centric personality, kindness & ability to work with physically challenged people etc.) and then translating and aligning them to her resume and her job search.
Main Techniques used by Coach in the coaching process:
- Active listening to client’s sharing and response to probing discovery questions
- Probing Questions to increase client’s self awareness on what she wants, skills and knowledge, options that she could consider etc
What the coach (Cheong Sui Hunn) had done well and her areas of improvement:
Setting the foundation right with
Areas done well
- Signing the coaching agreement giving client and agreeing on the number of coaching sessions, coaching period as well as an option to terminate the contract at client’s initiative
- Client ( Candace Kang) indicated that she had reviewed the ICF code of ethics that was attached to the coaching agreement and client had no further questions on them
Areas on improvement
Client’s feedback on what she values most in the ICF code of ethics so that the coach would enable that code of ethic to be visibly applied to align with client’s need.
Co-Creating the relationship
2.1) Areas done well
The coaching session on conducted in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality. Coach respected the client’s request not to show her face in the video of the coaching session.
There were direct open communication between client and coach with a lot of sharing of client’s views on what she is looking for in her next ideal job, why she makes certain decisions (e.g. not accepting a job offer on 8 February), reasons for her decision etc.
The flow of conversation was relax and open; coach and client have each other’s attention and are present with each other in their conversation
2.2) Areas of improvement
Coach tend to want to give advice on how to do things; she could have reframe her advice into probing questions for client to consider which would resulted in better buy-in by client and increase client’s awareness why she would take or not take that action e.g. writing her regional exposure in her CV, aligning topics of learning to job search and indicating them in her CV etc.
Communicative effectively
3.1) Areas done well
There were many evidences of active listening on the part of coach resulting in the ability to pose probing questions to client to increase client’s self awareness of her thoughts, concerns, wants and interest etc. There were direct open communication in a clear, relax and non-judgmental flow of conversation between coach and client
3.2) Areas of improvement
Coach could have listened more effectively to ask more direct questions than giving her opinions and advice along the way
Facilitated Learning and result
4.1) Areas done well
Client achieved her coaching outcome; she was satisfied with her job decision and she is ready to move on in her next job search
4.2) Areas of improvement
Coach could have seek client’s agreement to do some exercises and self-reflection on what she wants to do in her next coaching session to enable her to do better in her job search.
