A Coaching Model Created by Helen Burgess
(Leadership and Innovation Coach, ITALY)
During contracting the coach works with the client to:
- Agree the base : confidentiality, non-judgment, permission to challenge …
- Clarify what coaching is and what it is not (consultancy, mentoring, psychological advice)
- Define responsibilities: the client brings the topic, the coach manages the process including the needs of all parties (coach, client and organisation)
- Clarify the desired outcome of the client and measures of success
- Identify what are the reasons that make it important for the client
The coach builds a relationship of intimacy and support with the client.
- Creates a safe coaching space where the coach supports and challenges the client
- The coach shows respect for the client by asking permission to coach sensitive areas and the client always feels in control
- This relationship allows the coach and client to go below the surface of the topic
- The coach supports the client in exploring their relationship with the coaching topic
The coach explores multiple areas with the client including:
- The topic, desired outcome, options, resources, new insights and new possibilities
- The client’s dream – the big picture
- The whole person: all aspects of «being», «feeling» and «doing»
Using coaching skills and tools such as:
Active listening, presence, powerful questions and direct communication metaphors, power tools and coaching models– chosen with care and humility
The client is supported by the coach to:
- Design actions that will take the client towards their desired goal
- Decide on SMART actions (specific, measurable, achievable, resourced, time- bound)
- Choose Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure progress
- Explore available resources to support them
- Imagine ways to help sustain accountability
- Celebrate success
Building and maintaining trust is essential in the coaching process: 5 WAYS TO TRUST
- The coach trusts the client:
To bring the coaching topic that is important to them
To have all the necessary resources to create options and find the best solutions for them
- The client trusts the coach:
To be professional and ethical throughout the entire coaching relationship
To manage the coaching process according to ICF competencies
- The coach trusts the coaching process
- The client has trust in himself
- The coach has trust in herself
The coach supports the client to:
- Evaluate the progress of the actions
- Reflect on the status of their chosen actions without judgement or involvement
- Reflect on what went well, any barriers that got in the way, enablers that helped
- Cristallise the learnings and possible insights that arose when the client tried out their chosen actions
- Notice any increase in self awareness
- Decide further actions
