There is an old joke:
“How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?”
“One…… but the lightbulb really has to want to change”.
The reality is that coaching is not for everyone and engaging an external coach takes a significant investment. Time, energy and resources are invested by not only the coachee, but also the organisation. If the individual being coached is not interested in, or is resistant to changing, then it is better not to waste everyone’s time and money using coaching as an intervention.
Determining coaching receptivity is a core part of our engagement scoping process and takes place at each step prior to the kick off meeting.
While each coaching intervention is tailored to meet the needs of the organisation and the individual, a typical coaching assignment lasts about 4 – 6 months and includes 6 coaching sessions. Conversations within the coaching sessions are obviously confidential, however we also include the option of 3 way meetings at pre-agreed points to enable the manager / HR to check in. These meetings can be supplemented by additional targeted feedback gathering exercises using pulse surveys to help assess the efficacy of actions taken.
All of our coaches – in addition to their decades of professional experience – have received formal coaching training, with most being ICF certified.