Coaching is a process that allows an individual or group to reflect and to gain awareness of who they are, what is important to them, their strengths, challenges, options open to them and what action to take to make the changes they want. Coaching begins with an assumption that clients are whole, wise, and highly knowledgeable about the nature of their own personal and professional development. The coach's primary role is to draw out the leader's wisdom through inquiry, curiosity, relevant provocations, and challenges that help the leader to stretch into his or her best capacities. To do that, we introduce or co-create self-observation exercises and behavioral practices. As a coach, I approach this through a holistic lens, attentive to the leader's interior life (physical, emotional, cognitive, and spirit) as well as how their interior reality is expressed through their physical presence and behaviors. I seek mutual understanding regarding the dynamics of the culture and systems within which the leader leads. These roles are distinct from consulting, advising, therapy or counseling. However, coaching may address personal issues or life conditions that have an impact on a leader's professional effectiveness. My coaching declaration is that with integrity and compassion, I will coach leaders to help them attain the goals they set. Anticipated outcomes:
Identification of the key behaviors to stop, start, or continue doing to increase leadership effectiveness;
Involvement and commitment of stakeholders (direct reports, peers, supervisor) in the process of helping to increase effectiveness,
With sufficient client commitment to the process, improvement will be noticeable and measurable (by ongoing feedback from stakeholders) on specific leadership behaviors;
Long-term effectiveness for the client and the organization, based on increased capacity to achieve results through building and maintaining healthy relationships.