I invite you to read through these instructions, engage in the exercises, and start to ponder the questions posed; as you feel inspired, start to journal your thoughts and insights.
It is not primary to share your insights with your coach; you can share as much or as little as you decide to. The purpose of inquiry, reflection, and journaling is to enrich your insight and, in extension, your life.
In your sharing with your coach, be simple, clear, and direct.
Make it a habit to use these exercises occasionally, incidentally, or regularly. Make it a habit to positively grow, intentionally.
Establishing preliminary needs, goals, and vision for the coaching
For workplace and leadership coaching to be beneficial, it needs to bring value to the leader and to the organization. To this end, the coach, the client, and the sponsor need to
(a) establish business objectives for which the coaching is being purposed,
(b) tie coaching to business objectives and communicate effectively about the purpose and objectives for coaching, and
(c) establish and maintain a three-way partnership between client, coach, and direct manager.
The coach interviewing the client to establish preliminary needs, goals, and vision for the coaching is part of the initial (discovery) coaching session or contracting conversation. Questions from the Pre-Coaching Questionnaire, and the “Getting to Know You” Reflective Questions may be revisited and expanded upon.
The Discovery Session Agenda communicates, in preparation for the session, the inquiries into client information (Client form 1), client person (Client form 2), and designing the alliance.
Client form 1: Client information
{Client name, mailing address, phone numbers, birthday, family members, employer, etc.}
Client form 2: Client person
(1) Who are you? Values Clarification, Life Purpose, Passions.
What matters most to you? State some important values you live by in various areas of your life.
What do you want your life to be? What is your vision? Who are you becoming? What is present when life is most alive for you?
Think about your own life for a moment. What is your vision of a fulfilling life? What would that be like? Living according to what you value most; would that be fulfilling?
What is the highest aspiration you can achieve? What colorful and inspirational language can exemplify what you believe in? What do you care most deeply about that should be pursued?
(2) What do you want from coaching?
Goals, Objectives, and Personal development areas you would like to address in coaching.
Take some time to articulate your ideal self. Envision your desired future and then talk about it with trusted others. What insights are you gaining about new possibilities?
What do you want to change and what do you want to maintain? What are possible sources of feedback for you to gain insight into aspects of your real self; can you state explicitly your values, philosophy, traits, and motives?
What is your learning and development goal? What do you want to try and explore; can you articulate a way to get to your desired self, using strengths, and building on some weaknesses?
(3) What is going on in your life right now?
What challenges are you facing? Where are you in balance, or out of balance, in your life?
Designing the alliance
In our initial coaching session, we will be designing the working alliance together. For this purpose, please ponder these questions and prepare yourself to answer them in our session:
What is the work you want to do? What would you like to achieve as a result of our work together?
How do you want to receive feedback?
What do you expect from me in our relationship?
What can I expect of you in our relationship?
How do you want me to be as your coach?
What kind of support do you want from your coach?
Do I have your permission to intrude, challenge, and hold you accountable as your coach?
A Note on the Change-Transformation Continuum
We can distinguish goals in coaching by considering the depth and degree of change necessary to achieve them.
With tasks as usual, the coach and client may work on incremental performance improvement in behavior, knowledge, or skill.
When a new task is mandated, it may be necessary to work on competence and attitude.
With a new range of tasks, the work is on developmental shift, mastery, worldview, perspective, or judgment.