Partners In Growth
The Partners for Organizational Success Newsletter
Volume One | Issue One | Fall 2008 | Past Issues
What is Coaching?

Key individuals need to “play nice in the sandbox” with others, lead effectively, and present information clearly and in a compelling manner. Some people seem to display these abilities effortlessly, while others need support to develop in these areas.

Coaching is one way to help key employees or teams become more self-aware of the behaviors that get in the way of success, and experiment with new ones. Self-awareness helps us to recognize how we impact others, as well our strengths and challenge areas (Goleman, 1995). A coach encourages a client to 		consider new approaches instead of over-analyzing the past. The process assumes that people and organizations can change and discover new tools to support that change. A typical coaching assignment includes the following:
  • Establishing desired outcomes for the individual or team
  • “Coaching is one way to help key employees become more self-aware...helps us to recognize how we impact others…”
  • A coaching agreement that outlines expectations and processes
  • Understanding the organization
  • Assessing the individual or team
  • Regular meetings or contact with the coachee or team, and
  • Updating the client on progress.
During the meetings with the coachee or team, work is focused on the here and now, and experimenting with new behaviors. “Homework assignments” are common, as are discussions of challenges that the coachee may have recently encountered. An assignment can last from a few meetings, to 6 or 12 months, or longer. Each assignment is tailored to the needs of the client organization and the coachee or team.