Individual Coaching

What is individual coaching?

Individual coaching is a particular kind of conversation between client and coach. In the words of the International Coaching Federation, coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential”.

When we began coaching many years ago, we were typically called in when there was a reported problem with an executive’s performance. Coaching was seen as a last resort. Nowadays, coaching is widely employed in areas such as performance enhancement, performance breakthrough and personal transformation. We have considerable experience in these more preventative endeavours.

We work with middle to senior executives who self-refer, and with those who are referred to us by their workplace manager or human resources manager.

We also offer coaching packages, tailored for the needs of each client and their referring manager.

How we provide individual coaching that gets results

Each coaching engagement is unique, so we tailor conversations and tools to leverage the potential of each individual we coach. These coaching tools include Conversational Intelligence® (Toni is becoming credentialed) and the Keller Influence Indicator®.

Where appropriate, and to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page, we undertake a three-way conversation between ourselves, the executive, and their manager. This conversation emphasises “what will be measurably different” as the result of our coaching.

At the outset, we have robust conversations with our executive clients to determine how ready they are for coaching. We ask questions around preparedness, self-honesty or openness, desire to change, and learning focus. This helps us to determine the starting point for coaching. Getting the right match between client and coach is critical to getting the best results, as is the readiness of the client; it is the client, not the coach, who is in the driving seat. We take the time needed to connect with our client’s expectations of coaching.

Not every coach can meet every executive’s needs. Occasionally we will decline to coach a client. We can put you in touch with the right coach through our network of associates, if we are not able to assist.

 

“I found working with Toni highly insightful as she helped me to identify and prioritise what was important to me as I evaluated my career to date in the context of where to next. She is always very well prepared, challenging but not confrontational, and is very good at quickly identifying those areas that are the most important.

She has a strong understanding of the challenges that senior positions face and used that insight to good effect to provide me with practical methods that were founded on well researched analysis and relevant toolsets. These undoubtedly helped me to be clearer and more specific about where to take my career next. (I have subsequently made changes in my career which I am very happy with.)”

– Andrew Tubb, former Managing Partner, IBM Global Business Services, New Zealand

 

The benefits of our individual coaching

We help to create sustained shifts in our clients’ ability to embed new habits and behaviours. These transitions are characterised by times of uncertainty and discomfort. We assist our executive clients to unpack the transitions, and apply practices that orient them in the right direction. We are compassionate with our clients, and also strong on mutual accountability.

Our coaching philosophy revolves around engagement with our client, co-creating deeper conversations, and helping to develop insight and responsibility in our client. We track these qualitative factors, as well as return on expectation (ROE) to gauge the qualitative success of our coaching. This means you’ll get the assurance you need that we’re on the right track.

Our clients tell us they feel well looked after during their coaching journey. We believe this is because we partner with our clients and exhibit professional virtues of care, compassion, commitment, confidence, and courage.

 

“Toni worked with myself, the manager and the particular staff member to identify the issues, to set clear working guidelines and the expected outcomes from the coaching which Toni was to provide. In all cases the outcomes were met with exceptional improvement in performance results from many of the staff.”

– Trish Tapara, former Learning and Development Advisor, The Warehouse Ltd

 

 
Get in touch with us to book a 30-minute consultation with Toni, to discuss how we can help you or your executive staff to perform like champions!