top of page

Maximizing Your Coaching Experience

Your interest in coaching is the first step in your personal and professional transformation and will accelerate your self-development. The following will help you prepare for your coaching experience!


What is coaching?


A coach is a qualified professional who works with leaders to help them grow personally and professionally. Coaching is the most individually tailored practice in talent development. It involves a close and confidential relationship between the executive or leader, and the coach. A coach meets one-on-one with leaders, and provides a safe, structured, and trustworthy environment to support the leader’s
development.


Coaching should not be confused with mentoring. Coaching is a collaborative partnership between leader and coach-driven by the leader. It is not something that is done to, or for, the leader. Coaching is a learning and discovery process where the coach partners with a leader in a thought-provoking and creative process.

 

The purpose is to help inspire the leader to gain new perspectives, try out new behaviors, and identify and reflect on those experiences to determine the best way to move forward—in new ways that authentically work for the leader. Coaching is a future focused process that facilitates self-discovery and a proactive approach to maximize and unleash personal and professional potential.

 

Coaches support leaders with the following (and more):


• Better understanding their leadership competencies and strengths
• Identifying and clarifying current or future development goals and appropriate action steps
• Becoming more self-aware, especially around potential leadership blind spots
• Understanding how they might be perceived by others within (or outside of) the organization
• Thinking through situations or challenges (coach acts as an external sounding board)
• Leading change, managing conflict, and motivating/engaging others
• Developing future leaders within the organization
• Using coaching skills (“leader as coach”) to better connect with and motivate others
• Create organizational cultures that value learning, coaching, and improvement
• Transitioning to a new role or responsibilities, or launching a new initiative
• Improving self/life/work balance

 

Coaching conversations are very helpful in uncovering the root cause of obstacles that slow progress toward goal accomplishment, and in identifying strategies for overcoming obstacles.

 

What value can you expect?

 

Recipients of coaching say the most valuable aspects included:


• Using the coach as an independent sounding board
• Finding different/external perspectives on dealing with challenges
• Developing new and innovative approaches to problem solving
• Moving from problem focused to solution focused thinking
• Developing and improving leadership skills
• Increasing self-awareness and effectiveness

​

What is it like to work with a coach?

 

Each coaching relationship is unique and depends upon your objectives and your willingness to work with these objectives (and any issues) in new and sometimes challenging ways. A coaching relationship is a collaborative partnership. Coaching sessions are scheduled regularly, over a period of time. Each session is generally scheduled for no more than one hour. A leader’s development takes place during (and especially beyond) that time, as the leader tries out new behaviors, reflects upon new insights and learning, and integrates new behaviors into his or her life and leadership toolkit.


How can you get the most from your coaching experience?

 

The following commitments will help you maximize your coaching experience:

 

• Assume ownership of your learning and personal development. Use your coach to help you maximize
your unique learning style.
• Be candid about what is and isn’t working in coaching sessions.
• Engage wholeheartedly in agreed-upon coaching assignments.
• Take required actions for learning and reflect on those actions.
• Maintain an open attitude toward experimenting with new perspectives and behaviors.
• Willingly be vulnerable and take risks.
• Focus on your own growth within the context of your current and future organizational role.
• Transfer learning gained through coaching to your day-to-day work.
• Exchange feedback with your coach about the helpfulness of the coaching.
• Seek feedback from others in the organization about the results of your coaching.


The Value of Coaching

 

According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), leaders who work with a coach report:*

  • 70% improved work performance

  • 57% improved time management

  • 67% improved life/work balance

  • 80% improved self-confidence

  • 61% improved business management

  • 73% improved relationships

  • 72% improved communication skills

 

* ICF Global Coaching Client Study was commissioned by the ICF but conducted independently by PricewaterhouseCoopers)

​​

​

​

​​​

​

Coaching Contract

This coaching agreement (“Agreement”) between In Relentless Pursuit Inc. (“Coach”) and Client (“Leader”) as listed below is for Executive, Personal/Professional Coaching and Leadership Development.

Coaching consists of working towards a specific goal(s) with the Leader, listening to the Leader needs, asking powerful questions so the Leader can arrive at effective solutions for transformation and growth.  Coach may also act as an accountability partner to the Leader for actions to achieve the Leader’s goals.  


The coaching agreement is generally:

  • Weekly / Biweekly, approximately 1 hour of coaching, as scheduled. 

  • Coaching platform i.e. In-Person, Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.

  • Coaching costs (initial or ongoing) will be sent by invoice at the rate agreed upon.

All information provided during coaching will be kept strictly confidential.  The Coach respects the Leader’s willingness to be truthful and will treat this information as a special confidence.  The Leader can rely on the Coach to be honest and straight forward, asking questions, and making requests of the Leader.

For the coaching relationship to work, Coach and Leader both agree to the following:

  1. The coaching relationship is important to and both parties are committed to achieving the goals outlined above.  This agreement, including goals, may evolve over the duration of the coaching relationship.

  2. Coach and Leader will attend all coaching sessions on time.

  3. Leader commits to the full period of coaching, unless goals are achieved sooner.

  4. If either party requests rescheduling a coaching session, the requesting party will do so with at least 24 hours prior notice.  

  5. During coaching sessions, Leader will be present, with no external distractions (cell phones, other people, work, email, etc.)

  6. Leader will complete any assignments on time that he/she commits to, agrees to do.

  7. The parties will both be open and honest during the sessions, which includes giving advice about maximizing the value from sessions.  If at any time, the Coach or Leader does not see value in the engagement or if the coaching priorities change, the parties will discuss this immediately and change course as needed or discontinue the engagement after obligations are fulfilled. 

  8. The agreement includes weekly/biweekly sessions and correspondence.  The Coach is also available via text or email.  24-hour responsiveness can be expected.  

  9. The goal is that the Leader succeeds and achieves the goals established.  If the Leader does not believe that is possible, based on the goals outlined, the Leader is asked to provide feedback and the engagement will be revisited.  

  10. The Leader agrees that their contact information may be entered into a client coaching log maintained by the Coach solely for the purposes of meeting training and credentialing record keeping requirements of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).  The Leader acknowledges and agrees that the ICF may contact the Leader to verify that coaching has taken place.  The Coach will not disclose any details of the content of the coaching sessions to the ICF. 

To begin the coaching relationship, please also read the following:  Some or all of these may apply to the Leader:

  1. As a Leader, I understand and agree that I am fully responsible for my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being during the coaching relationship, including my choices and decisions.  I am aware that I can choose to discontinue coaching at any time.

  2. I understand that “coaching” is a Professional-Client relationship that I have with my Coach designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional, and business goals to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving goals and individual Leader growth.

  3. I understand that coaching is a comprehensive process that may involve all areas of my life, including work, finances, health, relationships, education, and recreation.  I acknowledge that deciding how to handle these areas of my life, incorporate coaching into those areas, and implement my choices is exclusively my responsibility.

  4. I understand that coaching does not involve the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.  I understand that coaching is not a substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, psychanalysis, mental health care, or substance abuse treatment and I will not use it in place of any form of diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.  

  5. I promise that if I am in therapy or otherwise under the care of a mental health professional, that I have consulted with the mental health care provider regarding the advisability of working with a Coach and that this professional is aware of any decision to proceed with the coaching relationship. 

  6. I understand that information will be held as confidential unless I state otherwise, in writing, except as required by law.

  7. I understand that certain topics may be anonymously and hypothetically shared with other coaching professionals for training or consulting purposes.

  8. I understand that coaching is not to be used as a substitute for professional advice by legal, medical, financial, business, spiritual, or other qualified professionals.  I will seek independent professional guidance for legal, medical, financial, business, relationship, spiritual, or other matters.  I understand that all decisions in these areas are exclusively mine and I acknowledge that my decisions and my actions regarding them are my sole responsibility.

Your signature on this Agreement indicate the Leader has read and agrees to the terms of this Agreement. 

Drawing mode selected. Drawing requires a mouse or touchpad. For keyboard accessibility, select Type or Upload.
Date
Month
Day
Year

In Relentless Pursuit Coaching

Coaching Questionnaire

Birthday
Month
Day
Year

Please answer the questions below to help your Coach to get to now you better. Don't worry about right, wrong, or incomplete answers. Just help me understand more about who you are and who you want to become.

Ask yourself:

  • Am I as good of a leader (mom/dad, spouse, parent, employee, business owner, boss, etc.) as I want to be or need to be?

  • Am I willing to be completely honest with myself and my coach?

  • Am I willing to receive feedback and put together a plan to help me grow personally and professionally?

  • Am I willing to put in the work to be able to grow so I can be as good as I must be to be a leader?


In Relentless Pursuit Coaching

bottom of page