D: Keeping it going

For any ‘project sponsor’ or organisation considering coaching there must be some concerns about how sustainable any changes might be, particularly if they result from a relatively short sharp intervention. Would the changes only happen whilst the coaching was ongoing? Will the coachee regress afterwards? How can we keep it going?

Here are some of the tools and techniques, for all those involved, to help to ensure that our coaching experience together brings more lasting and sustainable results.

The brief

We will generally discuss a brief for the coaching project with the organisation and the Project’s sponsor – typically the coachee’s manager or perhaps a member of the HR or Learning and Development teams. This briefing might explore the context and background to the project, some information about the coachee and the desired outcomes.

Be flexible

A coachee may or may not have the same agenda, and the chances are that once the conversations begin that a variation of the ‘agenda’ will emerge. This is natural and – given the nature of our coaching quite normal and indeed, if the agenda didn’t ‘evolve’ then the project and its outcomes would be unlikely to be sustainable.

Project sponsors who are familiar with coaching, particularly when resourced eternally, may be aware of this benefit.

Be committed, open and honest

Coaching will only really work if the coachee is prepared to engage, fully and openly. We have numerous examples of people having significant, life changing insights and ‘Ah Ha!’ moments because – sometimes for the first time in their lives – they have actually been honest – with themselves! Our coaching conversations are confidential.

Keep to the appointments and plan

Keeping the appointment and finding the time is part of a coachee’s commitment to their own development. For some people their performance and potential is constrained because they over-commit – are too busy! Too stressed!  And for most people one of the greatest benefits of coaching is that it legitimises having ‘time for oneself’ – time to think. The regularity and pace of the coaching project sessions is designed to balance ‘doing the day job’ with development, reflection and support for change.

Take Notes

Taking notes in our coaching sessions will help a coachee to recall the conversation. And that will assist later on when there is an opportunity to reflect on what happened in the session and thereafter.

Keep a ‘journal’

The coaching sessions are often just the catalyst for change and things frequently happen outside the session – as a result of what happened in the session. Tracking thoughts and actions between sessions – perhaps using a journal (or an Action Plan) – can create a record of the outcomes and effects for review at a later time. A coachee’s ability to be able to report back to the organisation and their sponsor will support the Evaluation process.

Make an Action plan

It is very likely that in any session that the coachee is going to build up a list of actions and intended outcomes. As a coachee, be positive and committed to recording your planned ‘Actions’. And record the outcomes, – results, benefits, feelings, consequences, reactions and impact on you, your colleagues, partners, organisation your clients, and others.

Involve other people

Coachees should consider sharing their experience of the coaching process with other people, perhaps with trusted colleagues, perhaps with a partner. Sharing it with other people will potentially engage them as supporters. People (who care) will enjoy being asked to help.

Seek feedback

As a coachee, for other people to give you feedback will require them to feel that they can trust you – to trust you to listen and not ‘defend’ and not to ‘react’ negatively. Asking for feedback will increase trust between you and others, your ‘listening skill’ will be important.

Make time for yourself

Most coachees report the significant benefit of having time to think and reflect. Coachees should be encouraged to find time for themselves. This may require other people around the coachee to support the coachee as they begin to change their behaviour.

Manage the re-integration

Project sponsors can really assist in the sustainability of coaching outcomes in this area. For any coaching outcome to be sustainable consideration should be given to the situation into which the coachee is to be reintegrated. Sometimes actions must also be undertaken with the environment within which the coachee operates to ensure that ‘a square peg fits into a square hole’. This could mean creating a place where the coachee can further develop their behaviours – maximising their potential, or it could be that some organisational issues may need to be addressed – a common example might be tackling bullying behaviours within a team.

Write a feedback report

For the coachee to complete a feedback report to the coach can assist in several ways. It supports the practice of giving and receiving feedback in an ‘Adult’ conversation, it assists in facilitating the coachee in recalling factors and features about the process that they may have forgotten or not realised. It also forms part of the written records of the process for future reference.

Catch up chat

For those that have completed a coaching series, there can often be a feeling of suddenly being cut off, what has been a supportive and positive experience is suddenly over. For the coach a corresponding reaction is to wonder ‘what really happened next?’

The coaching sessions can be intense and for many people can have life and career changing impact. Even though the series of sessions is limited there can still be a feeling of loss, or withdrawal of support.

We suggest that for various reasons, including giving ongoing actions a point of focus, that the coach and the coachee should arrange a ‘catch up cup of coffee style’ chat. It’s not a coaching session but a chance for both parties to catch up: recall, remind, refresh, refocus and review.

Timing and logistics can make it difficult to organise but planning a meeting when both can get together after around 2 – 3 months is seen as highly desirable, but even a telephone call would be valuable.

Have an Evaluation process

We suggest following the conclusion of the formal coaching session, as the action plan is being achieved, that a date is arranged, for the coach, the coachee and the project’s sponsor to have the opportunity to review the outcomes formally. This would typically be around 2 – 3 months after the coaching sessions and could coincide with the ‘catch up chat’ between coachee and coach.

Further coaching sessions

We structure and deliver our coaching project to be effective over a compact series of four sessions, each session of indeterminate duration, delivered in an organisational context, at the place of work, in working time and funded by the employing organisation.

Sometimes the requirement is for longer term support, in which case a series is planned with appropriate structure, style and content.

It may be appropriate to request further coaching sessions, however all parties should guard against this being an excuse for not fully engaging in the original series, delaying and procrastination around actions and commitment, and possible dependency.