The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Your Coaching Journey
1. Chemistry
Chemistry is imperative and it’s intangible. It’s important to any productive, ongoing, and trusting relationship. It’s no different when you’re seeking a coach. That is why ZDcoach offers a 30-minute complimentary phone call to assess whether we are a good fit. This is an opportunity for you, as a prospective client, to ask questions and gain an understanding of our methodology.
2. Discovery
Let’s think big! Your possibilities are endless, and the world isn’t served by you playing small.
During our 90 minute Discovery session, we’ll explore Leadership 101 ( it isn’t what you think ! ), and how that translates to your work and life. This is a chance to explore your goals and aspirations and clarify what you want to achieve from our coaching engagement.
3. Assessment
Assessments often demonstrate how you show up and how you are perceived by others. There is no right or wrong and when administered correctly the results are enlightening.
ZDcoach has significant experience in this arena. Psychometric assessments that we utilize include Myers-Briggs (MBTI), HOGAN Leadership Assessment, the Predictive Index (PI) Analyst and the EQ-I 2.0 and EQ 360.
Each engagement offers you the opportunity to utilize our extensive experience and knowledge of leadership and psychological assessments.
An assessment will help identify various personality characteristics including:
Leadership Style – Your leadership style demonstrates what type of leader you are, how you present to your team and how you are perceived. What are your strengths? What is your preferred communication style? What behaviors do you exhibit under stress?
It’s an overview of how you are in relationship with others-and yourself.
Saboteurs – Your saboteur is your inner critic. It’s the voice inside that maintains the status quo by being a negative force. Usually formed in childhood as a protection mechanism, it’s the narrative that gets in the way as we mature.
It’s Imposter Syndrome personified.
Once we gain insight into our negative narrative, leadership style and other relevant discoveries, we can work together to maximize your coaching experience by providing a deepening of your leadership effectiveness, growth, and awareness.
4. Coaching
Coaching is where we get to “do the work” Sessions are fluid and address what is top of mind at that moment. Sessions are 60 minutes each and the duration of an assignment is between three and twelve months.
5. Communication
Differing communication styles are completely normal. Family norms, personality types, birth order and gender often denote how we communicate. Ethnicity can also play a role in determining how emotionally constrained or open we are in expressing our feelings. As we enter into the workforce, we adapt our style to meet organizational norms. As a result many of us learn how to model a different communication style; one that serves us more effectively.
Communication and trust are the cornerstone of any successful coaching relationship. Between coaching sessions, informal communication will occur, usually in the form of texts or emails – all in the service of you, our client.
6. Accountability
Being accountable to yourself is a significant aspect of coaching. Nothing occurs during the coaching relationship that you, as a client, do not actively agree with. Being uncomfortable at times is usual, especially as you begin to access your inner self and gain a better understanding of your motives and behaviors.
At ZDcoach you will be supported throughout your entire coaching experience. We guarantee it.
7. Completion
Many executives develop long standing relationships with their coach and after a period of six to twelve months, it often becomes more of an ad hoc arrangement, whereby clients reach out to discuss specific leadership issues they are experiencing as opposed to an on-going defined coaching engagement. We refer to this as “situational coaching” and it’s highly effective once you have an established relationship with your coach.
The Co-Active model of coaching encourages the notion of “being complete” which focuses on “your takeaways” i.e. what are the learnings, what toolkit have we co-developed so that you can continue with your growth, both personally and in your role as a leader.