During International Coaching Week a group of South African and international coaches joined us on Twitter to share their coaching experiences and spread the word about coaching.
Questions included various aspects of coaching from creating successful coaching sessions and exploring what the coachee is looking for in a coach to discussing how coaching can positively impact South Africa. This week and next we will be sharing some of the insights here on our blog. We start of with: Why did you become a coach? What are the most rewarding aspects of being a coach? What helps to create a successful coaching session? How do you measure the success of a coaching interaction?
Why did you become a coach?
- I became a coach because have always been interested in human systems and supporting highest potential. (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- I wanted to provide a service that could open people’s eyes to their own magnificence. (Carole Watkins)
- I am fascinated by people, their hopes and dreams and aspirations – love to see those realised. (Johan M van Zyl)
- I wanted to positively impact people’s lives and loved the solution focused, empowering approach of coaching. (Karolyne Williams)
- I became a coach to engage individuals in creating professional and personal change. (Jean Hazlitt)
- I became a coach as I want to make the world a better place. Naive but I believe conversations can change the world. (Natalie Cunningham)
What are the most rewarding aspects of being a coach?
- One of the many things – seeing the light go on in often “tired eyes”. (Johan M van Zyl)
- To see clients become unstuck by facilitating their accessing resources that were available in them all along. (Dr Kay Brugge)
- It is impossible to interact at a deep level with another human being and not be transformed yourself. (Carole Watkins)
- To facilitate people finding purpose and meaning is so rewarding. (Natalie Cunningham)
- Rewarding to see people growing. My PhD on “Developing Coaching Theory based on Lived Experience of Coached Executives”, found people saying “my life changed as I saw things differently”. Wonderful to be catalyst! (Natalie Cunningham)
- Walking part of a journey as a partner in realisation of dreams and goals. Witnessing realisation. (Sharon Jansen)
- I enjoy working with others on solving complex social and business challenges, coaching gives me deep access. (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- Change is complex at individual and organisational level. I like the challenge of supporting new ways of thinking and being (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- I find it hugely rewarding to see an insight dawn. You can’t unlearn that kind of thing. (Megan Galloway)
- So much of the success comes from the relationship built between the client and coach. (Karolyne Williams)
- When a client’s awareness is raised, big shift made – in awareness, thinking, self to other, being. (Graham Williams)
What helps to create a successful coaching session?
- Willingness of the client to be coached and to be open. Closely followed by the rapport and relationship (Karolyne Williams)
- Not all sessions are the same, even with the same client – some feel luke-warm and others are red hot! (Johan M van Zyl)
- The foundation of coaching is rapport and trust. Insightful questioning unlocks the coachee’s own genius. (Carole Watkins)
- A simple structure allows me to focus the session on the client and their concerns. (Dale Williams)
- Coach and coachee must both be “present” – may be miles apart but “both heads in the game”. (Johan M van Zyl)
- And a good method is imperative. The map is not the journey, but I do believe we need a map. So working within a model, however simple and unconsciously competent, I believe is important. (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- The client creates their own success, coach helps by knowing what is appropriate when in the coaching process. (Karolyne Williams)
- A fully trusting relationship. Without this there maybe some change, but may not be lasting. (Jean Hazlitt)
- Challenge in a supportive space! (Natalie Cunningham)
- Presence, collaboration and flexibility. Staying focused on the simple rather than simplistic response to complexity. (Rob Smale)
How do you measure the success of a coaching interaction?
- The coachee identifies limiting behaviours or thinking patterns that may prevent them from moving forward. (Carole Watkins)
- How NOT to: I have been wrong when I went on my own perception! (Johan M van Zyl)
- Ultimately coaching is measured by insight supported by action. Insight alone is not enough. (Natalie Cunningham)
- We measure success against contracted deliverables; often success markers lie in quality of relationship. (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- Often the success of a coaching interaction is measured in a way you can’t see. Often a client gleans something (an insight) that the coach may not have anticipated. (Megan Galloway)
- I believe the value of the coaching relationship is the relationship. (Stephen Rothgiesser)
- Checking whether what the client wanted to achieve has been achieved in the session. (Karolyne Williams)
- Coachees look at their life and the world differently, are more forgiving of themselves and others. (Carole Watkins)
- Without positive behaviour change coaching has merely been an interesting conversation. (Dale Williams)
- Quality Management guru Deming has said that 97% of what matters in business can’t be counted! (Graham Williams)
- Formal evaluations of interventions can be done if the indicators are measurable and defined upfront. (Karolyne Williams)
- Short term – a sense of excitement. Long term – commitment and change (Nicola Graham)
- A great coach supports the client to set goals at the start of an engagement. success can be measured against this. (Megan Galloway)
- Coachees primarily look for resonance (“Someone I can trust”). Qualifications are important to a company but the individual wants trust. (Natalie Cunningham)
