What is Coaching?

Whether a small business or personal coach - the method and process is much the same. A coach will:

· Assist the individual/business in making real, lasting change without being judgemental

· Use questioning techniques in order for the client to identify solutions and actions

· Support the client in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress

· Observe, listen and ask questions to understand the client's situation

· Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting personal growth & change

· Evaluate the outcomes of the process

· Encourage clients to continually improve competencies

· Manage the relationship to ensure the client receives the appropriate level of service

Case Study:

Nicola approached Peter Hirst Coaching when she felt her business was beginning to stagnate. Most of her working time was spent 'putting out fires' with no clear vision of how she wanted to progress.

During the initial session, it became clear that she found completing projects challenging and it became apparent that her working life was impinging on her personal one.

Nicola and Peter worked together to discovering what may have been causing her to hold back in business. After cutting through some barriers she became aware of her fear of rejection. This was impinging on her enthusiasm for making cold calls and negotiating with her suppliers and customers.

The sessions then focused on her successes and Peter challenged her to make a list of them. She also made a list of her unwanted outcomes and started thinking what she had learnt from them. She then burnt the list and watched the smoke disappear to symbolise her moving on.

As she became more focused on her successes, her self-esteem began to rise and she started to visualise successful outcomes. She found that she wanted to set more goals and although the goals started small, they eventually increased in their complexity as her self confidence grew.

Nicola would write her goals down and be held accountable for the outcomes at the next coaching session. Together, they explored how she felt when achieving her goals and then discussed how she could reward herself for them.

In between sessions, she examined her language and substituted positive words for negative ones.

Over the course of six sessions, her ability to tackle her projects improved. She found her working life more fun, easier and more productive. This also positively affected her personal relationships.

Dr Peter John Hirst - Life, Corporate and Executive Coach
T 01606 737108    M 07760 203439    E info@peterhirstcoaching.co.uk