Coaching contracting is foundational to providing a great coaching experience and achieving meaningful coaching outcomes for all parties. Having trained and supervised hundreds of people through their coaching qualifications it is the contracting element which often gets over looked or not undertaken deeply enough.
Contracting is not just about covering the necessities, it is also about establishing the learning relationship, giving the client/coachee confidence in you as the coach.
Top tips for coaching contracting!
- Make time for coaching contracting, a snatched 15 minutes isn’t sufficient time to have a proper discussion around practicalities and learn more about each other. 30-45 minutes is a starting point
- Focus on 4 core areas in the contracting: Formalities of the coaching relationship, 3rd party contracting required? Establishing and building the coaching relationship, Preparing the client for the coaching.
- New coaches often forget to really consider potential 3rd parties – line managers, key stakeholders, project managers within their coaching contracting conversations. Find out beforehand who this might be and the need to perhaps have them present. These conversations can be very revealing.
- Potentially send information (articles, video links etc) prior to the contracting conversation for the client to gain more understanding of what coaching is about.
- Coaching contracting is about a 2-way conversation, not a check list of points to go through with clients. So, bring in questions into your process make it discussion based.
- This is the time to establish and understand the coaching need, the reasons for the coaching. Within this perhaps an overall goal for the coaching and if needs be identifying specific potential ‘chunks’ of coaching that could be under taken
- Consider having a couple of generic open questions which really bring the client into the conversation.
- Bring humour into the conversation, using it appropriately. You are human after all!
- Be professionally assertive. Coming to this session might be a first for someone, new to coaching and apprehensive. Vulnerable. So being professionally assertive taking an embracing control of the time together can be reassuring for potential clients.
- Be mindful of your body language. Be engaged, interested, caring. Strong eye contact and acknowledging what they are sharing
- Use reflective language, reflecting words, phrases and sentiments expressed by the client. Playback what you hear or experience in them. This shows your listening and understanding.
- Similarly, reflect back any emotions that you are picking up from them
Interested in coaching or mentoring?
Enjoy a conversation with Nick Howell from Abintus, to discuss your coaching needs for your people – coach training, coaching support, coaching 121. Nick Has developed, delivered, tutored and assessed dozens of coaching and mentoring programmes in recent years. He is also author of Great Coaching Questions an Amazon best seller. Call Nick today on 07867 785314,or email nick@abintius.co.uk