My Coach-mentoring approach

When engaging a coach for personal and professional development many people get confused about the different interpretations and styles of coaching, and wonder what would suit them best. The coaching fraternity is fully aware of the diverse training and experience of its members. Most people seeking out a good coach will look for a recommendation and ‘check out’ the coach recommended. Ultimately it is the chemistry between the coach and client that makes the relationship work and the degree to which the coach can meet the needs of the client to transcend their issues and achieve their development goals.

My approach when working with someone who has engaged my services as a Coach-mentor is more aligned with a Professional Supervision model which works on the assumption that my client or Supervisee knows their situation best and therefore drives their own process. This approach offers opportunities for personal development and inspiration as I reflect back the person’s own understanding and use powerful questioning to expand their thinking.

I am interested in using transformative processes that go deeper to get to the core drivers and motivators which, when explored, reveal a person’s mission and very purpose in life. This exploration is best to happen at the beginning of a coaching relationship when we might look at their story and the personality they have cultured as a result of their story, and core values and beliefs. Beginning this way enables the whole person to be recognised and a new, more effective story begin. This self-knowledge then forms the platform from which our work together can be referenced.

NLP

I use my Nuero Linguistic Programming (NLP) training to help my clients move beyond their limited cognitions (the thinking which informs their behaviours). Many of the NLP processes are extremely useful. These include the exploration of assumptions and reframing these to make positive change, using presuppositions to change belief systems and core values that diminish effectiveness, and the use of timeline processes that allow the healing of experiences and memories that hold people back.

Grow

Finally the commonly- known, GROW model comes in handy when a sound process is needed to grapple with an issue. GROW is an acronym standing for Goal – Reality – Options – Will. The model is simple yet provides a powerful framework for structuring a coaching session when there are specific goals and outcomes to achieve.

I take the role of facilitator – coach-mentor seriously. Reflecting constantly on my own practice is critical to providing quality support and coaching. I am committed to my own on-going training and development.

For me, as a coach it is a not only a privilege to work with people in an open, respectful and trusting way, but also an opportunity to be fully present to inspiration and learning.
Kaye Avery
Coach and facilitator