Empower Early-career Researchers

Coaching is a form of personalized learning where a trained professional (a coach) supports an individual (sometimes referred to as a coachee) in making progress in various areas of their life. This progress may involve reaching specific goals, solving problems, or fostering personal and professional growth. Coaching typically involves engaging in conversations, either one-on-one or in a series, where the coach guides and facilitates the exploration of ideas and solutions.

These coaching conversations can take place in different formats and environments, including face-to-face meetings, phone calls, or online sessions via platforms like Zoom.

In addition to traditional coaching methods, Coach Skylor incorporates creative coaching techniques that involve hands-on activities for immersive self-exploration and transformation, such as the LEGO Serious Play method. The specific coaching approach is customized to meet the unique needs of each coachee and is agreed upon by both the coach and coachee.

An effective coach utilizes a combination of questioning, active listening, observation, and providing objective feedback to facilitate conversations rich in insight and learning. Through this process, the coachee receives focused attention on their circumstances, leading to greater self-awareness and understanding. Additionally, they gain new perspectives and strategies to resolve issues, achieve better results, and reach their goals more effectively.

Common benefits people experience from coaching include:

• Enhanced sense of direction and focus
• Accelerated learning on specific topics such as managing people, relationships, or influence
• Improved performance in various areas such as professional, health, or finances
• Increased self-knowledge and self-awareness
• Improved personal effectiveness, including focused effort on priorities
• Heightened motivation and personal engagement
• Increased resourcefulness and resilience, particularly in handling change

Coaching is distinct from the following:

1. Structured Training, e.g., Classroom Learning

Structured training involves a predetermined curriculum and a systematic approach to imparting knowledge. For instance, in a classroom setting, a trainer follows a specific plan to ensure that learners acquire a set amount of information within a defined timeframe. In contrast, coaching adopts a more flexible format tailored to individual objectives. Both the coachee and the coach influence the direction and content of coaching sessions. Coaching also places responsibility for learning on the individual and encourages ongoing learning beyond the sessions through agreed-upon actions.

2. Counseling or Psychotherapy

Some issues are best addressed by professionals trained in specific skills and approaches, such as addiction or mental health challenges like depression or compulsive disorders. While coaching is not therapy, it can serve as a viable alternative for individuals dealing with milder forms of anxiety, confidence crises, or self-doubt. Coaching fosters greater self-awareness and a deeper understanding of personal situations and circumstances.

3. A way of someone else solving your problems for you

Coaching assumes that an individual is ultimately responsible for the results they’re creating. Whilst you may argue that this is not always true, it is normally a more effective idea to operate from. If we acknowledge that we are responsible for something, it follows that we have power and influence over it.

For example, if you’re not getting the results at work that you want, a coach might encourage you to:

• Understand that situation more clearly.
• Develop new ideas or approaches for those situations.
• Take constructive action that gets you the results you want.

What an effective coach will not do is instruct you to do something specific, or go and do it for you. If they did, the coach would be taking responsibility (and so power) away from you. An effective coach aims to empower you by supporting you to act, rather than acting on your behalf.

A coaching relationship is like no other, because of the combination of healthy, objective detachment and commitment to the goals of the individual. It’s a distinct form of support; where I will create focus on your situations with an attention and commitment that you rarely experience anywhere else. 

I will listen actively (and not sort of listen!) to your values, goals and aspirations. I will hold a genuine curiosity to understand who you are, what you think and generally how you experience the world without judgement. 

I will also reflect back to you, with an objective overview and ask you the necessary challenging questions to help you create your reality and set appropriate actions.

In return, I will expect you to stay committed to the coaching process. That means showing up for sessions, taking your own notes where appropriate, and keeping any agreements you make during sessions.

In addition, I expect you to be open to the potential of coaching. That means contributing to conversations honestly and openly. The strength and power of coaching relate directly to the level of openness and trust in this relationship between us.

As an ICF-trained coach I adhere to the ICF code of ethics which protects the privacy of my clients and therefore the contents of our coaching discussions is confidential. Where a third party has requested the coaching, e.g. as part of an organisational sponsored assignment, I will agree with you the best way to keep any interested third parties involved or updated.

It helps to consider your own objectives for coaching before you meet your coach. It’s also a good idea to decide how you might increase the effectiveness of your coaching involvement, by reflecting on factors which may support that. 

The following questions can help:

1. What areas or topics might be most useful to work on with a coach? e.g. personal, professional, general learning and development?

2. What simple goals do you have right now which you’d like to make more progress with, e.g.to make something happen, or achieve something.

3. What learning and self-development goals do you have? e.g. get better at something or express certain qualities more (or less) often.

4. Of the factors under your own influence, what might stop your involvement with a coach from being successful? e.g. distractions or a tendency to procrastinate.

5. What thoughts are you having now about getting started with a coach?

Whilst the intention of the previous questions is simply to encourage your initial thoughts, you may also find that ideas, questions or actions arise from your thinking. That’s great, simply make a note of those and take them to your first session with your coach.

Coaching sessions can vary in length, but typically last between 45 minutes to an hour. The frequency of sessions can also vary depending on the needs of the client. 

Among Coach Skylor's current clients, the most common and favored frequency is once a month for 45 minutes/session.