Coaching

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Simply put coaching is a tool that helps a person grow and develop. Most people hope a coach will answer their questions and become frustrated when the coach does the opposite (questions their answers). As with disciplines like psychology, therapy and counselling, there is an aspect of coaching that involves asking questions in order to help the client look inward to find clarity, awareness and solutions. For junior coaches, this is where things end… asking questions. If you’ve ever worked with a coach who interrogated you with nothing but questions for 60 minutes you’ve likely experienced a junior coach. Unfortunately, questions are only half of the equation.


The second half involves much more complex skills such as understanding a client’s answers on a level that can identify sub-text, underlying beliefs, values, and associated meaning. These important ingredients help a person leverage their answers in a way that translates to real results. Many coaches possess the ability to ask questions, but only a small percentage have the ability to translate a clients ‘answers’ into real value and results.

To break it down clearly for you:

A freshman level coach…

… will help their clients at the ‘what’ level helping a person identify what they want and don’t want
(The Outcome).

A junior level coach…

… will help their clients at the ‘how’ level helping a person identify how they may achieve or navigate towards or away from what they want or don’t want (The Process or Strategy).

A senior level coach…

… will help their clients at the ‘who’ level helping them understand and change (their identity).

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Executive Coaching

Our Philosophy and Process.

As executive coaching experts, we understand that our clients must be successful in the context of their organization’s success. Our process includes steps to ensure we understand the environment, the stakeholders and the criteria for success. Our process is flexible to ensure it is tailored to each client’s individual needs and situation, but includes key elements as follows:

Step 1: Fit, Scope & Objective Setting

In order to ensure a deep understanding of both the individual and the organization, we leverage a number of resources: Through an initial interview we establish fit between the coach and the client (essential to any coaching engagement). We determine the client's goals and areas of focus for the coaching engagement, and we agree on the duration and structure of the engagement.

Step 2: Background and Insight

In order to ensure a deep understanding of both the individual and the organization, we leverage a number of resources:

  • Review of existing third party assessment reports (if available).

  • Review of existing (recent, ideally past 18 months or less) quantitative 360 survey results.

  • Qualitative 360 degree feedback from selected colleagues and organizational stakeholders.

  • Performance reviews and other relevant diagnostics for team members.

  • Additional assessment techniques and tools as deemed appropriate.

Step 3: Coaching Action Plan

Based on the initial discussion with the client and the review of assessments and background information we propose focus areas and a tailored plan for the coaching engagement.  We review the coaching action plan with the client and with the designated organizational stakeholder.

Step 4: Implementation

We are not a “bill by the hour” consulting firm. We contract on the basis of results. That said, given our depth of expertise and experience specific to coaching, we understand what can be accomplished over what period of time and what the optimal engagement structure will be to achieve those results.

Client ownership of the entire process is critical for success. This includes setting the agenda for each coaching conversation (topics are usually aligned coaching action plan but not always). The most important factor that determines success is consistent action. Each coaching session will typically include a discussion around the actions that the client has taken since the last session and what further action they commit to taking before their next session.

Step 5: Evaluation and Feedback

At the conclusion of the engagement the coach and client will meet with the organizational stakeholder to evaluate the success of the program. We ask that the client be prepared to summarize their learning and planned next steps.

Headstock360’s Key Beliefs:

We believe that a leader’s influence, impact and results are not random. They are the direct result of their chosen mindset, behaviours, habits and the actions they take.

We believe in a structured and measured process to aid in sustainable behaviour shifts, accountability and leadership skill development. We require a high level of client commitment to ensure desired results and outcomes are achieved.

We believe that coaching should result in greater leadership independence rather than dependence.

We believe that a coaching engagement should have a start and an end date.