1+2 focussed coaching for success

1+2 Short & impactful coaching

If you’ve had or are used to commissioning executive coaching that takes place over 6-12 months, I invite you to consider an alternative: our 1+2 coaching approach over 6-8 weeks. Now bookable via online payment, should skirting around POs and supplier set-up admin be helpful to you. 2+1 coaching is a cost effective and impactful way to:

Acknowledge their significant place in your team (after all you wouldn’t sponsor it if you didn’t think they’d make good use of the investment and you wanted to keep them in your team)
Demonstrate you care and are committed to their development, success and wellbeing.
Support them in managing and minimising the ‘interference’ that’s getting in the way of them doing, be and delivering in the way they want, and the way you need them to.

1+2 coaching format

15 minute ‘hello’ call with a coach in our team we think you’ll find affinity with.*
30 minutes of pre-work to identify the key challenges you want to focus on and significantly improve.
90 minute in person coaching session in central London culminating in an action plan that addresses the challenges you identified in your pre-work and in this coaching session.
30 minutes of self-reflection and preparation activity using our focussed ‘Reflect & Prep’ framework between the first and second coaching meeting.
45 minute remote coaching session 2-4 weeks after your first coaching session. This can be on Teams, Zoom or phone. You might choose to take this as a walking coaching meeting by phone.
30 minutes of self-reflection and preparation activity using our focussed ‘Reflect & Prep’ framework between the second and third coaching meeting.
45 minute remote coaching session 2-4 weeks after your second coaching session. This can be on Teams, Zoom or phone. You might choose to take this as a walking coaching meeting by phone.

*If for whatever reason you don’t feel a connection with Caroline, Ian, Laura, SJ, Shiobaun or me you simply drop Trish a line and ask to set up another hello call. If the coach believes an alternative coach or type of support would serve you better, she/he will discuss this with you.

If you’d like to have a chat about exactly what you are looking for for you or someone else, please e-mail hello@talentkeepers.co.uk with “1+2 COACHING” as your subject. If you’re ready to buy now, please use the link and we’ll be in touch soon after.

‘3 hour coachee’ views

“She was excellent, no topic to discuss was too small or big. I really enjoyed our sessions together. Having to fill out the form beforehand helped me get clear about what I wanted to achieve in each session, which made the time even more beneficial.” Zoe, manager of a team of creatives, June 2024 (3 hours of coaching).
“The amount my self belief has increased is immeasurable.” Hannah, journalist, June 2024 (3 hours of coaching).
“It was fantastic. I really valued her ability to listen to my feelings. I reflected on specific situations and was trouble-shooting how to approach similar things in the future.” Meera, governance manager, May 2024 (3 hours of coaching).

Coaching to minimise interference and maximise performance

Perhaps you’ve read Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis (I haven’t) in which he says Performance = Potential – Interference. The amount of ‘interference’ going on in your or your direct reports’ minds depends on many factors including life stage and life at home.

Have you noticed the amount of ‘interference’ you are attempting to deal with has increased lately? Have you noticed a direct report seems to be working harder than ever to deliver the same outcomes? Does your intuition tell you that a someone you work with needs some support?

Interference in whatever form needs to be minimised for employees to make meaningful progress, deliver expected outcomes and be well.

My esteemed coaching colleagues and I are masters of helping people pinpoint interference and identify sustainable ways of managing it.

What ‘interference’ have employees been bringing to coaching lately?

Not knowing exactly what’s needed from me as marketing director (newly created role; job description not fit for purpose).
I keep getting dragged into supporting direct reports’ work and then having to work in the evenings to do ‘my’ work.
I’ve got a new line manager and it’s just not working. It’s taking up so much headspace.
I am drowning in work.
My team is suffering from the lack of clarity about incoming changes to the business and it’s really hard to stay upbeat myself and pull them through.
Although I’m very senior and on paper really experienced, I’m plagued with self-doubt and don’t feel ‘on par’ with my peers.

Coaching isn’t a panacea…but there are MANY benefits

Forgive us for suggesting you might think it is, but it’s important we flag that coaching won’t solve issues that are being created by systemic cultural issues or structural challenges such as an under-resourced team. What it might do is ameliorate some of those issues and what it definitely will do is give a valued team member an invaluable space to:

Hear themselves think, get curious, recognise what needs to change, what they want to achieve and take responsibility for working on what’s under their control (and responsibly park what’s bothering them but that can’t be solved now, if at all).
Generate and explore more potential ways to make the change than they’d come up with thinking alone or with someone they can’t be completely open with (and that’s important because if the whole situation isn’t in the frame when you’re creating plans, the solutions won’t be as solid).
Feel better*
Benefit from psycho-education (that’s the formal term for what’s happening when a coaching psychologist or executive coach explains the science behind what the coachee is thinking, feeling or doing and why…and crucially, the evidence-base behind the tools they might be offering to the coachee to support their development).
Have a protective effect on the coachee’s mental health and a positive ripple effect on other colleagues. (Coaching psychologist Jessica Chivers conducted a piece of research on this that’s out for peer review at the moment. We’ll let you know when it’s published).

*Yes, feel better. That’s a heavy-weight outcome because positive emotions broaden employees’ thinking, making them more open to new ideas and possibilities. They also increase employee engagement and their level of motivation. This comes from renowned psychologist Barbara Frederickson and the Broaden & Build theory of positive emotion which we touch on in episode 83 of our podcast, COMEBACK COACH.

Coaching within budget

We know from conversations with our clients that budgets are tight or frozen and spend requests are being closely scrutinised. An alternative to commissioning 6-12 month executive coaching programmes that run into thousands of pounds is our 1+2 coaching approach over 6-8 weeks. It makes a discernible difference and if quality is important you’ve come to the right place. Our coaches have a broad and deep grounding in the science of coaching, have a shedload of superb testimonials to their name, are experienced in working across sectors and seniority and are reassuringly human and warm.