How Coaching Works

Leadership coaching is a two‑way partnership built around what’s happening for you right now. Rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all agenda, every session is tailored to your goals, your context, and your pace—so you leave with clarity, concrete next steps, and the confidence to achieve your goals.

Whether you’ve never worked with a coach before or you’ve done it once or twice, here’s exactly what to expect—step by step—so you feel confident from Day 1:

The Coaching Journey at a Glance

  • What Happens: A relaxed, no‑pressure chat where we explore the reason you’ve come to coaching, discuss possible ways to work together, answer your questions, and decide if coaching is right for you. If you choose to proceed, we’ll identify the right programme and package for you along with the starting date.

    Outcome: You leave knowing whether coaching with me is a fit for you.

  • What Happens: We set the foundations—agree a simple coaching contract (confidentiality, scheduling, communication), clarify roles & responsibilities, and define 1–3 “north star” goals.

    Outcome: A shared roadmap, clear success metrics, and mutual commitment.

  • What Happens: You prepare for each session by reflecting on 1–2 top priorities, blockers or experiments you’ve tried related to your goal/s in between sessions.

    We’ll begin each session by celebrating progress and surfacing any roadblocks. We’ll spend the majority of the session exploring this in more detail in an effort to surface new insights.

    We’ll end each session by reviewing the conversation and identifying 1 - 3 concrete steps to take and try before the next session.

    Outcome: Consistent momentum and laser‑focused clarity on what to do next.

  • What Happens: Every few sessions, we will pause to review your overall progress, surface patterns, and tweak our plan—ensuring your objectives stay aligned with your evolving needs.

    Outcome: A clear view of your growth curve, with confidence that we’re on track.

  • What Happens: During our final session we revisit the original goals you set in Session 1 and measure your progress against those “north stars.”

    We acknowledge your achievements, explore any lingering challenges or patterns, and co‑create a handoff plan—whether that means establishing new rhythms, arranging peer‑check‑ins, or identifying additional resources to support you.

    I’ll also share the key tools, frameworks, or readings we’ve used and recommend any next‑step methods (workshops, peer groups, or other supports) suited to your journey.

    Outcome: A clear assessment of how far you’ve come and a practical roadmap for sustaining momentum—and know exactly where to turn next.

Coaching works best when we each know our role—here’s exactly how we collaborate:

How We Partner

  • I maintain strict confidentiality, set clear boundaries, and ensure an open, non‑judgmental environment for you.

    The only exception to the confidentiality clause is the duty-of-care clause in which I escalate concerns if there is a risk of harm to yourself or others, and if there is illegal activity.

  • I listen deeply and use targeted inquiries to surface new insights, challenge assumptions, and broaden your perspective.

  • When they add value, I introduce models (e.g. decision‑making grids, values exercises) to structure our exploration.

  • I track the commitments you set, check in via email/text if you opt in, and ensure follow‑through stays top of mind.

  • I tailor every session’s pace, focus, and methods to your current reality—never forcing a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. I will invite your feedback on what’s working (and what isn’t) so I can adjust my style or methods.

  • I adhere to EMCC/ICF standards, protect your privacy, and will refer you to other support (mentorship, training, therapy) if your needs exceed coaching. This also means that I don’t provide legal, medical, or financial advice.

    I engage in ongoing supervision with an experienced coach who supports me with my practice.

  • I manage the booking link, calendar invites, and remind you 24 hrs before each session. This also includes issuing invoices, processing payments, and sending receipts per our agreed terms.

Coach 🤝

  • You lean in and bring your real‑world challenges, doubts, and aspirations into each session – ready to explore without holding back. You don’t ‘perform’ for me. You use the space for your benefit.

  • You lean into the questions, reflect honestly on your answers, and surface the issues that matter most.

    This also includes adequate preparation for each session in which you spend some time before each session jotting down wins, hurdles, and priorities that you want to review in our session. This makes our time maximally useful.

  • You choose which tools or ideas resonate, adapt them to your context, and experiment between sessions. You’re in the driver’s seat.

  • You commit to 1–3 concrete experiments each session and take full responsibility for making progress.

  • You give ongoing feedback on our process and let me know when priorities or circumstances shift. You will also speak up if you need more challenge, a different tool, or even a change of pace—this keeps our work on track.

  • You acknowledge that coaching is designed for growth and action planning, not for therapy, legal, medical, or financial advice. If your challenges require specialised expertise (e.g., clinical mental health, legal counsel, or technical consulting), you agree to seek that support and let me know so we can adjust or pause our coaching accordingly.

  • You honour our agreed‑upon coaching contract—showing up on time and prepared, notifying me 24 hrs ahead for changes, and alerting me if deeper help is needed.

    You book sessions in advance, update me of changes to your availability, and pay outstanding payments on time per our agreements.

You 🎯

Still curious? Hear from a leader who’s been through every step…

“Coaching with Sarah was very rewarding and cathartic. It helped me realise that most of the solutions/answers come from me. Sarah, as my coach, helped me come to that realisation by always leaving me space to talk or come to these realisations myself.

I feel I've made real progress towards my goal and I can feel myself still continuing on this coaching journey.”

Emily R., People Leader, USA