About Development Coaching
Development coaching (aka personal development coaching) is a specialised form of coaching designed to facilitate the learning and personal development of an individual. It is a one-to-one conversation that takes place between the personal development coach and their client, referred to as the coachee.
The development coach and the coachee consent to an agreement, referred to as the coaching contract, for a mutually agreed number of sessions (usually 6 to 12). These session can be carried out either face-to-face or on the telephone. The length of session is usually between 90 minutes to two hours but this varies depending on both the coach and the needs of the coachee. The time between sessions is usually four to six weeks for this type of coaching.
Much of the learning in the coaching relationship is made possible by the coach acting as a mirror for the individual. This enables them to reflect on past or current incidents or events in order to make sense of those happenings so that in the event that they encounter the same or similar experience in the future, they will have a more appropriate way of dealing with it. This is a process known as reflective learning and is one of the key tools of the development coach.
Development coaching is a longer term investment compared to coaching that is skills or performance oriented and can last from anything between one to two years and in some cases even longer. The longer time frame is mainly due to the fact that the change that takes place is slowly emergent and as such has greater longevity.
The relationship between the coach and the executive is the main vehicle for change and as a result the individual will need to be discerning in their choice of coach for this type of coaching.
The Four Main Categories Of Development Coaching
- Behavioural Change
- Clarifying
- Exploratory
- Emergence
Behavioural Change
This is the most measurable and tangible form of coaching. It relies on the coachee having a high degree of self awareness for it to be most effective. Typical types of behavioural change may include improving confidence and assertiveness, varying style and modes of communication, dealing with anger and so on. As the name suggests this type of coaching can be about removing or “forgetting” one behaviour and replacing it with another.
Clarifying
Before engaging in a programme of behaviour change it is often necessary to help the coachee to develop more self awareness and self understanding. This is the purpose of the clarifying contract, to help the coachee identify what the main issues are before embarking on a journey of trying to resolve them.
Exploratory
Sometimes coaching is about exploring ourselves, to understand our inner depths and to know who we are at a deeper level. Many people are not aware of what their strengths and weaknesses are, so this type of coaching engagement provides the coachee with the space to be able to explore themselves. In this instance they would using their coach as they would a skilled and knowledgeable explorer who has helped numerous others on their expeditions.
Emergence
For people who have a higher degree of self awareness and are looking to “be more of themselves” this type of coaching contract is the most beneficial. In this mode of coaching the coach is not looking to help their client change a particular behaviour, but to help them deal more effectively with what shows up in life.