How to Support your Direct Report (You can send this to your manager)

We’re thrilled to be working with your team member! As your team member embarks on this journey, we hope it’s helpful to have this one-page overview about coaching and what to expect in terms of communication from them while they’re part of the coaching engagement.

What Coaching Is and Isn’t

Coaching is all about a shared journey between the employee and the coach. The employee is the driver of the process and the coach will help them see new perspectives, and develop and grow in key areas while they lead the way. 

Coaching is:

• Completely confidential between the employee and the coach
• About future direction and clarity (not past-orientation and therapy)
• It’s the employee’s agenda - what they put in is what they get out, so support them the best you can to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Coaching is not:

• Consulting. The coach will not give direction, advice or tell the employee what to do.
• Coach-driven. This is the employee’s agenda. 

Coachee-Driven Communication

The first session your team member has with their coach is always an exciting one! We encourage you to help them identify what they might want to work on with their coach by thinking through past feedback or overall areas of development. 

Reminder, the employee ultimately will choose what they work on and will inform you of at least one of those topics. Below are a few areas of inspiration you may want to discuss. 

- Leadership development       - Building & managing teams          - Personal/Professional Branding

- Back-to-work transitions        - Difficult conversations                    - Career Pathing

- Executive Presence               - Time & Energy Management          - Communication Skills 

Your team member will be encouraged to proactively schedule coaching conversations with you throughout their coaching engagement. These will take place during the following inflection points:

• Session 1: Before their first coaching session
• Session 2: At the mid-point of the coaching engagement 
• Session 3: At the end of the coaching engagement