I’ve had a lot of first sessions recently. Meeting someone for the first time, exploring working together, and asking lots of questions about what’s needed for us to get set up well.
Alongside the purpose of the coaching (the what), is the partnership and the practicalities (the how).
This is such rich territory! Each of us has our own recipe of things that help us work at our best - and we’re all different.
Some of us prefer to have something to reflect on beforehand, others would rather show up and explore what’s top of mind.
Some of us like the camera on and to stay seated, others prefer audio and the freedom to move around.
Some of us need more of a free range sound boarding space, others find it useful to have a more structured approach with tools and frameworks.
Some of us like to meet weekly, others every 2 weeks, or less frequently.
Some of us appreciate connection in between - to share a win, an update, a reflection, or additional resources to read or listen to, or notes to refer back to. Others are happy with what we’ve covered in the time together.
And so much more that gets uncovered as we go.
This process (called Designing the Alliance in coach speak), is also useful for pretty much every other kind of working relationship.
It’s a concept I often bring up when people are wondering how to best support or collaborate with the people they work with - whether they are first time people leaders, taking on a larger team, or want to build a stronger working relationship with a peer or a new stakeholder.
It’s often most easy to focus on the ‘what’ - objectives, timelines, planning - but getting set up for success also needs us to explore the ‘how’.
It’s always interesting, and gives us a brilliant foundation to build on.
Is there an alliance you’d love to design well?
And how can you get clear on the purpose, preferences and practicalities, so you set yourselves up for success?
Wishing you a wonderful week,
