Getting support

Finding the right coach can be a challenge. Asking your employer to pay for coaching can feel even tougher!

The good news: we’ve already found each other!

The better news: I can help you get their support!

Important questions to ask yourself first:

Reflect on any development feedback you’ve recently received; then ask yourself:

  • What leadership skills or qualities have I been prompted to work on?

  • What other skills or qualities do I want to work on in coaching?

  • How do I expect that working on these skills will impact my performance at work?

Talking points:

Remember, you know your relationships better than I do, so be sure to make this ask in a way that feels authentic to you and aligned with how you regularly communicate with your manager.

If your organisation already values coaching as a development modality, you might only need to say that you've found a coach you want to work with.

“Hey! I think I found the right coach to work with. So excited to talk to you about this and would greatly appreciate your thoughts on how this could align in our current priorities.”

If your organisation has not had much experience with coaching, feel free to refer to this template:

“Hey! I’ve been thinking about all the performance feedback I’ve received so far and in what aspects I can further improve. I’ve realised, as I’ve researched several development modalities, that it would be best for me to work with a coach. So excited to talk to you about this and would greatly appreciate your thoughts on how this could align in our current priorities.”

If you need some data points, you can refer to these outputs from a 2009 study by the International Coach Federation:

  • 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence

  • 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills

  • 86% of companies report that they recouped their investment on coaching and more. (More here)

Quick tips:

If your employer is sponsoring your coaching, I recommend having a 1:1 meeting with your manager to discuss your priorities for coaching and ensure that you're aligned with one another. Some common areas of focus in leadership coaching include:

  • Priority management

  • Stakeholder engagement & influence

  • Becoming a more strategic leader

  • Authentic leadership presence, and more.

We can also review your business KPIs to define goals; this may give us a way to measure impact more concretely.