Coaching: A Guide for the Curious

I've always struggled with the word 'coach'. I've made my peace with it somewhat over the years in the absence of anything else that captures something of my work and profession. But it will never not evoke in me a slight undercurrent of standing shivering in burgundy knickers on a half-frozen school gravel pitch in Ballymoney, being shouted at for my lack of skill with a hockey stick.

What coaching is and can offer can be opaque, and deciding to work with a coach can feel like a big call in the dark. An investment of time, of money, and perhaps especially, an investment of energy. When the field is expanding rapidly, it becomes even more important to ask wise questions both of yourself and why you might want to engage in coaching, and of anyone you might consider working with.

The Coaching Ethics Forum (CEF) has made a helpful contribution by creating Coaching: A Guide for the Curious by setting out

> What coaching is and what it is not

> How coaching conversations work

> The importance of trust and ethical standards

> What to consider when choosing a coach

> Where to turn with questions or concerns

There's a link to download the guide here. And if you read this and have questions about if and how we might work together, I am always happy to have a conversation to see if we are - or are not! - a good fit for the work you are looking to do.