I believe that coaching, unlike counselling and other forms of therapy, is all about looking forward to achieve aspirations rather than looking backwards to resolve problems. I focus on getting results and I concentrate on actions that help people achieve goals and realise dreams they previously believed to be impossible.

The four most common areas of focus for an executive coach are:

• Coaching current skills to enhance presentation and negotiating skills
• Coaching performance, focusing more broadly on an executive’s effectiveness in his or her present job
• Coaching for development and leadership on an executive’s new or future career
• Concentrating on an executive’s specific agenda

The coach will use careful, ‘open ended’ questions and ‘deep listening’ to work with the client to establish their own goals and the actions the client needs to take to achieve them.

This requires the coach and the client to build and maintain effective rapport in a trusting and safe environment. Coaching is based on drawing out the client’s strengths (‘pulling’ rather than ‘pushing’) and challenging in a sensitive, non-judgmental and empathetic way.