In the first part I described what coaching is, the elements that need to be present for masterful coaching to exist, and levels of coaching. I made the point that to help a person to not only achieve goals but to also build competence and attain fulfillment, the coach, in addition to possessing coaching skills, needs to be knowledgeable regarding the subject matter of the coaching. In this article I discuss the process of coaching.

The process of coaching involves the following steps;*

• Relationship
• Opportunity
• Enrollment
• Coaching Conversations

1. Relationship

As previously discussed, coaching is both a process and relationship. Effective coaching cannot occur unless the parties have respect for one another. In addition, the coaching client has to perceive the coach as being credible. A sense of caring, coaching skills, and subject matter knowledge are the key ingredients in establishing credibility.

2. Opportunity

There has to be a specific focus for the coaching. The focus is an area of priority that the coaching client has and wants to work on. The opportunity may be a "coaching moment", i.e., an immediate, specific need for the client. Or the coaching focus may require a series of coaching conversations to properly work through the priority and develop and implement specific strategies for improvement. The subject matter of the coaching may be a business opportunity or challenge or a personal development need.

3. Enrollment

Nothing of significance will happen unless the coaching client is committed to both working on a specific issue that is a priority for him or her, and working with the coach. Enrollment should be a specific expression of wanting to work together on a specific priority for the client. In addition, the enrollment process should include an understanding of respective roles and how the parties intend to work together. In terms of roles, it is imperative that it be clear that the client owns the issue. Remember that the objectives of coaching are to leave the client more effective and fulfilled, and be able to self-correct and self-generate. These outcomes will not occur if the client remains dependent on the coach. Masterful coaching involves working oneself out of a job.

4. Coaching Conversations

Be it a "coaching moment", or a series of get-togethers, coaching happens in coaching conversations. The intent of these collaborative conversations is to gain insight and to craft appropriate strategies to move things to new and better places.

The final two columns in this series will focus on the coaching conversation. Next month I will present a couple of models that I have found to be extremely useful in coaching conversations. In the final installment we will discuss the flow of coaching conversations.

* Adapted from: James Flaherty, Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others, Butterworth-Heineman, Boston