2. Background
Walker Coaching Support
After over 20 years working in the insurance industry I happened to meet one of the country’s top leadership coaches, Philip
Goldman, and I started to work for him in an Executive Assistant capacity. This involved me assisting in the production of support
materials, along with the interpretation and presentation of qualitative data gathered during Executive coaching programmes and
team development work. Philip seldom gave me instructions, rather he made requests, showed me his previous work and encouraged
me to understand how I might produce work of the standard required to support some of the most experienced and highly-placed
Executives around the world – he coached me.
Philip has worked with Graham Alexander for many years, Graham is credited as the ‘inventor’ of the GROW model, he is a best-
selling author and is often termed as a ‘Super Coach’. Graham started as a sports coach, practicing the ‘Inner Game’. This is the
recognition that we are the ones that need to overcome our obstacles and often our greatest obstacles are those interferences that
lie within ourselves. Our own beliefs about our own ability or inability to overcome an obstacle are precisely what dictate our
success or otherwise in so doing.
I have now listened to thousands of hours of coaching sessions, I have analysed all of these sessions, helping to shape development
journeys and learning the techniques for myself. I debrief other coaches and now coach in my own practice.
This work has given me some insight into how the most successful people in business go about improving their performance, through
building self-awareness, working to their strengths and addressing their weaknesses or blind spots.
Their aim is ultimately to become better at what they do, happier in their home and working lives and fulfill their potential.
My aim is to bring the advantage that I have seen this type of ‘inner game’ coaching bring to our most successful people to others,
and where better to start than with the young? I wish to help them to form a structured approach to their decision-making, a
positive attitude to their own self-development and importantly a massive boost to their confidence and self-esteem – to help them
to become the best person that they can be, whatever that means for them.
Gary
3. Teen Coaching – for life and leadership
Walker Coaching Support
The Level 5 Executive - Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.
This is an observation from a book written by Jim Collins called Good to Great. As part of the studies in writing this book he and his
research teams observed how the most successful leaders behaved. He is describing traits that can make any person successful:
Humility – which is sometimes easier to understand when we consider its polar opposite – arrogance. The humble person is willing
to listen and learn – no matter how good they already are. They are self-effacing, they take responsibility.
Professional Will – determination, diligence, seek results, they study their subject and are committed to being the best they can
be.
I would never describe the work in those terms to a teen, but these qualities of determination and a willingness to listen and learn
are encouraged by the coaching process where we seek to focus on goals, build self-awareness, seek out feedback, ‘own’ problems
and therefore the solutions, build relationships with others and communicate with clarity. The aim is to provide a safe environment
where the teen can explore their goals, understand and overcome their obstacles or blockers and then move to action. Whilst any
programme is bespoke and adjusted to suit the requests of the individual, the aim is that the process should be:
Confidence building
will encourage
Self-motivation
and develop
Organisational skills
With teens I call this:
Self leadership
The purpose of the coaching programme is not to turn the teen into a world class Level 5 leader but to enable them to:
Be the best they can be, whatever that means for them – so fulfilling their potential
4. To GROW
Walker Coaching Support
Coaching sessions may ‘feel’ informal, like nothing more than a good conversation. They are in fact highly focused sessions, held
with purpose and outcomes in mind. The GROW method assists in this.
Example session:
Topic Maths
To
Goal oriented Shift
G from: 71% (predicted C grade)
to: 75%+ (B grade or higher)
Reality based Generally feels happy doing maths
Completes homework tasks - gives limited time to practice
R Has good relationship with teacher
Understands most aspects - struggles with complex factoring
Option generating Good in most areas, so I could continue to practice those – working to strengths
Improving complex factoring may hold the key to gaining those few extra points, so I could:
Ask the teacher for some specific guidance
O Re-read relevant text books and previous work – look at the problems previously solved correctly/
incorrectly – try and figure out why
Spend time with a class mate – seek out the class whizz-kid, they might help me
Check the internet – there may be an explanation that helps to make things ‘click’
Wrap-up with an agreement: Ask teacher & check internet - within 2 weeks
W What? Who? & When? Practice more - ongoing
In early sessions I produce meeting notes and return these to the teen, over time (3 to 4 sessions) the note-taking role will change,
with the teen accepting responsibility for keeping notes on a To GROW sheet. The conversation will become more structured as the
teen gets used to thinking through their problems in this way. I will continue to be the ‘sounding-board’, continue to ask ‘why?’,
‘how?’, ‘what are your options?’ etc. in order to challenge thinking and support the teen, as they find realistic and workable ways to
reach their goal. They are encouraged to self-monitor and ask:
The 3 Questions: ‘What went well?’, ‘What wasn’t quite so good?’ & ‘What might I try to do differently next time?’
6. Ground rules…
Walker Coaching Support
Dear Abcd,
Thank you for asking me to work with you as your personal coach, I’m really looking forward to us taking a journey together and my hope is
that we can find ways that will help you
To be the best that you can be
I work for a coach, he is one of the best coaches in the country. He helps some of the country’s most successful business leaders to become
even better at what they do, and I propose that we approach your development in a similar way to really successful people. Top business
people, top sports people and world famous musicians all use the same sort of coaching methods that we will use as we have conversations
together to help you
To make decisions about your life
It is very important for you to understand that I will be acting as your coach, this means I am not a teacher and I am not a mentor. Whilst I
might be able to give you some tips and some ideas, my role will be
To help you find the best way to meet an objective or overcome obstacles for yourself
Our discussions will be confidential, but you are fifteen years old, so there are some decisions that you cannot yet make for yourself and I also
have a duty of care for you, this means:
If I have any reason to be concerned for your wellbeing then I will have to take necessary steps to protect you, if that happens I will ask
you to trust me that I have your best interests at heart.
If we reach a point where I believe you need input from your parents before making a decision, I will let you know and we will adjust our
planning to include that.
I have already taken a little information from your Mum and started to make some plans for some possible activities to help you to be the best
that you can be. BUT, these are your sessions. During that time I am there for you, to discuss the things you want to discuss and to help
you however you need me to, so we will always talk through whatever you want to.
Gary
email me: gary@walkercoaching.com
Call me: 07791 431363
7. Great stuff…
Walker Coaching Support
In order to help me understand as much as I can about you, I have already found out what some of your strengths are:
Excellent motivation at things he enjoys
Excellent perseverance and willpower
Also:
insightful communication when he does talk, he has an ability to think things through well and offer
carefully considered opinions, he often surprises me and gives me new perspectives on an issue
I think it would be useful if you could take a little time, before we meet, to think about what some of your strengths are. If you are not sure how to do that then:
Try taking ten minutes out at the end of the day
Sit down quietly and think about some of those things that you are really good at, some of the things that you most enjoy and some of those things that you enjoy
so much that you try to do them better - they might be things that make you feel competitive. Then think about why you are good at them. You don’t have to write
this down and don’t worry if you can’t think of anything. It’s not always easy to see them, , and we will spend some time doing this together.
If you feel like it you can jot a few notes down in this space:
8. Development areas…
Walker Coaching Support
Social skills holding better conversations with adults, friends and girls
Starting conversations and keeping them going
Confidence
Balancing time
Time online vs. other fun activities
Using time wisely
School
Homework
Staying motivated, completing excellent work
Fulfilling your potential in GCSEs, particularly Maths & Spanish
These are just a few ideas for you, to see the sort of topics that we might discuss over the coming months, I spoke with your Mum who gave me these as some
areas for us to consider. I think it would be useful for you to spend a little time, in the same way as when you think about your strengths, and think about anything,
absolutely anything
that you would like to be better at or you need to change…, if you are struggling, don’t worry, , we will identify some things together
If you feel like it you can jot a few notes down in this space:
Potential – Interferences = Performance
9. Plan…
Walker Coaching Support
As part of my work with you I have decided to adopt a personal motto, which I think can also work as my pledge and commitment to you:
To listen to [Teen’s Name], learning what makes him awesome
AND
to support him to be even greater
To help us do that we will have a series of sessions where we will talk through issues, that you think will be valuable. We may also gather some feedback from
others who know you well and add that information to our thinking as we identify those things that you need to work on and figure out how you might go about
achieving your goals. We will call this your Coaching Agenda.
At first we will meet every 3 weeks or so. After a while you will have some structures to help you make choices about your life and we can then have sessions less
often or simply when you think it will help you. Of course you can contact me whenever you feel you need to.
Feedback
School
reports
Teen - TO DO…
In order that our first session can be as
Personal
goals
effective as possible, I would really like you to:
Spend 10 minutes thinking about your
To help [Teen] find ways to STRENGTHS
make the best choices and
take the right steps DEVELOPMENT AREAS
Write them down if you would like to and do not
worry:
The best you can be There are no right and wrong answers!