“The best thing about my parent coaching was Kim helping me understand that it was OK for me to feel the way I feel, to not feel ashamed of or hide those feelings. As a result things are a lot easier with the children, I’m much better able to recognise what I need and tell them how I feel without blaming anyone or trying to change them. Consequently they seem to have realised that I have feelings too and now my two teenagers describe our relationship as ‘cool’!”.
DB, Surrey
It's often the line manager or the head of management development / learning etc. S/he's usually the person responsible for paying the bill at the end of the day.
Here are some good practices from our experience:
Hold a 3-way conversation between sponsor, client and coach
Check what the person wanting coaching has heard your feedback on their performance
Ask for a mid-term review to be conducted half way through the planned coaching sessions
Ask yourself: 'what do I want from this coaching?' and share your answer
In my opinion the best sort of sponsor is one who:
Offers comprehensive and considered feedback to the person wanting coaching
Understands what coaching is and isn't and informs him / herself where necessary
Respects the confidentiality agreement between the coach and the client
Shares what s/he wants from coaching
Supports the coaching by being available, listening, being patient and constructive when s/he is trying new ideas, offering feedback etc.
Encourages reviews of the coaching process
If you're a sponsor and want to discuss any questions contact us.
