The co-coaching is an essential part of the Experience. It will help you practice, gain confidence, experience what it is like to be coached with the Wheel and much more. The Wheel is simple. The learning with it is huge – indeed it seems to have no end.
So here’s what you need to know as you begin. Please take time to read this, let it soak in, and consider what it means for your as you shape your co-coaching in this Experience.
How it works
At least two relationships
- The co-coaching includes two relationships – you will be paired with one colleague as your ‘coach’, and another as your ‘client’. This increases the range of differences in personality, style and types of conversation that you will experience when using the Wheel
- If you would like more co-coaching, you are free to arrange this direct with other Cohort colleagues
Three components
We recommend, for each of your co-coaching relationships, that you have:
- An initial connecting and contracting session
- A number of co-coaching sessions that will involve Neil’s Wheel in some way
- Planned reflective time with your coaching partner – this could be after each session or a separate conversation at the end of a series, or some other arrangement that works for you both
Where it begins
The contact details to enable you to connect with your paired colleagues will be emailed to you immediately after the initial Setting Off Together call. Please note that:
- The pairings are random. If advised in advance, we can take consideration of specific situations (eg if you have colleagues in the same business in the Cohort)
- Cohorts can be very international, so your co-coaching partners may be in different time zones. This international flavour normally adds greatly to the Experience. Please bear any time differences in mind
- The etiquette is that ‘Coach’ reaches out to ‘Client’. So please contact your ‘client within a couple of days of the first Cohort call
- The co-coaching should begin ideally before the second call, and certainly before the third. So connecting quickly and arranging the connecting and contracting is important
- If as ‘client’ you don’t hear from your coach within 3 days of the first call, reach out to them
The initial contracting session
- We mention this because it doesn’t always happen – Always start with being human together: Connect. Build rapport and trust.
- In each pairing, it’s up to you both to shape the co-coaching arrangement. Discuss and agree the practicalities such as:
- How many sessions?
- When? (recognising there could be different time zones)
- How long should they be?
- How do you want to do the reflecting together? Whether you are ‘coach’ or ‘client’ there will be important learning
- Very occasionally people only want to coach/be coached using the Wheel for one session. Often it is more. One hour is the absolute minimum. Three or more sessions are not unusual. A co-coaching arrangement for eight sessions has been known. This can be a balance: Sometimes ‘clients’ want a number of sessions so that they can explore their Wheel fully. Sometimes ‘coaches’ want a number of sessions so that they can practice their coaching with the Wheel to the depth they desire. Either side may be interested in seeing how coaching conversations with the Wheel can evolve. We trust you as professionals to navigate any differences with empathy and understanding.
- Contract between you if and how the ‘Coach’ may want to introduce the Wheel in your first session. If the ‘client’ has seen the Introductory video, and been part of the first Cohort call for the Neil’s Wheel Experience or similar, they probably don’t need anything repeated by the ‘Coach’, and you can move straight to ‘How do you want to do this?’ Alternatively, the Coach may want to practice introducing the Wheel, so this could be an important opportunity to practice and get feedback. And the ‘client’ may of course have questions about the wheel that they want to discuss with you before the coaching begins, to ensure shared understanding.
- Normal practices in contracting always apply – discuss preferences, boundaries, permissions and the like.
- Finding time for appreciations is always, well, appreciated!
- We recommend that you establish your own, personal reflective practise during the Experience. For example, this could be keeping some form of diary/log/notebook. Using this to pause after and between co-coaching sessions and group call, will enable you to deepen learning and identify questions that you can bring to future calls and group chats.