Procedure

The arrangements for group training are dependent on specific requirements, which are discussed and clarified prior to the training as part of the co-creative process. For individual coaching the procedure is as follows:

Please note that although there are numerous references to success, goals, deadlines and progress, my work is focused mainly on increasing your level of awareness about yourself, your behaviour, and the corresponding influence and effect you have on your world. The conclusions of the work and any breakthroughs you may have, therefore, are very often around you as a person rather than your achievements in the world.

Step 1

• Define your goals and create clarity. What is it you really want?
• My commitment to you is to support, challenge and empower you on your journey towards those goals. Along the way, you will become more aware of yourself, see clearly your personal barriers to success, and discover your own ways of achieving your desired results. Most importantly, you will establish a set of insights, learning points and tools which will serve you for the rest of your life.
• The most effective way to do this work is to keep a daily record – a journal – of your experiences, observations and reflections. See the post Write Stuff Down for more details.

Step 2

• We agree on and formalise an approach, which sets out the long-term goals and an action plan. Generally, this will be in the form of monthly sessions, supplemented by weekly emails (see the 3-month programme below). Sessions are preferably in person, although online sessions are an excellent substitute. There is also the option of a whole day (or days) spent together in order to accelerate the process.
• Depending on your goals, an individual coaching relationship can last from a few weeks to 12 months, and typically consists of between 4-8 sessions, although one session can also be sufficient.

Step 3

• The sessions are used to review and discuss your progress, clarify any issues, (re)define the short-term goals and set deadlines for the work ahead. Full use should be made of these sessions by preparing yourself with your own reflections of your progress, including your insights and learning points. It is also the ideal time to ask questions about your process.
• Throughout our work, I will send you links to relevant posts from my blog. I encourage you to read these and to keep all the links together in a single document for reference purposes. The reason for this is that the posts represent a bespoke summary of the subjects you and I have discussed. They support your process and you can refer to them any time you need to remind yourself of what’s important in your development.

3-Month Programme

My standard approach is to work with people intensely for three months – by which time you will have plenty of tools and momentum – and then have follow-up sessions later, if required. Those three months look like this:

• 1 intake session (2 hours).
• 3 month-end sessions (2 hours). There is also the possibility of additional sessions if deemed necessary and/or desirable by both parties. This can often occur at the beginning of the process due the intense nature of the work and the benefits of building momentum early on.
• 12 weekly emails. These are to maintain contact in between sessions. They are also where, depending on your commitment, much of the work is done as you record your observations, reflections, and learning points. I will reply to each of your emails in full.
• Blog posts. In my emails, I will send you relevant links to my blog, which will underpin your reflection and learning. At the end of the three months these posts will form a bespoke record of your whole process.
• 1 book. You receive a copy of my book, The River, which is a heavily edited version of many of the most useful posts, taken from the first eight of the Nine Tiles. After our work, the book serves as a reminder for you when you need one, as well as an invaluable reference for all that is important in your personal development.
• Ad hoc service. I am also available at short notice should the need arise. This can be in the form of phone calls, texts, emails, or unscheduled meetings. (Advance warning will be given should this element of the work start to become disproportionate.)

8-Point Process

To give you an indication of the process you will go through when you do this work, here is a list (taken from the blog post, 4 Hours, 4 Weeks, 4 Months) which explains the typical nature of the experience:

1. Initial progress is made. Confidence is there. (This is the first place we are likely to get cocky.)
2. Belief in the process is still lacking (understandably).
3. Experiencing the self with eyes open – your behaviour has been like this for years and now you are seeing it more clearly and feeling saddened by it. (This is normal & natural).
4. Everything seems to be getting worse, not better. (Again, all normal & natural parts of the process.)
5. The realisation that this is going to take discipline.
6. Breakthrough – all the hard work is paying off. Whatever the catalyst was, progress would not have happened without all the work you put in beforehand. You are more relaxed, more accepting.
7. Good things start to happen. You have created the space for the right people [and occurrences] to come into your life. (This is another place we are likely to get cocky.)
8. Realisation, belief, calm.

For more information about how to get the best out of this website, see the Guide. In addition, the blog post, The List, contains a comprehensive list of entries which take you through the process of self-development and self-realisation.