The Inner Circle Coaching™ leadership development program includes a process that focuses on the individuals within a team and how they interact, perform and build deep relationships. Supported by an array of behavioral assessment tools and one-on-one sessions, Inner Circle Coaching™ provides you and your team the tools and accountability to “work in sync”.
The Inner Circle Coaching™ process typically requires a 9 – 12 month commitment – with improvements in self-awareness, behavior and communication skills seen in the first months of working with Whit.
How It Works
- Whit works with you to select an initial issue, behavior or goal to work on – then helps you clarify your intentions, create an action plan, identify success metrics and sets up the logistics.
- You select between three to five people for your Inner Circle to evaluate your progress. This Inner Circle can include your boss, your boss’s boss, your direct reports, internal or external customers or peers, key strategic partners, your spouse/significant other, a best friend – essentially anyone who you are accountable to for your development.
- Whit spends time with each person in the Inner Circle to:
- Explain their role and get commitment to your development
- Describe the Four Commitments noted below
- Encourage them to choose something to work on themselves
- Encourage and help them to identify their own Inner Circle
- Monthly calls/meetings are set up with you as well as each person in your Inner Circle to check on your progress – and their progress.
- Information from the coaching sessions is documented by Whit and incorporated into your action plan.
The 4 Commitments of Inner Circle Coaching™ Leadership Development
- Let go of the past. Whatever happened in the past cannot be changed. By focusing on the future, we are focusing on improvement. We call this process “feedforward”, instead of feedback.
- Be helpful and supportive – not cynical, sarcastic, or judgmental. Reward those who are seeking improvement. Look for opportunities to praise and recognize good work.
- Tell the truth. When you are asked to give feedback about yourself or others, be clear, specific and truthful. Speak truthfully about behavior and its impact.
- Choose something to improve in yourself. When asked about what you’d like to improve in others, also select something to improve in yourself. This makes the process two-way; creating fellow travelers who are trying to improve, not judges who are pointing fingers.
Additional Things to Think About
What gets measured gets done. How will you measure your progress? These can be simple approaches, such as daily quick journals; score cards; dashboards, peer coaching calls, etc.
Confidentiality. The purpose of the individuals selected for your Inner Circle is to make sure you get honest support. This means honoring confidentiality by finding ways to communicate their information without jeopardizing privacy.
We are all Coaches. While this is not a coach-training program, you will learn things about coaching others along the way that you apply in other aspects of your life.