How do you create a safe and supportive coaching environment for experimentation?

The contracting process at the beginning of the coaching relationship is key. It helps to establish expectations, roles and responsibilities. I'm always keen to understand again why they have chosen to work with a coach, what success looks like, how best I can support them when things get tough. Also reminding them that I'm here to be that bridge from where they are now, to where they want to be.

Early in every new coaching relationship, as part of our design, I emphasize my commitment to confidentiality (noting exceptions), non-judgement, and non-attachment to anything I offer. The coachee has full permission to call me out on anything that is not valuable for them— it's always their conversation. I ask permission to interrupt on occasion, always inviting feedback. A little self-disclosure can be appropriate and helps to model the quality of conversation and vulnerability I hope to co-create.

Learning arises from the combination of action and reflection. The action is the work done by the client between coaching sessions. I'll check in at the start of a session with light structured reflection. "What did you discover?", "What do you want to celebrate?", "What did you learn?", "What have you chosen to take away from that?". This can be a place to offer a different perspective or reframe a thought. More than once a client has shown up feeling frustrated ("1 step forward and 2 steps back") at a 'failed' experiment. I notice myself thinking "sounds like 3 steps forward" and offer that because new information was generated — and that's a great outcome!

My coaching space frequently becomes a space for play. Play is a creative undertaking and, just like physical exercise, requires warming up for — some light metaphorical stretching and some lunges! It can be a real-play conversation, a first draft of a story (all corporate strategic visions are really just stories), or an attempt at nominating values. Full permission here to be messy and awkward and stumble. The first attempt is part of getting into the flow, finding voice, building confidence. Keep going. It's a lot like starting to play a board game after reading only the first paragraph of instructions. Sometimes you just need to try it and get the feel of it into your bones.

There's always something to celebrate or appreciate. Oftentimes it's the small wins that can and should be celebrated. Meeting clients where they are at is important here. The shifts are relative to the person. A small win for someone can be a far more meaningful change than a large win for someone else. Support and celebrate the person. And, see the possibilities for them that they cannot see for themselves and use powerful challenges, and championing, to invite them into expanding their potential.

Psychological safety can look different for each of us and takes time to establish. Don't be afraid to ask what a client needs in order to feel more comfortable bringing honesty and vulnerability into the coaching container.

Setting expectations at the start and co-creating agreements about this new relationship set the foundation. Clients in my private practice know that learning = action + reflection and that experimentation is key to growth. I have clients state up front (and sometimes sign up to) their level of commitment on taking action. Then I seek permission to call out this agreement any time I sense they might be backing away from it.

When coaching experimentation and play is something to contract for. However, the coaching processes continues outside of our conversations. My job is to help them feel comfortable to to experiment back in the workplace. I often ask, when is the next real time opportunity to try out these new found skills or confidence or whatever it is that is their focus. What role could their manager play, before, during and after the opportunity to experiment? Who will be there that could give you feedback? What will you try and what are the outcomes you're looking for? I think you get the gist. My role is to help them make experimentation safe and ensure the support they need can be put in place. We then reflect on what happened when we next meet.