This book is a straightforward guide for would-be coaches, for those already working in the professional development arena, and for any one using coaching skills in their life. It highlights the essential coaching skills and qualities, how they are employed in given situations and what makes the coaching process successful, valuable and worthwhile. Written in simple, straightforward fashion and illustrated with case histories, this book will build coaching relationships that help realise the full potential of individuals and organisations.The coaching process and the three step coaching model helps in building the coaching relationship and managing client's expectations. It shows how to prepare and run an organisational coaching programme. It also helps in setting up a mentoring programme for sustainable professional development. It offers five easy steps to building a sustainable and profitable coaching business. Drawing on her background in educational development and psychology, Nicola Stevens works with individuals and with international publicly quoted companies, NGOs, charities and organizations to solve paradoxes of leadership and management. Her expertise includes issues of corporate governance; boardroom dynamics; knowledge interaction at all levels; and, planned and unplanned change.

Contents: List of illustrations; Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: What is coaching?; 1. Preparing to be an effective coach; 2. Building the coaching relationship and managing client's expectations; 3. Creating the foundation of the coaching relationship; 4. The coaching process; 5. Third party or sponsored coaching programmes; 6. Setting yourself up as a coach; Resources; Glossary; Bibliography and further reading; Index.