Many of us will have made resolutions to change and failed to do this, or set goals and not achieved them. Just as many people will also have picked up a personal development book, watched an inspirational programme or attended a seminar without any lasting benefits except, perhaps, a lighter wallet. The initial motivation drops away, and we are left feeling inadequate, lazy or frustrated.

“Must be the book or programme – it doesn’t work, right?” WRONG. In the majority of cases it is because we fail to take consistent and sustained action that is different from what we have done before. WHY? Because, put simply, real and lasting change is scary for the majority of people. It may not be rational, but it is true.

Coaching can provide the support necessary to sustain your impetus for any change you want to make, no matter how big or small!

Coaching gets clients from where they are now, to where they want to be, and does so more quickly and efficiently than if they work alone.

In coaching there is no failure, there is only the result of action. The action is not important; it is the result of the action that matters. Coaching is about results.

Coaching is about helping a client to achieve whatever they want in life. It is opening them up to the realisation that they truly can, be, do or have anything. Everyone has massive potential. Coaching is about taking an idea or a dream and turning it into reality. It is about focus, intent, commitment and enthusiasm from both sides. Above all, coaching is about results. It is about results that can be seen, experienced, measured and quantified.

It is a coach’s belief that everyone has the answers within themselves, and the skill and practice of coaching is to help the client find those answers within and to bring them to the surface! They can then be converted into the energy that is positive action. Coaching is a progressive process where stumbling blocks are converted into stepping stones and where each step brings the client closer to the fulfilment of their desires and potential.

In Zeus and Skiffington’s ‘The Coaching at Work Toolkit’, Executive coaching is defined as “A one to one relationship between a coach and a leader or executive to help and enhance the individual’s professional effectiveness and work performance. It can involve coaching for skills, coaching for performance, coaching for development and coaching for the executive’s agenda."

The first step of any coaching programme conducted by The People Incubator is to complete a full Coaching Needs Analysis before coaching even begins. The Coaching Needs Analysis involves input from the individuals and/or team to be coached as well as the sponsor organisation (typically involving the Human Resources Department or Learning and Development Manager).

This step is essential to review the specific coaching requirements needed, identify start criteria, assess the gap between starting criteria and desired end results, establish individual, team and organisational goals and objectives and finally agree the coaching programme before delivery.

The People Incubator can facilitate purposeful achievement of goals with individuals, groups or teams in line with business objectives. We operate on a one to one basis within businesses working with Executives, Managers and Team Leaders. Additionally we can work with these coachees’ team members to maximise the businesses’ investment in coaching. Coaching may be in person or by telephone for individuals.

The People Incubator avoids taking a one-size-fits-all approach to our coaching programmes: the unique needs of all individuals, teams and organisation involved in their work are built into the programme delivered.

It is also essential to note that the results of coaching are always attributable to the level of participation and commitment demonstrated by coachees. Therefore the results for each coaching programme may vary considerably.

Some commonly reported benefits are listed below:

Please note that coaching is not the same as consultancy or counselling. The People Incubator’s expertise is in behaviour change and tools - not necessarily on your business. We work from a strengths based approach with the knowledge that the client is the expert in their own business and therefore best placed to come up with the most relevant solution for them and their organisation. The coach is a catalyst for this process enabling coachees to reach their goals quicker and easier than they could on their own – with the result that the business benefits sooner.

Anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of professional coaching is widely available. There is more evidence available to inform practice now than ever before, however, it is apparent that more empirical research into the effectiveness of coaching programmes is required. The following is a snapshot of some of the available evidence:

The People Incubator offers facilitation services for meetings and workshops. We use our knowledge and experience of group processes to formulate and deliver the needed structure for effective meetings or workshops.

If you are interested in The People Incubator facilitating your next meeting or workshop please email us with your brief including date of event; anticipated venue, approximate participant numbers, outline of participant profile; the budget you have in mind; the agenda and outcomes for your meeting or workshop; and length of facilitation you would like.

The People Incubator is committed to providing useful information and resources relevant to personal and professional development. We endeavour to provide tips, advice and/or tools that are easy to apply and have the potential for fantastic results when actually put into practice.

We offer set and bespoke workshops on topics relevant to personal and professional success. If you are interested in The People Incubator’s set workshops programme please email us.

Alternatively if you wish to commission a bespoke workshop please email us with: the requested date of your workshop; anticipated venue, approximate audience numbers; outline of audience profile; the budget you have in mind; the topic(s) and learning outcome(s) for your workshop; and length of presentation you would like.

Not sure what topic(s) could work for your purpose(s): contact us for a list of workshops that can be tailored to different audiences.

The People Incubator is committed to providing useful information and resources relevant to personal and professional development. We endeavour to provide tips, advice and/or tools that are easy to apply and have the potential for fantastic results when actually put into practice.

As well as publishing articles (see our ezine and media section) we are also available to speak at a variety of events. We offer set and bespoke speeches on topics relevant to personal and professional success. If you are interested in The People Incubator visiting your next event to speak please email us with: the date of your event; anticipated venue, approximate audience numbers; outline of audience profile; the budget you have in mind; the theme for your event; and length of presentation you would like.