Maybe you’ve never worked with a coach before. Maybe you’re not sure what coaching actually is, or whether what you’re dealing with is something a coach can even help with. I hope this page will answer some of those questions and help you figure out if this is the right move for you.
Coaching is a structured conversation, usually one-on-one, where someone helps you think through a problem you’re stuck on, a skill you’re trying to build, or a situation you’re not sure how to handle.
A good coach asks questions that get at what’s actually going on. They give you honest feedback. They help you figure out what to do next and then hold you accountable for doing it.
It’s not therapy. If you’re dealing with something that needs clinical support, a coach isn’t the right resource. Coaching focuses on your work: your role, your team, your decisions, your growth. If you’re struggling with something that feels more personal, a therapist is the right person to talk to.
It’s not a performance review. Nothing you bring to a session gets held against you. If something isn’t working, we figure out why and what to do about it. That’s all.
Coaching works best when you come with something real to work on. You don’t need to have it fully articulated. Fuzzy and half-formed is fine, but you do need to be willing to be honest about what’s actually hard, not just what feels safe to say out loud.
It tends to be a good fit if:
Traditional coaching is probably not the right fit if you’re looking for someone to tell you exactly what to do, or if you’re not in a place where you can try things between sessions and reflect on what happened.
I work a little differently, in a coach/mentor hybrid approach. If you need direct answers, I can give you those and we can talk through how to apply them to your situation. If you need help figuring out what to try, I can help with that too. The key is that you’re willing to be honest about where you are and what you need.
The intake form asksquestions about your role, your team, what’s been hard, what’s been working. During the first session, we’ll dive into those details and explore what’s been on your mind. You don’t need to prepare anything unless you’d like to. Just come with the thing that’s been on your mind.
By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s actually going on, and we’ll have a plan for what to work on in the next session. If you decide coaching isn’t the right fit after that, no hard feelings. You got something out of it, and we can part ways with no pressure to continue.
I became a manager because I care about engineers: how we do the work, how we grow, how we treat each other. Coaching is a direct extension of that. I’m here to help you think through the problem and build the capacity to handle the next one.
A few things worth knowing before we start:
I listen before I solve. When you come in with something hard, my first job is to understand it. I’ll ask questions. Sometimes the question is more useful than anything I could tell you. If you want me to just listen without going into problem-solving mode, say so.
I give direct feedback. I’ll tell you what I actually think, including when I feel you’re making things harder than they need to be. I’ll do that with care, but I won’t soften it into uselessness. If something I say doesn’t fit your situation, push back. You know your context better than I do.
I won’t hold mistakes against you. You’re going to try things that don’t work. I’m not keeping score, and I don’t expect you to have things figured out before you show up. Wherever you are is where we start.
Emotions are welcome. Leadership is hard and it sometimes vulnerable emotions hit you in the middle of a conversation. I’m here to support that safe space for you to feel those feelings and work through them. If you need a moment, take it. If you need to talk about it, we can.
What I’m committing to: Showing up prepared and present, being honest even when it’s uncomfortable, and complete discretion. What we discuss stays between us.
What I’m asking from you: Come with something real, be honest about what’s hard, try things between sessions, and tell me if something about how we’re working isn’t working.
The orientation session has no strings attached. Fill out the intake form and I’ll reach out within 2-3 business days.
Drop me a line and I'll get back to you within a couple of days.
Ready to work together? Fill out the intake form and I'll be in touch to set up a free 45-minute call to get us started.