Coaching

Posted on by

I’ve been coaching informally for some years; and I ran a coaching group in Bristol for a year or two under the Life Clubs brand.

In 2012 I decided to get qualified; and I am about to complete the Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching run by The Coaching Academy.

***** 

WHAT KIND OF COACHING? I help performers of all kinds who need to build and maintain a high level of confidence for their performances.

WHO DO YOU COACH? Musicians, actors, speakers.

WHERE? Face-to-face, for clients based in London or Bristol; otherwise over Skype.

WHEN? Single sessions (45-60 minutes) for specific short-term needs; four-month programmes incorporating up to six sessions plus e-mail support; and anything in between.

HOW? By providing 1:1 coaching / mentoring sessions utilising my training as a coach, my knowledge of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) tools and the DISC system of personality profiling, allied to my own years of performing experience.

*****

SOME MORE FAQs

What is coaching?

Coaching is a tool that is used to empower individuals and help them reach their goals; it is a structured conversation between the coach and the client.

During a coaching session your coach will walk by your side to help you to reach your ultimate goals and aspirations. They will listen to you, ask questions, find out what your challenges are and inspire you to reach that end goal.

You will be encouraged to make decisions and take responsibility for these decisions.

How do I know if coaching is right for me?

  •  Do you feel that right now you aren’t reaching your potential and feeling fulfilled?
  • Is there a gap between where you are now and where you want to be?
  • Do you sometimes feel you don’t have the skills, resources or confidence to get something completed?
  • Do you feel stuck and put off from making decisions or maybe fail to stick to those decisions you have made?
  • Are you ready to entertain new and fresh ideas?
  • Are you willing to be accountable for what you desire?
  • If you answer yes to any of these questions then coaching can most definitely support you to be the best that you can be.

What coaching is not

Coaching is not about your coach giving you suggestions or advice. They are not mentoring or counselling you.

If after commencing a series of coaching sessions it is deemed that coaching is not the correct support mechanism for you at that moment in time, this will be discussed with you in order to find a more suitable solution for you.

How does coaching work?

Different coaches use different models to structure their sessions. A widely used model is GROW: an acronym for the areas explored: Goals, Reality, Options and Way forward. This is the model favoured by The Coaching Academy, where I’ve trained.

This model keeps you moving forward towards your goal. Your coach will be asking you questions, listening to your responses, challenging you whilst all the time remaining non-judgmental regarding the details and not offering you any advice.

What will happen during a coaching session?

Coaching is carried out over the telephone (mostly Skype), or face to face.

You will be guided through a 6 point process.

  1. Review the previous session and the actions that you completed
  2. Set the goal for that session
  3. Consider where you are at the present moment with this goal
  4. Consider your options in meeting this goal
  5. Agree on some actions
  6. Summarise the session before completing the session.

Each session will typically be for 45-60 minutes. The coach will manage the timing of the session and ensure you gain full value from the session.

Who else will know what has been said?

Nobody! A coaching session is completely confidential. I myself comply with the Coaching Academy’s Code of Conduct.

What does the coach need from me during a session?

To make sure that your time is being well spent with your coach you are expected to come to the session fully prepared and with a goal or aspiration in mind that you would like to work towards.

Preparation is very important for the coaching session so you are encouraged to spend 15 minutes prior to the session taking yourself to an environment where you will not be disturbed, with a drink and feeling refreshed to relax prior to the start of the session. You will also need to ensure that you have a pen and paper to hand and any other items that you may think will be useful such as a diary.

I’d like to start coaching, or maybe just find out more. What do I do?

You just need to contact me at the e-mail address below to discuss your requirements and find out how you would like to be coached.

I will send details regarding the terms and conditions, which will include the frequency of our sessions and fees for the sessions. I’ll ask you for some basic contact information and a little bit of detail around where you see yourself at the moment.

We would then organise an ‘Intake’ session (no fee, no commitment) which will start us talking about you and your aspirations.

“At the end of the day”, as they say, it is all about YOU!

Here’s a great advert for the coaching process in general, from one of my former coaching clients: “If you’ve never done it, you have no idea how delicious it is to talk about yourself for an hour.”

Want to know more? Drop me an email: mail@michaelmacmahon.com;  or use the form in the ‘Contact’ tab on this site.

All the best

Michael

(aka ‘the stranger who takes your life seriously’)

 

Praise for Michael’s Coaching

Crafting a speech to deliver at a national conference, it dawned on me how far I’d come since I first started coaching with Michael MacMahon. I had, during 6 sessions, become able to focus on the task knowing I could complete it with aplomb. I was now able to recognise the success I had, not just to look at how far I still had to travel, separate my to-do list into urgent and important jobs and not spend too much time looking at the frogs I had to eat!

Michael had listened to me carefully, remembering from one session to the next the vital points I had made. He had thought hard about what would benefit me to talk through and directed me kindly to what made the difference. He made me laugh unfailingly with tiny anecdotes which illustrated the insightful discoveries I made weekly under his careful coaching.

His skilful coaching encouraged me to achieve where I had previously been diverted by possible failure, with a different confidence that now underpins all areas of my life. I would heartily recommend working with him to anyone who feels they could probably do more and be happier doing it.

I first met Michael my life coach (although we did not know it then) at a two day seminar hosted by the Coaching Academy in Bristol, when I was considering becoming a life coach. We exchanged our email addresses and I am so glad we did.

Due to a promotion at work I decided I did not have the time to commit to life coaching yet in my career but after meeting with Michael I was overwhelmed by his ability to listen and empathise with my life story, so a few months later I decided to contact him regarding some help and advice in writing  my memoir.

That was when he informed me that he was considering taking up the coaching course with the Coaching Academy and could offer me six free sessions as part of his training.

I was over the moon and our journey started just over three months ago and I am truly amazed as to what we’ve managed to achieve in just six sessions of coaching with Michael.

Our sessions were very informative with clear achievable goal setting between us, it has enabled me to focus on my future and empower me to achieve my dreams.

The coaching sessions with Michael not only increased my desire to self-write and publish my memoir but it has also helped me in so many other unexpected areas of my life., inspiring me to overcome the nerves of public speaking and give me the knowledge to support my colleagues with the importance of setting  for goals themselves.

At the end of each session Michael would encourage me to rate my confidence in achieving my set goals from 1 to 10 and I feel this increased my desire to complete each goal I set myself.

So……… on a scale of 1 to 10 how would I rate Michael as my life coach ?  he would definitely  be a fantastic 10.

 I feel Michael has helped me unlock my potential to maximise my own performance not only in my personal life goals but at work too.

Michael has been a great life coach and has become a good friend.

Patsy Bevan

Future Author and Public Speaker etc etc the list hopefully goes on and on.

Thank You Michael.

 

“I highly recommend Michael MacMahon’s coaching. His lightly-worn wisdom, and unflappably clear thinking, have been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement”