How does coaching with me work?
First of all, we have a preliminary talk on the phone or in person and get to know each other a bit.
Coaching addresses very personal issues; therefore, the two of us need to be compatible so that we can establish a basis of mutual trust. In the preliminary talk, we also agree on a venue for the coaching.
You are welcome to bring any professional or private topic that concerns you.
Sometimes there are clearly defined current topics that can be dealt with in a short time, and then there are processes that may require longer guidance and support. I will develop the strategy together with you, and we will formulate the objectives.
Here is what you should bring along:
- the willingness to change,
- personal responsibility, and
- a desire for success.
It is you who sets the pace of change.
Each coaching session lasts one hour.
At the beginning we will define one concrete goal for the day that you would like to achieve in this session.
By the end of our conversation you will have been provided with new options and decide which steps you will take in what way and when, in order to achieve your goal.
All our conversations, even if they are initiated by your organization, are absolutely confidential.
You will also be able to talk about unpleasant topics without losing face. You have the chance to be yourself without having to fulfil a specific role.
What does Systemic Coaching mean?
I follow the systemic approach as it takes the client’s autonomy as its starting point, regarding them as an “expert on their own behalf”.
I always put my clients in the centre as a person and let their individual desires and concerns guide me.
Whereas psychotherapy investigates the causes of a problem, I follow the solution-focused brief therapy approach according to Steve De Shazer, focusing on the resources and competences, on what is positive, on the future and the goal. This approach greatly assists my clients in changing their behaviour and thought patterns in the desired direction and finding the solution to their problems by themselves.
In the dialogue with my clients, I act as a neutral partner and adopt an attitude of acceptance, impartiality and appreciation, and I assist my clients in achieving their goals. Whereas they are the expert for the solution, I am the expert for the way to finding that solution.
Another aspect that I consider in my work as a coach is my clients’ social interdependence.
In particular, role-, language-, and behavioural patterns within the family and when dealing with colleagues and superiors leave a lasting impression on their perception and behaviour. On the one hand, this interdependence may open up additional perspectives and resources. On the other hand, possible solutions will be checked before implementation for their impact on these fellow social players.
What is important to me as a trainer?
Of course, my basic attitude as a coach is also reflected in my work as a trainer:
I follow the pedagogical concept of suggestopedia, which uses a variety of methods in order to cater for different learning needs and to achieve a great depth of learning.
An issue of central importance in my trainings is a trusting, open-minded, and appreciative atmosphere that fosters the participants’ communication with each other and with me.
I love laughing with my participants because humour is a wonderful door-opener that makes accessing difficult topics easier.
I design my trainings almost exclusively as workshops.
This way, active participation, experimenting and reflecting become possible. The participants’ resources and competences are activated and made visible. This interactive and experience-based approach facilitates a wide leaning success and opens up concrete transfer possibilities that can be applied in one’s daily work.
For organizations, I create personalized workshop concepts with contents resulting from the participants’ issues and needs.
To this end, I will have very detailed consultations at the beginning of the collaboration. This provides me with deep insight of the industry, organization and departments, based on which I can then develop relevant workshop contents.
What are my fortes?
- A particular advantage for my clients is that I am able to deliver coaching and training in German as well as in English.
- In my trainings, I consider the varied and sometimes very different learning and teaching experiences of multicultural groups, and in the coaching with clients with a different cultural background I choose precisely those tools that are particularly suited for working in an intercultural context.
- What I also see as a great asset to my work is that I can fall back on my own experience as an expatriate; I have spent many years working abroad.
