Coaching Intake

Before we pull up a chair,

we are moving forward, and this is where the work starts to take shape.

This form is for my eyes only.

Answer as fully as you are willing, and raise any questions of your own.

Coaching
Intake

Before we pull up a chair,

we are moving forward, and this is
where the work starts to take shape.

This form is for my eyes only.

Answer as fully as you are willing,
and raise any questions of your own.

Leadership is a
table set with
seven pieces.

The Place Setting Framework
names them, and each one
is a dimension of how you lead.

We do not work on all seven at once.
We find the one that is most alive for you, and we run
it as a Play, one move at a time, until it becomes who you are.

The method is Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder-Centered Coaching.

The people around you, your stakeholders, are part of the work.

Their read on your growth is the measure, not a self-report.

We stay in the open, and we focus forward, on ideas
for the future rather than a verdict on the past.
That is FeedForward, and it is the heart of it.

So some of what follows is about you.

Some are about the people at your table. Both matter.

Leadership is
a table set with
seven pieces.

The Place Setting Framework
names them, and each one
is a dimension of how you lead.

We do not work on all seven at once. We find the one that is most alive for you, and we run it as a Play, one move at a time, until it becomes who you are.

The method is Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder-Centered Coaching. The people around you, your stakeholders, are part of the work. Their read on your growth is the measure, not a self-report.

We stay in the open, and we focus forward, on ideas for the future rather than a verdict on the past. That is FeedForward, and it is the heart of it.

So some of what follows is about you. Some are about the people at your table. Both matter.

Your Seat at the Table

Role and Context

Who do you report to?

How is this Funded??

Who is paying shapes the engagement. If an organization is behind it, we align to what they need too.

How is this coaching funded?*

If a company or sponsor is involved, who? Name and role.

Is there a specific expectation from your manager or organization behind this coaching?

Where You Sit in the Framework

This is a quick self-check, not the online assessment you may have seen elsewhere, and you do not need to have taken that first. Read each one and mark the one or two that feel most alive for you right now. There is no wrong answer, and no need to choose all of them.

1. The Plate, Foundation and Character: When the season is hard and nobody important is watching, what does your team actually get from you?

2. The Knife, Judgment and Balance: Do you choose your edge to fit the moment, or does the moment always get the same edge from you?

3. The Fork, Absorption and Growth: What is your leadership absorbing right now, and did you choose it?

4. The Spoon, Nourishment and Development: If you left tomorrow, what would your people be able to do because you poured it into them?

5. The Glass, Clarity and Transparency: What can your team actually see when they look at you, and is it what you think they see?

6. The Napkin, Dignity and Presence: In the moments that do not officially count, what does it feel like to be led by you?

7. The Table, Space and Legacy, the Capstone: What kind of table are you building, and who will still be sitting at it in five years?

Which one or two feel most alive for you right now? Choose from the seven above.*

What made you choose those?*

The Challenge in Front of You

What is the biggest challenge in your leadership or your life right now?*

What makes that challenge significant?*

What do you feel is hindering you the most from reaching your goals?

What a Full Table Looks Like

What does success look like to you?*

What do you value most in your life right now?*

How You Move Through Change

How do you deal with change and uncertainty?

What is the most challenging obstacle you have had to overcome so far, and how did you overcome it?*

What has been your biggest success so far, and how did you achieve it?

Who Sits at Your Table

In this method, the people around you are coaches too. Name a few whose read on your growth would matter most. A manager, a peer, a direct report, someone at home.

Stakeholder 1, Full Name

Stakeholder 1, Relationship (optional)

Stakeholder 2, Full Name

Stakeholder 2, Relationship (optional)

Stakeholder 3, Full Name

Stakeholder 3, Relationship (optional)

Stakeholder 4, Full Name

Stakeholder 4, Relationship (optional)

I am open to involving these people in the coaching. In practice that means asking them for two ideas for the future, then simply saying thank you. That is FeedForward.

I am open to a confidential 360 baseline at the start, so we know where we are beginning.

I am open to a few short stakeholder conversations at the start to shape the work.

Your Readiness

This work asks something of you.
Not a test, just an honest read on where you are starting from.

How willing are you to commit to each of these?

5 Very willing · 4 Willing · 3 Somewhat · 2 Not sure · 1 Not willing

Communicate to others what you are working on to improve as a leader.*

Ask others for suggestions about your own behavior.*

Try new behaviors now, rather than waiting for a better time.*

Take an honest look at what you would benefit from stopping, starting, or changing.*

Ask others to help you while you work on your growth as a leader.*

Truly listen to suggestions about your leadership. *

Show real appreciation for suggestions by saying thank you.*

Keep your ego from getting in the way as you improve.*

Follow up monthly with the people you asked to support you. *

Stay non-defensive when others point out what you could do better.*

Spend the time to change a behavior, even when it is uncomfortable.*

Spend a few minutes most days reviewing your plan to improve.*

The Work Ahead

Some leaders arrive knowing the area. Others do not. If any of these ring true, mark them. Optional, and not a menu you are limited to.

Listen fully before giving my opinion

Build trust

Delegate more effectively

Address conflict constructively and on time

Deal with performance problems promptly

Hold others accountable

Become a better coach and mentor

Focus on the critical few

Collaborate across the team

Become more decisive

Present with confidence

Match my style to what others need

Stand up for what I believe in

Take appropriate risks

What are the top one to three goals you are hoping to reach through coaching?*

Why Now?

What motivated you to seek coaching?*

Have you ever worked with a coach before? If so, when, and what was the experience like overall?*

Logistics

Coaching sessions are monthly and held over Zoom. Office and coaching hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, and group cohorts meet on Tuesdays.

When would you like to start?

One More Thing

Anything else you wish to share at this time?

Confidentiality & Acknowledgement

What you share here comes to me and stays with me.
It is used to prepare for our conversation and is not shared without your permission.

Coaching is a partnership for leadership growth.
It is not therapy, counseling, or medical care, and it does not replace them.

I have read the above, and what I have shared is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

For Questions or Support

Email support@astudentofleadership.com