Pre-Coaching Contemplation

Welcome to your Leadership Journey!

You have made a significant commitment to your own growth and development– congratulations! Here’s where the personal investment begins! It’s now time for you to step outside your comfort zone and be honest with yourself.

Each person has a unique way of thinking and a unique way of interacting with those around him or her. As a coach, it’s important for me to understand how you view the world in general and yourself in particular, to make our work together even more productive.

Take your time in completing these “pondering” exercises that are designed to stimulate your thinking in a particular way to begin the process of inquiry, reflection, learning, and forward movement. Complete each as clearly and thoughtfully as possible, expressing the best of who you are. You may wish to complete some exercises immediately and reflect on others. Treat it lightly and be curious about your own reactions to the questions, and about your own reactions to your own reactions!

Personal InformationName:Date of completion:Date of birth:Partner’s name:Children? Name/s & age/s:

About You 1. What do you have to contribute that is unique?

2. What do you do when you’re really up against an obstacle or barrier?

3. What activities have meaning and spirit for you?

4. What words describe you at your best?

5. What words describe you when you are at less than your best?

6. We all live by values. What do you believe are your most important values?

(There is a sample list of values at the end of this workbook that may stimulate your thinking.)

7. Do you live congruently by these values?

About Your Life

8. What accomplishments do you think must occur during your lifetime so that you will consider your life to have been satisfying and well lived—a life of few or no regrets?

9. What dream of yours is still unfulfilled?

10. How would you like your life to be in five – ten years? Professional life? Personal life? (Nominate your time frame and then respond to that. Another way to think about this is as a medium – long term goal.)

11. What do you consider your role to be in your local community? In your country? In the world?

12. What’s missing in your life? What would make your life more fulfilling?

About Your Career

13. What are you most proud of in your professional life?

14. What has been your biggest disappointment during your career?

15. What words describe how you feel about your career?

16. Describe your leadership style?

17. What do you want from your current role?

18. What are your key goals in relation to your current role?

19. What skills or knowledge are you developing?

20. How do your career and/or current job goals support your personal goals?

About Coaching You 21. How will you know you are receiving value from this coaching relationship?

22. How will you measure the return on your financial investment in this program?

23. What do you want from me as your coach?

24. When you are most “stuck,” what can I say that will return you to action?

25. If you trusted me enough as your coach to tell me how to manage you most effectively, what tips would you give?

About Your Coaching Focus26. Identify the priority areas that you want held as your main focus during this

coaching relationship.

27. If you had a five-year goal and the continuing services of a coach to help you make it happen, what would that goal be? What difference would working with a coach make?

Acknowledgement: Some questions in this workbook are based on Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission granted to reproduce for client use.

Wheel of Life This exercise assists us to understand your current level of satisfaction in the key areas of your life.

It is not a picture of how life has been in the past, nor what you might want it to be in the future. It is not about the amount of time or energy you dedicate to areas of your life. It is a snapshot taken in the current moment of your level of satisfaction.

1. Identify the main areas/domains of your life that might include: Physical Environment Family Professional/Career Friends/Social Money Personal Growth Health Fun and Recreation Significant Other/Romance Spirituality Fun Personal/Me time Reflection Interests

2. Determine the main 6 – 8 areas of your life and divide the wheel on the next page into that many equal pieces.

3. With the centre of the wheel as 0 (nil satisfaction) and the outer edge as an ideal 10, rate your level of satisfaction with each life area by drawing a line to relate a new outer edge (see example below).

The new ‘perimeter’ of the circle represents your Wheel of Life. How bumpy would the ride be if this were a real wheel?

In an early coaching session, we will look at areas where you want to increase your level of satisfaction and begin to think about what you might do about that.

Spiritual

Family

Professional

Financial

My Wheel of Life – Name: (Date:)

ValuesThe following list contains words or phrases that illustrate values. Your values may not be on this page. You may find it more useful to combine two or three values as long as critical distinctions are not lost.(Eg the combination “Honesty/Integrity/Truthfulness” maintains a single distinction, but “Honesty/Integrity/ Freedom” combines concepts and loses clarity.)

AccomplishmentAccountabilityAccuracyAchievementAcknowledgmentAdaptabilityAdventureAestheticsAuthenticityBalanceBeautyBeingBeing The BestBelongingCareer FocusCautionCoachingCollaborationCommitmentCommunityCompassionComradeshipConflict ResolutionConformityConnectednessContributionControlCooperationCounsellingCreativityDiversity Ease With UncertaintyEducation EfficiencyEleganceEmpowerment AwarenessExcellenceFairnessFamilyFinancial SecurityFocus

ForgivenessForward the ActionFree SpiritFreedom to ChooseFriendshipFull Self-ExpressionFuture GenerationsGenerosityGrowthHarmonyHealthHonestyHuman RightsHumilityHumour/FunImageInclusiveIndependenceInnovationInspirationalIntegrityInterdependenceIntuitionJoyKnowledgeLack of PretenceLearningLightnessLogicMaking a DifferenceMaterial AssetsMeaningMission FocusNurturingNutritionOpen CommunicationOpennessOrderlinessParticipationPartnershipPatience

PeacePerformancePerseverancePersonal DevelopmentPersonal FulfilmentPersonal PowerPersonal RelationshipsPhysical ExercisePositive EnergyPowerPrideProductivityProfessionalQualityQuality of LifeRecognitionReliabilityRespectResponsibilityRisk TakingRomanceSecuritySelf-DisciplineServiceSocietal Common GoodSpiritualityStatusSuccessSustainableTeam WorkTo Be KnownTraditionTrustVisionVitalityWealthWisdomZest