Our Approach

We follow the Columbia Approach to Executive and Organizational coaching, which is grounded in the science of Human Performance and based on three Coaching Foundations: Guiding Principles, Competencies, and a Three-Phased Coaching Process. (Jackson 1991 & Maltbia 2001)

The Columbia multidisciplinary approach enlivens the coaching experience as it enables coaches to integrate theory with practice while drawing on research in psychology, neuroscience, organization development, business management, and leadership.

Guiding Principles

The Guiding Principles serve as important guideposts as coaches work with clients.

Adhere to High Standards of Ethical Conduct
Coaches commit to continuous development, honoring confidentiality and privacy, managing boundaries, avoiding conflicts of interest, and adhering to professional standards.

Focus on the Client's Agenda
Coaches meet clients where they are in their learning and change process and they align expectations to promote the client's agenda.

Build Commitment through Involvement
Coaches listen, ask high-leverage questions and actively engage clients in every phase of coaching.

Earn the Right to Advance
Coaches support clients as they move from quick-wins to more advanced work. They help clients connect options to core values and goals and they facilitate a dialogue to help clients make explicit where they stand in their progress toward goals.

Competencies

The competencies create sustainable client value, when applied across the Coaching Process.

Co-Creating the Relationship

Coaches strive to find the right balance between challenge and support, focus on their own personal growth and relationships, help clients accomplish the objectives of their learning and performance agenda.

Making Meaning with Others

Coaches question, listen, and test assumptions to help clients interpret their experiences, identify critical success factors and devise plans for informed action.

Help Others Succeed

Coaches help clients grow and achieve success through customized discovery and action learning strategies that bring a business focus to the executive and organizational coaching process.

Coaching Process

Each phase of the process is guided by an essential question that leads to a key outcome.

Phase I: Context - What Is Happening?

Deals with achieving and sustaining contextual awareness, or learning for perspective.

The outcome of this phase is focus

Phase II: Content - What Matters?

Deals with creating conceptual clarity, or learning for knowledge.

The outcome of this phase is alignment

Phase III: Conduct - What Is Next?

Deals with taking informed action, or learning from experience.

The outcome of this phase is performance

Learn more about Our Coaching Process >