What is Coaching?

Coaching is defined in many ways, and there are many different methodologies, but the essence of coaching is helping someone navigate professional or personal change.

Coaching clients identify the destination, and their coach helps them to define a path to get there. We like to describe the journey as a partnership between coach and client, and thus, the programme is a co-creation. Throughout the journey, the client is building self-awareness—empowering them to see challenges differently, make more effective choices, and commit to lasting change.

The coach doesn’t need to be an expert in the client’s area of work to help them unlock their potential. One of the key skills of coaching is asking the right questions to help the individual work through a question/problem or to seize an opportunity. 

Coaching isn’t counselling, therapy, teaching, or training. While all those things have value, coaching is very different. Coaching is not about delving into the past roots of our ways of behaving, but rather, about using the here and now to build practices that will bring us to the future we want to see. Our coaches come from different backgrounds and schools of practice, so depending on your needs, we will find the best fit for you. 

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Our Approach to Coaching

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At Evenings & Weekends Consulting, we work with leaders and emerging leaders to help them seize opportunities for personal and professional growth. We do this by helping our clients understand themselves as well as the issues, challenges or opportunities before working collaboratively to develop customized and specific plans of action.  

We centre equity in our approach to coaching. Our coaches are trained in anti-oppression/anti-racism and are dedicated to building a more just and equitable world both personally and professionally. During our solution-finding process, we identify and acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonialism, white supremacy, racism, colourism, ableism, patriarchy, ageism, transphobia and homophobia in organizations and in society. As a result of our approach, we find that our coaching clients experience outcomes that are more equity-informed than they might otherwise have. 

As part of our organizational commitment to reconciliation and mending relations, 5% of the revenue from all projects are donated to The Circle on Philanthropy, an organization focused on advancing a future that increases Indigenous led solutions for systems change and increased equity, justice and self determination. Additionally, each year we allocate 5% of our billable hours in that year to providing pro bono support and coaching to emerging leaders and under-resourced groups the following year.

While we recognize that no organization or individual can single handedly fix all that plagues society, we know that courage, collaboration, and a commitment to equity can make our communities stronger and the world a better place. Every situation, campaign, initiative and project is different and, at Evenings & Weekends Consulting, we approach each with the uniqueness, curiosity, and care that it deserves.

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