Becoming a better Consultant through personalized coaching sessions with BetterUp
In 2022, FTI Delta partnered with BetterUp, offering to all of its senior employees the opportunity to receive personalized coaching sessions as part of FTI Delta’s Learning & Development program as well as in an effort to increase personal well-being. Consequently, when I heard about the opportunity, I immediately reached out to the Human Resource department which scheduled thereafter my initial coaching session with BetterUp Coach Jeannie.
After an introductory call, in which Jeannie and I talked about my motivation and initial ideas to participate in the program, I had to complete a ‘whole person survey’ that highlighted key strengths and key areas of development. While certain traits were expected, some others came as a surprise and were the first eye-opener for me as part of the coaching program. Following two deep-dive sessions in which we talked about the identified areas of strength and improvements, a personalized coaching plan was set up. Given my personal and professional commitments at the time, I opted for a 1h coaching session every 14 days (Thursday EOD). Each session was given a topic that we discussed, trying to identify ways to improve or further enhance my capabilities of providing and receiving coaching. Throughout the entire process, Jeannie guided me through open and specific questions to realizations of why I am reacting to certain circumstances in whichever way and how those behaviors could be improved subsequently. Following each session, I was tasked to observe my actions in light of what had been discussed and to immediately apply the respective suggestions. This approach allowed me to see results within a concise timeframe, while testing which suggestions work better/worse in the daily life of a consultant. Improvements observed where across multiple areas, such as:
Work-life balance,
Target/expectation setting, and/or
Becoming a trusted advisor for clients
In total, I completed 10 Coaching sessions with Jeannie / BetterUp. Throughout the coaching process, I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts openly while receiving feedback from a trained professional. Having said that, I would strongly recommend it to everyone who has the opportunity.
Following the coaching program, my point of view is that coaching becomes more and more an incremental part of everyone’s lifelong learning process – both in terms of receiving coaching as well as giving effective coaching to others. A successful coaching experience includes conveying information that helps a 3rd party to make an improved decision and/or to learn more about something given a specific situation. Successful coaching needs to be built on trust and openness, allowing both parties to be honest with each other and to give fully transparent views, without feeling obliged or hesitant in any way. Lastly, successful coaching should not be one-sided, meaning that both parties should proactively be engaging with each other, while also learning from each other. I as a coach to Juniors can very much learn from Juniors as well, so they can learn from me.