The greatest indicator of success in a coaching relationship is rapport between the coach and the client. While this is developed between the coach and the coachee, how a coaching program is managed does impact the opportunity for rapport.
Specifically, in a coaching program there are several things you can do to support creating rapport in the coaching relationships:
- Use volunteer internal coaches – people that want to coach.
If the coach is only coaching because they feel that have to or because they were told to, they will be disinterested in connecting with the coachee and supporting their success.
- Use volunteer coachees – people that want to be coached.
Occasionally an initial coaching session or two may be utilized to create buy-in to the coaching process for the coachee. Ultimately it is essential that the coachee want the coaching and want to create meaningful change for the process to be successful.
- Ensure the coachee has a choice of several possible coaches.
By giving the coachee choices they have the opportunity to consider who will be most effective for them as a coach. This in turn increases the likelihood of developing rapport.
During the coaching relationship do check in with the coach and coachee on how they feel it is going. Ensure everyone knows that sometimes it is appropriate and even ideal to change coaches.
