Coaching is a relationship between equals. Every day we experience hierarchies that can get in the way of brave, expansive conversations – whether that’s with a boss, an employee, even an influential friend or parent.

A coach who is non-judgemental, and outside of your ordinary network, can allow you to experiment with new ideas, approaches, and ways of being, without anxiety or risk to your usual professional style or relationships.

Whilst internal ‘coaches’ (often these are more accurately managers or stakeholders) can deliver some of the benefits of a coaching partnership, power dynamics will be inescapable. There is also a trade off between having context that supports an accelerated start (although experienced coaches typically cross this speedily), and the risk of making assumptions or of not questioning the status quo which can inhibit creative solutions.

Yes. Individual coaching sessions take place in confidence.

There are two rare, but important, exceptions to this rule. The first is if your coach ever became concerned for your safety or wellbeing, or that of another person. (And for this reason, we request an emergency contact for every engagement). The second is in the event that illegal activity of a serious nature came to light. In those cases, your coach’s duty to protect individuals and uphold the law comes first.

For corporate coaching engagements, the same rules apply.

The corporate sponsor may request that we report attendance, but we will not relate the content of coaching sessions in any attributable way. Feedback to the sponsor about the coaching sessions themselves (if required) will be led by the coachee and supported by their coach as necessary.

Confidentiality ensures safety and allows us to be sufficiently and appropriately vulnerable in order to grow. As such, it is in the best interests of all - be they coach, coachee, or sponsor.

Both coaching and therapy are conversation-based, and there are overlaps in the coach or therapist’s method. The goal, however, is very different.

Coaching is explicitly change and action-focused. We often say that self-understanding would be an entirely appropriate and sufficient goal in therapy; but in coaching we are looking to make a step-change in performance. This makes it especially well-suited to challenges we face at work.

In coaching we tend to deal less with recovery than with optimisation: making the changes and improvements that take you from normal / okay to exceptional. You should typically leave a coaching session feeling lighter, more energised, and ready to take practical steps you can take towards your goals.

Therapists also have specific training and skills in dealing with trauma and mental health issues that coaches do not have, and if we feel your issue is best suited to a therapeutic context, we will raise that with you.

Many clients choose to spend the time purely in discussion. Sometimes clients and coaches clients also take the opportunity to work directly on a specific document (such as an application or presentation), respond to an appraisal or 360, sketch or make notes.

If you’re working with a communications coach, expect the session to be highly practical as your coach works with you to hone your delivery and vocal skills!

Since fuseco. coaches work not only with clients across the UK but also around the world, the vast majority of sessions are held virtually, over Zoom or other video platforms.

Whether you should opt for in-person sessions, or choose to have your sessions online, will depend on your location, schedule, and personal preferences.

Benefits of having your session online include:

• Accessibility, especially for clients based outside of the UK or with extensive / unpredictable travel schedules

• Efficiency: no need to make time for travel or arrange a suitable meeting space. We can get straight down to it.

• Privacy: depending on your set-up, you may find that remote sessions better support confidentiality and privacy. Many corporate clients, for example, choose to have coaching on their working-from-home days.

• Intimacy: For some people, face-to-face video call is actually more intimate than in person.

Depending on your lcoation and that of your coach, in-person sessions might also be an option. Benefits include:

• Non-verbal communication: getting a better read of your ‘body-talk’

• Intimacy: for some, there’s nothing like 3D for building connection

• Context: providing supporting context about your life, work, and interactions with the world around you

• Vitality: in a world in which a lot of our interaction is mediated by screens, in person can be energising and refreshing

• Task switching benefits: sometimes, a change of scene helps us get into the right frame of mind.

For in-person sessions, a private meeting room at your office is ideal. If you’re comfortable with a public space, more spacious cafes and restaurants or hotel lobbies can work well. (We suggest that you don’t choose your colleagues’ favourite lunch spot!).

Some coaches will have their own practice area and Tamzin, for example, offers ‘walking coaching’ on the farm which is a wonderful fresh-air option if you are Milton Keynes-based, and are fit and able to do so.

For virtual sessions, sitting in an open-plan office (even with headphones on) is to be avoided. Remember that you’ll be doing most of the talking and that privacy supports honesty, vulnerability, and learning. Likewise, if you share your home office with a partner, please do relocate to another room in the house. Feel free to blur your background and under no obligation to pick up children’s socks or to evict the cat.