Ian has a very relaxed and informal approach to coaching, truly putting the emphasis on the individual being coached to drive their own self-improvement agenda. Whilst Ian clearly is a subject matter expert around the Agile methodology and its practical application, he is always keen to stress that when coaching individuals, it is less about theory or process and more about the characteristics and behaviours of people that ultimately drive the success of any change methodology. He introduces each session with a simple question (What’s on your mind today?) and helps to explore diverse subjects, ranging from specific examples to more philosophical / conceptual challenges or anticipated personal development areas
With all of his coaching, Ian has the innate ability to take a complex subject and break it down into more simple, relatable concepts, often drawing analogies that I will identify with, based upon the relationship he has already built with me (i.e. he knows my likes, dislikes, areas of interest etc and uses these to help me to visualise the challenge or opportunity we are exploring). Ian promotes a regular cadence of personal coaching sessions (weekly) alongside our day to day interactions to implement and embed our new Change Delivery framework, and encourages me to feedback on the coaching received the previous week, exploring with me whether I have been able to apply any of the feedback or development strategies we previously agreed the previous week / provide examples of practical applications of theory and its relative success and/or any subsequent challenges as a result of trying to apply.