Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare

Chapter 4: Capacity Building 111

during the contracting phase, review the process of enrollment and
attempt to understand and engage the learner.

Here are some additional points to consider:

 Is there enough contact with the learner?

 Would the learner benefit from shorter or longer time in between
sessions?

 Does the learner feel judged or poorly regarded during feedback?

 Does the learner not follow through on agreed upon actions or
miss appointments?

 Is the learner being supported by his supervisor to allocate time
for the coaching and learning process?

 What other systemic barriers need to be checked?

Agency politics and performance concerns

It is important that coaches remain neutral, and they must be
available to support skills development with the learner. There are
times within agencies — or in the triad of the supervisor, learner and
coach — that information is sought from the coach to inform
performance evaluations. For a coach, the key to success is to be
goal-oriented and to stay focused on the agreements made.

Some tips to consider when addressing agency politics or
performance concerns:

 Make agreement early between supervisor, learner, and yourself.