Throughout my career, I often wished I had someone who could give me mentorship-like advice but who didn't have direct influence over my job. Like a "Phone a Friend" for work stuff.
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Let me say upfront: I had great mentors and friends at work! People I really liked and respected. And I definitely went to them for help on "big" questions. I am grateful to them for all of the time and support they gave me over the years.
But I didn't go to them for things I thought were "too small." Honestly, I sometimes worried that my questions would reflect poorly on me. I didn't want anyone to think: "If he's asking this (basic) question, how on earth can we have confidence in his ability to do his job?"
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What did I want to ask? Lots of things, but two main challenges came up again and again:
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I wanted to get my messaging right for a challenging communication with an important person in my work life (my boss, a donor, a difficult colleague).
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I was dealing with something for the first time, and trying to get my head clear on how to approach it.
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HOW IT WORKS
1. You have a question you feel you should be able to answer, but you feel stuck for whatever reason. For example:
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You know you need to say something to your boss (or your employee, or your board chair) but you're not sure how to say it. You're having a hard time getting your message clear.
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You have been asked to lead a strategy session (or any kind of meeting) but you every time you try to put an agenda down, you freeze. It feels impossible to get started.
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These are example issues. Yours could be anything you're dealing with.
2. Going to your boss/mentor/colleague doesn't feel like an option. You wish you could talk confidentially with an experienced NGO leader -- someone who won't judge you, and who will be objective and kind.
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3. You set 20 minutes on my calendar. Please think about your question and your challenges before we talk. More specific questions will yield more specific discussion -- and hopefully lead to more clarity for you within the 20 minute timeframe. 20 minutes is the total time we'll have for our meeting.
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4. I'll send you a short waiver for your signature. The waiver says, in so many words:
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What we discuss will be held confidential.
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You are responsible for your actions. You are asking me for my take -- and my advice, or anything I say to you, is purely input for you to consider. I am not liable or responsible for anything that happens based on the advice I give you. My "involvement" in your issue ends when we hang up.
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5. We talk. When we meet, I'll ask you what you want to discuss, and you'll direct our conversation from there. You can share whatever you want, and I promise to give you my full attention, ask you a few questions, and share my perspective. When we're done, I will wish you well.
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6. Then what? No obligations or expectations from my side about what you do next. My only request is that you consider one final question I will have for you. (Yes, it'll be a coaching question). That's it.
WHY AM I DOING THIS?
​I have no idea if anyone else has these kinds of questions, or would want to talk with someone like me about them! Putting this out into the world is a bit of an experiment. We'll see how it goes!
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Also, in the spirit of transparency, I'm hoping that these conversations will help me get to know more people, and to stay on top of the challenges people are facing. Both are important for me as I build out my coaching practice.
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Important: As you hopefully read on the "Why Hire a Coach?" page, in a coaching session, a coach does not give you advice! So, these "Free Advice" sessions are NOT coaching sessions. (But I would be very happy to transition into a coaching relationship with you after your Free Advice session if you would like!). Happy to talk more about this distinction when we meet.