Top coaching themes in 2023
Ever wondered what people talk about during coaching?
We keep a tracker of all the themes that emerge in coaching sessions, group coaching and reflective practice sessions and have spent some time analysing these notes to identify the top coaching themes for 2023.
Where has this insight been gathered?
In 2023 we facilitated 47 1:1 coaching and mentoring sessions, 52 group coaching sessions and 13 Reflective Practice sessions with people working in purpose led sectors and organisations.
We coach freelancer practitioners and social enterprises 1:1, helping people to develop businesses that work for them whilst having a social impact in communities. Many of our 1:1 clients are creative, socially engaged people and we particularly enjoy working with people who have chronic health conditions, neurodiversity and/or experiences of inequality so we can support them to create nuturing work experiences. We also mentor establishing social enterprises through Proper Good.
We coach teams and groups, some examples include team coaching for coordinators with Carers Support and group coaching sessions for organisations funded by Youth Music. Development coaching sessions such as our sessions with The National Lottery Heritage Fund leadership teams provide valuable insight into the development needs across the wider VCSE sector.
Our Reflective Practice sessions, embedded in our projects and offered as part of The Brilliant Club memberships, include a coaching element and often provide insightful reflections. from charity, public sector and community workers
How were themes gathered?
We often use creative, conversation and play based activities to reflect, coach and explore ideas with individuals and groups.
Following sessions we add to the session tracker, identifying emerging themes.
When working in teams we hold debrief sessions and we ask people to share reflections in sessions and complete feedback forms.
What themes emerged during 2023 coaching sessions?
Organisational Growth
Complexities of organisational evolution and development
Juggling strategy and operational tasks
Balancing reactive tendencies with proactive practices
Exploring and supporting changing team dynamics
Strengthening decision making practices
Empowerment
Bringing more perspectives, voices and experiences into the work
Supporting team members to step into leadership roles
Developing influence with funders, partners and in communities
Celebrating development and cumulative wins
Creating systems that support people to contribute to and benefit from work
Leadership and Wellbeing
Navigating exhaustion and burnout in teams, whilst role modelling calm leadership
Identifying personal needs and responding to them whilst also managing professional responsibilities
Feeling the weight of challenges in doing things differently and holding boundaries
Maintaining consistency without feeling like a machine
When to automate, delegate, share responsibilities and work to personal strengths
Planning and Processes
Planning that algins with or professional and personal life roles and responsibilities
Navigating funding landscapes and planning for uncertainty
Coping with the challenge of change
Creating processes to manage internal operations and project logistics#
Planning team and organisational development
Resilience
Experiencing the strain of power imbalances and stress and creating networks of support
Creating and managing workflows that support the work and people involved to develop
Supporting partnership work when partners have competing priorities
Addressing challenges confidently as opportunities to learn
If you’d like to create a rhythm of development and support around your work, you might like to join The Brilliant Club
If your team could benefit from our group coaching, explore how to work with us.
