This is the gap Peter Senge talks about in the “Fifth Discipline”, the gap between the Future Vision and the Current Reality.

What is Reality Coaching?

Many people have some burning questions.  “Am I really capable of stepping up to the next level?  Is it a realistic aspiration?  What would I need to develop to meet the challenge?”  Reality Coaching addresses these issues.  It combines the best of coaching practice (helping the coachee to discover for themselves) with the best objective assessment.  At the right time during the coaching process the coachee will undergo a sophisticated assessment process designed to be more penetrating and effective than other typical assessments.  This is conducted by Team Focus assessment specialists in order to keep the process separate from the coaching relationship and to allow the coach to focus on his/her support and development role.

The introduction of such “hard data” can provide a significant challenge for the Coachee.  Typically, organisations provide such ‘hard data’ by providing feedback following a ‘Development Centre’. However, they rarely provide the time and support that are required to convert the information into real learning. Reality Coaching recognises that feedback is only valuable if the individual recognises and owns the information.  It therefore uses the coaching relationship to work through the implications and emotional reactions in order to maximise the positive learning outcomes.

To put this differently, Reality Coaching places the emphasis on the coaching process rather than the data and, as a consequence, manages to be far more useful, developmental and effective in addressing goals and performance.

Here are some typical comments from our clients:

• “Reality Coaching is much more effective than Development Centres.  It allows us to focus on what is most effective for the right people at the right time because of its flexibility, lower use of resources and the opportunity for tailoring to the individual.”
• “Reality Coaching has added a significant element to the coaching process.  It brings another source of feedback to help with defining a personal vision.  It makes the process more practical and helps define the steps needed to get there.”