When I started hanging out with coaches, and being coached myself, it struck me that the human quality of the interaction - it's warmth and rapport - is so so important. For coaching to work we need a great chemistry between the coach and their client. But, then - when I trained as a coach, I was hit with this out-of-place word. A word that, to me, is quite cold - and actually a bit scary and off-putting. That daunting word is the word 'CONTRACTING'. Somehow, I want to come to terms with this troublesome term 'CONTRACT', so... I called up my main man Tony Betts - because he's a top coach, and he has a lifetime of really varied international business experience - he's not only agreed a good few contracts in his time - as with everything Tony turns his hand and mind to - he thinks deeply about the nature and necessity of contracting. I really hope you enjoy the chat. All the best Hugh Hugh Reynolds, Head of Digital at MF

I was looking at some websites of my coaching colleagues, and I was getting quite curious about the content of online biographies - you know, those little bio pieces that appear on people's websites. Something about them felt a bit odd - and at odds with what I thought coaches got up to. You see, when we're coaching - we're not supposed to be giving of our expertise - even if we've got that expertise. And yet in these online bios I'm seeing people reporting on their great experience or tremendous skills and interests within a certain industry or context. So what I'm wondering aloud is: as a coach, do I really need to niche? To Niche or not to Niche. I know just the man for an exploratory chat about niches - and that's top international coach, Tony Betts! We really hope you enjoy the conversation, All the best Hugh Hugh Reynolds, Head of Digital at MF If you'd like to skip forward to a point of interest - here are some timings: 2:55 What do we mean by 'niche coaching'? 5:20 Assuming I'm a good coach, does it matter what my background is? Is it good for the coachee to know about my expertise? 8:40 Is there some kind of 'useful forgetting' going on here, with the coach guarding against applying their contextual knowledge? 10:58 The importance of giving a client what they need - which may not be exactly what they've asked for. Be aware of what's being brought in to the interaction. 13:18 Understanding the client as an individual - their needs on the day - which can be distinct from understanding them in the wider context. 16:30 Our role in helping the client to better understand themselves. 18:30 Marketing ourselves to particular audiences - and how having a point of difference can help (depending on where we're starting from). 21:50 What's the common denominator in my work? An example niche Tony carved for himself: The Art of Not Doing. 23:22 Differentiating ourselves. Standing out from the crowd in an authentic sense. 24:20 Find out what the market wants. What are the problems people want help with? 26:40 The frequency of update and refresh for our bios. Giving elements from which the coach can be constructed! A couple of examples of Tony's bios online: https://www.managementfutures.co.uk/team/tony-betts https://www.loving-your-work.com/coach-tony-betts/

I've got a lot on my plate. Lots of projects, lots of issues to resolve, lots of directions I want to develop in. There's a lot I need to get done. And through my work in and around coaching, I meet others who sound like they've got a lot to do too. But what happens when we shift that focus. Instead of just coaching around what we are DOING, what if we use coaching to explore what we are BEING? (By the way, if you're new to Management Futures and what we get up to - I'll just mention that our work is about enabling leaders, teams, organisations and coaches - and that coaching is always at the very heart of what we do...) Ahhhgghh! You see? I did it again! I'm telling you more about what we DO and less about who we really ARE! It's high time I dialled up top international coach Tony Betts for todays exploratory conversation! We really hope you enjoy it, All very best Hugh Hugh Reynolds, Head of Digital at MF