Coaching

Who I Work With

The Clients I Seek 

While my primary individual clients are accomplished people 45 years of age or older, I still delight in coaching younger clients yearning to build their lives. My clients to date have ranged in age from 22 to 71.

My business coaching spans from startups to long-established companies and partnerships.

My ideal client– whether individual or corporate – is ready for what’s next, even as they may be looking to find out what’s next in life and in business. I’m ready, with loads of curiosity, to help you discover it.

Many of my clients feel a little too comfortable, a little too set in their ways, in a bit of a rut. Let me help you break that up and build your even more exceptional life.

Who I don’t coach 

I think that nearly everyone can benefit from coaching. But not everyone is a match for every coach. Some fine people have attributes that aren’t a match for my coaching. Those include:

• People who are not up for a challenge
• People who need to be told what to do
• People who aren’t willing to accept coaching
• People who want to complain rather than take action
• People who don’t show up for their coaching sessions or for themselves
• People who are so comfortable doing what they’re doing that they don’t want change.
• People who are so frightened of change that they want to stay put (although we can work with this).

Schedule an intro Session to find out how you can benefit from Steven Burgess as your Coach.

What I’m not 

A Therapist: If I think I see a need for therapy, I will suggest or refer you to one.

A cheerleader: I am on your side and I’m always rooting for you. But I’ll be there after the game is over.

What My Coaching is About

Some assumptions of my Coaching 

• You are complete. You might not feel like it in the moment, but part of my job is to assist you to see your completeness. I believe in you.
• Sometimes we can see others more clearly than we can see ourselves. Part of my job is to clear the view so you can see your magnificence more clearly.
• I know we can rely on your inner wisdom to shine. My goal is to reveal you and your wisdom to yourself. We all get confused and sometimes that inner voice needs a little encouragement. Part of my job is to provide that.
• You are willing to jump in and make the change of your life. Not necessarily in every moment, but part of my job is to provide a soft landing.

What my coaching is about (in part) 

What do you want? When I started my coaching journey, I didn’t know what I wanted. I felt like I had spent my whole adult life taking care of others.

Sound familiar?

Then my coach started asking me the right questions and I was nearly shocked to discover I knew the answers.

What’s in the way of you getting it? We’ll explore what gets in your way and ways to move under, over or through it.

Can I give you a hand with that?
That’s my job as your coach. To explore these concerns and limitations with you and to blow them open with you.

Logistics

After the introductory half-hour session, a typical engagement is four one-hour coaching session per month, with a three-month term. Sessions can be via Zoom or other video hookup, telephone or other audio hookup, or in-person. Of course, not every client can be in-person – my clients hail from the West Coast to the East.

At each session, we’ll co-design one or more projects to forward your learning and progress toward getting what you want.

We can have occasional check-ins during the week.

Services Offered

Individual Coaching: What to expect in your first session 

In our first, half-hour session, we’ll spend a few minutes getting to know each other. I’ll ask you what subject matter you wish to discuss and what result you would like from the session. You’ll get lots of questions from me. We’ll find some projects to work on during the week before our next session. We’ll review what you accomplished in this short time and you’ll get acknowledgement from me.

Group Coaching

We typically start off group coaching with four to six sessions – one per week. These are often remote, via Zoom, but can be in-person.

Group coaching sessions may have from two to ten participants.
These may be couples, families, roommates, coworkers, or any group of people who wish to propel their lives and relationships forward.

Participants will receive a questionnaire a couple of weeks in advance with questions designed to help me see what the group is looking for, and with a few things for participants to write down and bring to the first session. The questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Business, Corporate, and Organization

Coaching

We will first meet with management to discuss the subject matter and intended results for the coaching sessions. Management may determine if we will be going forward with group sessions, or whether it is preferable for me to coach individuals within the organization – or both.

As an example, a recent Organizational Coaching engagement had this agreement: Intent of the coaching sessions: To build trust, cooperation, understanding, employee retention and, satisfaction across the organization.

In a Group Setting, we typically begin with four sessions, one per week, These are often remote, via Zoom, but can be in-person.

The first session is all hands on deck.
The second session is staff only, with no managers present.
The third session is managers-only.
The fourth session is all hands on deck.

From there we can determine how to move forward in the organization.

Participants will receive a questionnaire a couple of weeks in advance of the first session with questions designed to help me see what the group is looking for, and with a few things for participants to write down and bring to the first session. The questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Consulting

Having managed and consulted sole proprietorships, partnerships, non-profits, for-profits, and startups, we’re prepared to offer professional consulting to a wide range of businesses.

Hybrids

Every engagement is unique and can include both coaching and consulting.

What my clients have to say