I’m 29 years old and by now I’ve been coaching young people for many years. James is an 18 year old categorised as ‘NEET’—not in education, employment or training. He’s required to keep the job I’ve just placed him in and see me for an hour of coaching per month to maintain his benefits.

Did he ask for coaching? Absolutey not.

Is he being forced to be coached? 100% yes.

Coaching is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, and one that countless schools are carefully considering right now. They’re asking questions like, how would this fit with what my school is already doing? What challenges will this solve? What is the overall purpose? How will I know it’s successful? After years of partnering with schools to embed coaching, here are five key dos and five key don'ts to keep in mind.

For years, I’ve wondered where the obsession with gratitude journals comes from, beyond the research, of course. The act of forcing myself to note three things every day doesn’t feel right. Even when I’ve practised more regularly, the experience often feels like I’m taking instructions from someone who doesn’t know me.

Since the early 80s, the coaching profession and practice has found its way into all areas of life: work, home, schools and more. In schools, we have seen it slowly emerge as a powerful tool for supporting the ongoing development of students, teachers and parents alike, since the mid 2000s.

As inherently social creatures, we find ourselves in relationships with others nearly every moment of the day, whether collaborating with colleagues, supporting students at school, or interacting with the local shopkeeper.

At our recent Coaching Day event on March 8th, we had an engaging 70 attendees from 40 different schools. One of the highlights was the Coaching Case Review. Sitting in a large circle, we took an honest look at the challenges schools face when sustaining coaching initiatives.