HOW COACHING WORKS
Creating space and time amid the busy flow of life for deep thinking
As coaches we help hold this space for our clients, promote their inner discovery, and encourage goal setting, planning and action. Coaching is about imagining what is possible, charting the course forward and discovering from the journey.
Coaching happens in conversation. Coach and client meet, and through the vehicle of powerful conversations, complex ideas and situations are explored, goals are set, action is planned, and valuable feedback is given. The foundation of the relationship between client and coach is trust. Both parties must feel they may speak freely and in the security of absolute confidentiality.
Coaching supports the development of new skills and improved performance in areas related to business development, professional development, leadership, client relations, strategic planning, client teams and practice group management. Our clients appreciate the confidentiality and the respectful and attentive support that coaching provides.
Coach In Your Corner
In our experience, it is valuable for many of our clients to connect with their coach between sessions as challenges arise. We like our clients to know that they have a coach in their corner.
We provide exclusive access to communication tools including a private client portal. Clients can use this portal to directly connect with their coach and stay in touch between sessions.
We also provide a library of exclusive and updated resources to supplement all coaching and training sessions, including metrics to track progress and provide accountability support.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality in the client-coach relationship is paramount. At TLC all the coaches follow the ethical requirements of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) including the obligation of confidentiality. You can learn more about the ICF Code of Ethics on their website.
Time Commitment
We tailor the coaching program to the individual needs of the client. Clients meet with their coach for 45, 60, 75, or 90-minute sessions once or twice a month and, in some instances, weekly.
We are also in touch with clients between sessions by email, a messaging app, and communication through my private client portal.
Some clients have attained the results they were after in just a few sessions. Others have continued coaching for years as they have greatly appreciated the ongoing support and benefits of coaching.
The bottom line? Our clients are in the driver’s seat. We support our clients when and as often as they choose.
What People Say
Here’s what some of our coaching clients past and present have said about their experience
“I started working with Allison in 2023. Fatigued and bewildered by the lingering effects of the Pandemic on practice and the workplace, I turned to Allison for insights and advice on firm management and business development. Allison’s advice is strategic, practical and joyful. She’s no bobblehead – Allison has delivered hard truths that have been invaluable in shaping my practice. And her solutions are bespoke; customized to the client’s unique needs. She is one of my most trusted advisors.”
“I started (and most importantly, stuck with!) a personalized professional development plan that works for me. Making a plan, and continuing to put that plan into place. Without question, coaching helped shape the direction of my practice, and shifted my approach to client development.”
“Coaching has ensured that I prioritize my time to focus on tasks that support my career goals.”
“In just three sessions together, Karmen helped me to identify the sources of my late-career malaise, to get my bearings about why and where to proceed from here, and to develop a framework for designing the optimal path forward for the subsequent stages of my working life. She has a knack for making the right suggestion or observation at the ideal time to trigger a revelation or kick-start the next stage of the journey. I would unequivocally recommend her services.”
Allison is my go to person for career advice. Whether I’m struggling with a new aspect of day to day practice or planning for the future, Allison is there for me. Allison takes the time to listen to and understand me: my goals, areas of challenge and personality. Allison then provides practical and useful advice that I have implemented time and time again. I really don’t know what I’d do without her.
Allison was instrumental in my transition to a practice devoted to mediation and arbitration. With her assistance, I was able to develop and then execute a plan going forward. I continue to use Allison’s services to keep me my marketing and business development work on track. I have no hesitation in recommending Allison as a coach and a marketing consultant.
“Karmen is fiercely intelligent and intuitive, with a heart of gold and amazing listening skills, always bringing clarity to the core of matters.”
“I think this was extremely valuable… I feel every mentor should have an opportunity to take this course [Coaching Skills for Law Society of Alberta Mentors].”
Coaching with Allison has been invaluable to me and my career. Allison is a dedicated, patient and effective coach. She has been both a practical resource for business development and a sounding board on the human and emotional level. She celebrates my successes, helps me generate ideas, and holds me accountable in moving forward, even when I am feeling uncertain or discouraged. She helps me build my resilience in dealing with all the challenges inherent in being a lawyer. She also has a very essential human touch I really appreciate.
“The session on coaching skills for mentors led by Karmen Masson was really useful for me. Karmen is an experienced, engaging and informative instructor – I learned the importance of listening, clarifying and engaging with mentees in a thoughtful and effective way, without imposing my own beliefs and strategies on my mentee, but rather working with their own skills, beliefs and attitudes. I am definitely a better mentor for having attended this course.”
“I am approaching practice development in a completely different way than I ever have before.”
“I am currently working on becoming self-sufficient in my business development. My approach is noticeably different. Having someone who knows more about marketing, targeting people, and how to approach people has been helpful. I’m learning how to do this from my “authentic self”.
“As a result of the coaching I’ve noticed I’m better able to work with and delegate to staff.”
“Karmen was fantastic – obviously very knowledgeable, and she has a calming presence and teaching style about her that made me feel comfortable/relaxed and engaged.”
“The result has been a remarkable increase in my efficiency and productivity. This in turn has given me the confidence that I am in control of my career, a perspective I did not have prior to working with Allison.”
Allison has provided invaluable counsel to me for many years, and I now have more control and satisfaction in my legal career than I thought possible. She has the experience to know “how it is” in law, but she also has a vision for how much better it could be, and the training to help clients discover and chart their own paths.
Over the last few years, Allison has become my ultimate professional–and sometimes personal–support. Her advice is strategic, action-oriented and practical. She will break down larger career goals into manageable steps that don’t feel overwhelming. I come away from our meetings reinvigorated about my career path–one that I own and have created. Ultimately, working with Allison is an investment I have made in myself and in my career. I cherish her wisdom, her sound advice and her friendship.
“I am so glad Karmen was my first coach ever! By utilizing exceptional listening and critical thinking skills, a warm and non-judgmental approach, and her pure passion for helping others along with her integrity, I could open up and trust her.”
Allison’s advice and guidance have been instrumental in helping me to develop a busy commercial litigation practice, while also prioritizing family and outside interests. Allison’s range of experience with lawyers in the United States, Canada and overseas allows her to offer a perspective to her clients that few others can. I highly recommend her services to lawyers looking to improve their practices and personal lives.
“What a fantastic workshop! Karmen was great. I loved her energy and how she had us learning through a dialogue with her and with one another. I took a lot away from it.”
“I was surprised at how easy the process was and how well Karmen facilitated me through my thought process to get to where I wanted to go.”