‘Tandem Coaching’ is our term for having two coaches work with a client. For us, cycling on our tandem in the New Forest is synonymous with being in rapport as we work and play across sometimes rough, sometimes smooth terrain. We use this metaphor to put the simple concept of co-coaching into practice.

We began tandem coaching because we often work with couples and wanted to find a way to prevent either client feeling that the coach was taking sides with their partner. With experience came the realisation that the benefits are far wider as two perspectives greatly increase the information available to clients, two styles increase the chances of finding the right catalyst for action and two coaches double the energy and resources available.

Co-coaching is also a great development tool for coaches. Co-coaching is a shared experience and by setting up a well thought out contract with your coaching partner, it offers opportunities for immediate feedback and learning.

We want to show how co-coaching can be applied to all forms of coaching, so we will not focus on relationship or couples work. Based on our belief in experiential learning - and fun - we plan:

• a brief introduction to the concept of co-coaching
• a benchmark exercise for participants to notice the differences between individual coaching and co-coaching and to identify the potential barriers to being effective
• instruction on the key principles and how to put them into practice
• a second exercise to draw out the power of co-coaching in getting to deep issues quickly
• opportunities for feedback from fellow coaching professionals.