Torch Change Coaching

Torch Coaching is available to YSM faculty members through the Office of Academic and Professional Development and their partnership with the Office of Effectiveness and Staff Development. Torch Coaching is an external provider of leadership development coaching for your professional growth and fulfillment through dialogue, reflection, and strategic action. Utilizing Torch Coaching’s proprietary questionnaire to help you match with the optimal coach from Torch Coaching’s extensive panel of ICF-certified leadership development coaches, you have the opportunity to benefit from six (6) months of unlimited coaching at an accessible cost. Through a series of regular meetings, the coach works with you to identify specific areas for development and provide guidance and support to help you achieve your goals. Coaching goals may focus on personal leadership challenges and/or organizational needs and opportunities. Leadership development coaching may consist of the use of self-assessment and 360 assessment tools and an alignment meeting with you, your faculty leader, and your Torch coach.

Potential coaching goals and focus include:

• Ongoing development
• Situational support
• Supporting transitions to a new role or change in current role
• Addressing problematic/derailing behaviors
• Overcoming internal blockers to success
• Improving professional relationships and communication

Roles for Torch Coaching Engagement: The Torch coaching engagement is a partnership between the Yale School of Medicine’s Office of Academic and Professional Development (OAPD), Yale University’s Organizational Effectiveness and Staff Development team, you, your faculty leader, and your Torch coach.OAPD facilitates a connection with OESD to initiate the engagement and provides organizational context, with periodic check ins, to support you and your faculty leader.

You, Your Leader and the Torch Coach Roles

You, the Coaching Participant

• Drives the partnership with their coach by setting goals and meeting objectives
• Engages in self-reflection and communicates with their coach openly and honestly
• Identifies and initiates action steps that drive toward their goals
• Solicits feedback from their colleagues, (direct reports and peers) and their faculty leader

Your Faculty Leader

• Aligns with the coaching participant on their development goals and suggests additional feedback that aligns with section/department/program priorities
• Provides prompt and thoughtful 360 feedback and encourage others to do so. (if applicable)
• Encourages and ensures that the coaching participant carves out time to focus on their coaching
• Checks-in with the coaching participant throughout the coaching engagement journey by asking how the experience is progressing, providing input on goals, and sharing feedback.

Your Torch Coach

• Supports the coaching participant’s development goals
• Provides situational and professional support by acting as a sounding board and guide rather than an instructor
• Helps uncover and surface information and perspective by asking questions and sharing observations
• Provides structure for the coaching participant’s process and growth

Please note there are costs associated with participation in the TORCH Coaching program. While the costs are less than most coaching engagements, individual faculty members and/or department leaders interested in the TORCH coaching program can contact OAPD at oapd.acadprof@yale.edu to learn more about the program fees.