Leadership Coaching Welcome Packet

Welcome

I’m glad you’re here.

Coaching offers dedicated space to slow down, step out of the day-to-day demands of leadership, and focus intentionally on you—how you are leading, what matters most, where you may be feeling stuck, and what you want to move toward.

Our work together is a collaborative partnership. You bring your experience, wisdom, questions, and goals. I bring deep listening, curiosity, thoughtful questions, reflection, challenge, and frameworks that may support your learning.

Together, we’ll create space for greater clarity, alignment, courage, resilience, and growth—and for translating insight into choices and practices that support the leader you want to be.

Getting Started

Before we begin, please take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below. There are no right answers. Your responses simply help us begin our work with greater understanding and intention.

Our Coaching Partnership

Coaching is a collaborative, thought-provoking process designed to support your learning, growth, and development.

My role is not to provide you with answers or tell you what to do. Instead, I will listen deeply, ask questions, offer observations, notice patterns, challenge assumptions when helpful, and support you in translating insight into meaningful action.

You are the expert on your own life and leadership. You determine what we explore, what meaning you make from our conversations, and what actions you choose to take.

At times, I may introduce a framework, resource, exercise, or perspective that I believe could support your learning. I will offer these as invitations rather than prescriptions, and together we can determine what is useful.

Coaching, Consulting & Therapy

Coaching is not therapy and does not include the diagnosis or treatment of mental health conditions.

Although I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, our coaching relationship is distinct from a therapeutic relationship. If concerns arise that would be better addressed through therapy or another professional service, I will discuss that with you and may recommend additional support.

My professional work also includes consulting, facilitation, and leadership development. At times, you may benefit from information, expertise, or a recommendation that goes beyond a strictly coaching role. When this occurs, I will make that shift clear whenever possible so that you can decide whether that type of support would be useful.

Coaching is also not a substitute for legal, financial, medical, or other specialized professional advice.

Confidentiality, Technology & AI-Assisted Notetaking

Trust and confidentiality are foundational to our coaching relationship. The content of our coaching conversations will remain confidential and will not be shared without your permission except when disclosure is required by law or when there is an imminent or likely risk of serious harm to you or another person.

If your coaching is sponsored or paid for by an organization, we will clarify at the beginning of our engagement what, if any, information may be shared with the sponsoring organization.

Unless we explicitly agree otherwise, the content of our individual coaching conversations will remain confidential.

I may engage in professional consultation, supervision, or mentor coaching as part of my ongoing development. If a coaching situation is discussed for professional learning purposes, I will take reasonable steps to protect your identity and confidentiality.

Technology & Electronic Communication

Coaching sessions may be conducted through Zoom or another mutually agreed-upon platform. Email, electronic scheduling, and other digital tools may also be used in connection with our coaching work.

I take reasonable measures to protect the privacy and security of client information and electronic records. At the same time, no electronic communication or technology platform can be guaranteed to be completely secure. I encourage you to consider your own privacy when participating in virtual sessions or communicating electronically.

AI-Assisted Notetaking

With your consent, I may use Zoom AI Companion during virtual coaching sessions to assist with creating a concise summary of key themes, insights, commitments, and next steps from our conversation. This allows me to remain more fully present in our conversation while reducing the need for extensive manual notetaking.

When AI Companion is used, Zoom processes information from the conversation to generate a meeting summary. As part of my standard coaching practice:

• I do not record coaching sessions or retain verbatim transcripts.

• AI-generated meeting summaries are available only to me unless we mutually agree otherwise.

• AI-generated meeting summaries are automatically deleted from Zoom after 30 days.

• I retain only those coaching notes that are reasonably necessary to support continuity in our work.

• Zoom states that customer audio, video, chat, screen-sharing, attachments, and other communications-like content are not used to train Zoom's or third-party artificial intelligence models.

AI-generated summaries may contain errors, omissions, or inaccurate interpretations. They are used as a notetaking support and are not considered a definitive record of our coaching conversation. The use of AI does not replace my professional judgment, presence, ethical responsibilities, or responsibility for protecting your confidentiality.

Your Choice & Consent

The use of AI-assisted notetaking is optional. I will use Zoom AI Companion during our coaching sessions only with your consent.

You may decline its use or ask me to stop using it at any time. Your decision will not affect your ability to participate fully in coaching or the services you receive. If you prefer not to use AI-assisted notetaking, I will use traditional notetaking methods as appropriate.

You may change your preference at any time by letting me know.

Our Shared Commitments

What You Can Expect From Me

As your coach, I commit to:

• Being present, prepared, and engaged in our work together.

• Listening with curiosity, respect, and without judgment.

• Honoring your autonomy and trusting your ability to make choices that are right for you.

• Asking questions that invite reflection, learning, and new possibilities.

• Offering observations and challenges with care and transparency.

• Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.

• Welcoming your feedback about what is—and is not—supporting your growth.

• Following the ethical standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

What I Ask From You

As a coaching client, I invite you to:

• Bring curiosity, honesty, and openness to the coaching process.

• Identify what is most important for us to explore during our time together.

• Be willing to examine assumptions, patterns, and possibilities.

• Experiment with new approaches when they feel useful.

• Take responsibility for the decisions and actions you choose.

• Let me know when something in our work is particularly helpful—or when it isn't.

• Tell me when you need something different from our coaching partnership.

Meaningful growth can sometimes involve uncertainty, discomfort, or challenging long-held assumptions. You always determine what you are ready to explore and what actions you choose to take.

Feedback & Our Working Relationship

Our coaching relationship should evolve as you do.

I will periodically invite you to reflect on what is working, what you need more or less of, and how our work can best support your goals.

You do not need to wait for me to ask. I welcome feedback at any point in our work together.

If something does not feel useful, aligned, or supportive, I encourage you to tell me so that we can talk about it openly and adjust our work together.

Sessions, Scheduling & Cancellations

Our coaching engagement includes:

Sessions may be scheduled at mutually agreed-upon times.

I understand that schedules and circumstances change. Whenever possible, please provide at least 24 hours' notice if you need to reschedule or cancel a session.

Sessions canceled with less than 24 hours' notice may be counted as a completed session except in the case of an emergency or unexpected circumstance.

If I need to reschedule a session, I will provide as much notice as possible and work with you to find another time.

Between Sessions

Much of the value of coaching happens between our conversations as you notice, experiment, reflect, and put new insights into practice.

At times, we may identify reflections, practices, or actions for you to explore between sessions. These are intended to support your learning rather than function as assignments that must be completed.

You are encouraged to contact me between sessions by email for brief updates, questions, or reflections.

Professional Credentialing & Coaching Records

As an ICF-credentialed coach, I may maintain basic records of eligible coaching hours for credentialing, credential renewal, professional development, or other documentation required by the International Coaching Federation.

These records may include information such as your name, contact information, dates of coaching, and number of coaching hours. They do not include the content of our coaching conversations.

Any information maintained for professional credentialing purposes will be handled in accordance with applicable professional and ethical standards.

Ending or Pausing Coaching

You may choose to pause or end coaching at any time.

Likewise, if I believe our work is no longer serving your needs, falls outside the scope of coaching, or would be better supported by another professional or resource, I will discuss this with you openly.

Whenever possible, I hope we will use the ending of our coaching relationship as an opportunity to reflect on your learning, acknowledge your growth, and identify what you want to carry forward.

Responsibility & Limitation of Liability

Coaching is intended to support reflection, learning, and growth. You remain responsible for the decisions, choices, and actions you take during and as a result of our coaching work.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree that Kara Schmitt, as well as any businesses, organizations, affiliates, related entities, owners, officers, employees, contractors, or partners with which I am affiliated, will not be liable for claims, losses, damages, or other consequences arising from decisions or actions you take in connection with or as a result of the coaching services provided under this Agreement, except where such liability cannot legally be limited or waived.

This Agreement applies only to the coaching services described here and does not release any affiliated person or entity from responsibility for services they independently provide to you outside of this coaching relationship.

Coaching Agreement Acknowledgment

• I have reviewed and understand the nature and purpose of coaching.
• I understand the distinction between coaching and therapy, consulting, and other professional services.
• I understand the confidentiality, technology, electronic communication, and information-handling practices described above.
• I understand that I am responsible for the decisions and actions I make as a result of coaching.
• I understand and agree to the responsibility and limitation of liability provisions described in this Agreement.
• I have had the opportunity to ask questions about this agreement.
• I agree to participate in this coaching relationship according to the terms outlined above.