Everything you need to know about our coaching and consulting services — answered by our team with honesty and clarity.
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We believe transparency is the foundation of every great coaching relationship. Below you will find detailed answers to the questions we hear most often from individuals, executives, and corporate teams considering working with us. If something is not covered, our team is always available to speak with you directly.
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Executive coaching is a structured, one-on-one professional relationship between a trained coach and a senior leader, executive, or high-potential professional. The goal is to accelerate that individual's performance, develop specific leadership competencies, and help them navigate complex challenges at the highest levels of their organisation.
Unlike consulting — where an external expert provides solutions — coaching is a facilitative process. The coach does not tell you what to do; instead, through powerful questioning, deep listening, and evidence-based frameworks, the coach helps you discover your own insights, expand your thinking, and build the capability to lead more effectively. The process is entirely confidential and tailored to your unique context.
At River Lantern Yard, our executive coaching is grounded in organisational psychology, neuroscience, and decades of real-world leadership experience specific to the East African business environment.
Coaching is suitable for anyone who is committed to growth and open to honest self-reflection. In practice, we work with three broad groups: C-suite and senior executives seeking to enhance their leadership effectiveness; mid-level managers preparing for greater responsibility; and high-potential individuals who want to accelerate their career trajectory in a structured, supported way.
We also work with entrepreneurs, government officials, academics, and NGO leaders. Coaching is not a remediation tool — it is most effective when the client is already performing well and wants to perform even better. That said, we do support individuals navigating transitions, recovering from setbacks, or dealing with specific challenges such as imposter syndrome, managing conflict, or leading through organisational change.
We work across a wide range of sectors. Our client base spans financial services and banking, telecommunications, healthcare, education, government and public administration, international development and NGOs, energy, logistics, and fast-moving consumer goods. We have also worked with law firms, media organisations, and technology start-ups.
Our coaches are not industry-specific; rather, we bring deep competence in the human dimensions of leadership — communication, decision-making, influence, resilience, and strategic thinking — which are universal across all professional contexts. Where deep technical industry knowledge is important, we match clients with coaches who have direct experience in that sector.
Several things set us apart. First, every coach on our team holds a recognised international credential — ICF membership at minimum, with several holding PCC (Professional Certified Coach) status. We do not work with self-proclaimed coaches who lack formal training and supervision.
Second, we operate at the intersection of global methodology and local context. We understand that coaching in Uganda must account for cultural nuances, hierarchical structures, community obligations, and the unique pressures that East African professionals face. Generic Western coaching models often miss this entirely. Third, we are committed to measurable outcomes. Every engagement includes a clear outcomes framework, mid-point reviews, and a final impact assessment, so clients and organisations can see the return on their investment.
These are related but distinct disciplines. Therapy primarily focuses on healing psychological distress and exploring past experiences that may be affecting present functioning. Coaching, by contrast, is future-oriented and performance-focused — it starts from the assumption that the client is psychologically well and works forward from the present moment.
Mentoring involves a more experienced individual sharing knowledge and guidance from their own professional journey. Coaching does not rely on the coach having direct experience in the client's field; instead, the coach uses structured methodologies to help the client think more clearly and act more effectively. At River Lantern Yard, we know the boundaries between these disciplines and refer clients to appropriate mental health professionals when that is what is needed.
A typical session runs between 60 and 90 minutes. We begin with a brief check-in — how you are doing, what has happened since the last session, and any quick wins or challenges you want to acknowledge. We then set the agenda for the session itself, which is always led by what matters most to you at that point.
The core of the session involves deep conversation: exploring the topic you have brought, examining your assumptions, considering different perspectives, and identifying the actions or mindset shifts you want to take forward. Sessions end with a clear summary of insights and agreed commitments you will work on before the next meeting. Many clients describe sessions as both challenging and deeply clarifying — like a productive conversation with a trusted, impartial thinking partner who asks the right questions.
Programme length depends on your goals. Our standard individual coaching engagement runs for six months — typically eight to ten sessions — which research consistently shows is the minimum duration needed to produce lasting behavioural change. For executives addressing deeply embedded patterns or leading large-scale transformations, we recommend twelve months.
We also offer shorter three-month intensives for very specific, well-defined objectives, as well as single-session strategy conversations for clients who need a thinking partner for a particular decision. Corporate programmes for teams and organisations are typically designed on a twelve-to-eighteen-month horizon to allow embedding of new behaviours at the organisational level. We will always recommend the programme length that genuinely serves your goals, not the longest or most expensive option.
Yes. All our coaching is available via video call, telephone, or in-person at our Kampala offices — and we are flexible about combining formats within a programme based on your preference and schedule. Remote coaching is equally effective as in-person coaching, provided the client creates a private, distraction-free environment for their sessions.
We have clients across Uganda, East Africa, and internationally in the diaspora who participate entirely online. For corporate team programmes, we typically begin with at least one in-person workshop to build rapport and establish group norms before transitioning to a blend of in-person and virtual sessions.
Coach matching is one of the most important factors in a successful coaching engagement, and we take it seriously. The process begins with an initial intake consultation where our programme director takes time to understand your goals, working style, communication preferences, and the specific context you are navigating.
Based on this, we recommend one to three coaches from our team whose expertise, approach, and experience align with your needs. We then arrange a complimentary chemistry call — typically 20 minutes — with your top recommendation so you can experience the coach's style before committing. If for any reason the match does not feel right, we find an alternative. The relationship must feel safe, productive, and motivating from the start.
Client satisfaction and the quality of the coaching relationship are non-negotiable for us. If at any point you feel your current coach is not the right fit, please contact our programme management team and we will facilitate a transition to another coach within our network — at no additional charge and without any penalty.
We also conduct a formal mid-point check-in on every programme, specifically to create a structured opportunity to raise any concerns and adjust the approach if needed. Occasionally, the discomfort a client feels with their coach reflects productive challenge rather than a poor fit — our programme director is skilled at distinguishing between the two and will help you navigate that honestly.
Our fees reflect the level of expertise and credential of the coach, the format of the engagement, and the duration of the programme. Individual coaching programmes start from UGX 3,500,000 for a structured six-session introductory engagement, with executive-level six-month programmes typically ranging between UGX 12,000,000 and UGX 28,000,000 depending on complexity and coach seniority.
Corporate and team programmes are priced on a proposal basis following a needs assessment, as the scope, number of participants, and mix of individual and group sessions varies significantly between organisations. We are transparent about pricing from the first conversation and will always provide a detailed, itemised proposal so you know exactly what you are investing in. We do not charge hidden fees for assessments, resources, or follow-up materials — these are included.
Yes. We understand that quality coaching is a meaningful investment, and we want to make it accessible to committed professionals at all career stages. For individual clients, we offer the option to pay per session, in two instalments (beginning and midpoint of the programme), or as a full programme upfront — with a modest discount available for full upfront payment.
For organisations, we typically invoice in two or three stages aligned to programme milestones. We accept payment via mobile money, bank transfer, and corporate cheque. If cost is a genuine barrier for a candidate you believe would significantly benefit from coaching, we encourage you to speak with our team — we do maintain a small number of subsidised places each quarter for community-nominated individuals.
Once you are enrolled in a programme, your coach's scheduling link will be shared with you directly. You can book sessions at your convenience within your coach's available hours — we offer appointments across all working days including some early morning and evening slots to accommodate busy executive schedules.
You will receive a confirmation and a reminder 24 hours before each session. If you need to reach your coach between sessions for a brief question or to share an update, you can do so via our secure client messaging portal. We ask that substantive coaching conversations be reserved for scheduled sessions to protect the quality and structure of your programme.
We ask for a minimum of 24 hours' notice to reschedule or cancel a session. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are counted as used unless there is a documented emergency, in which case we will use our discretion. Sessions cancelled with adequate notice can be rescheduled at no charge within the programme validity period.
If you need to pause a programme due to illness, travel, or an unexpected life event, we can place your programme on hold for up to 60 days. Programme validity periods are set generously to accommodate the realities of demanding professional lives. Full programme refunds are available within the first two sessions if you decide coaching is not right for you at this time.
Yes. We design and deliver organisational-wide capability development programmes that combine large-group training workshops, small-group coaching cohorts, and individual executive coaching for senior leaders. We have delivered programmes for organisations ranging from 30 employees to over 2,000, across multiple locations and departments.
All corporate programmes begin with a structured discovery process — including stakeholder interviews, organisational surveys, and a review of relevant data — to ensure the programme addresses your real challenges rather than generic competency lists. We then design a phased intervention and report on progress throughout, giving your leadership team clear visibility of participation rates, feedback scores, and behavioural outcomes.
Absolutely. Group coaching is one of our most popular offerings, particularly for leadership teams and cohorts of high-potential employees. In group coaching, typically six to ten participants work together with a facilitating coach over a series of structured sessions. Participants both receive and provide support to one another, creating peer learning and accountability that individual coaching cannot replicate.
Group coaching is particularly effective for newly formed leadership teams, cross-functional groups working on a common challenge, or cohorts of managers at the same career stage. Sessions can be conducted in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. We design each group coaching engagement specifically for the group, rather than delivering a pre-packaged programme.
The ICF and Manchester Consulting Group research consistently finds that organisations investing in executive coaching report an average ROI of 5.7 times the cost of coaching. Within our own client portfolio, we have documented outcomes including a 34% reduction in employee turnover following leadership coaching in a Kampala-based financial services firm, and a 41% improvement in cross-departmental project delivery speed following a team effectiveness intervention.
We approach ROI conservatively and help you define success metrics upfront — these might include leadership 360 scores, staff engagement rates, promotion rates of coached individuals, team productivity metrics, or customer satisfaction data, depending on what matters most to your organisation. We provide a detailed impact report at programme close that maps outcomes against the original objectives.
Every programme we deliver is customised — we do not offer off-the-shelf packages. We begin by understanding the specific pressures, culture, regulatory environment, and strategic priorities of your industry and organisation. The frameworks, case studies, exercises, and coaching conversations we use are all contextualised to your world.
For example, a leadership programme for a healthcare organisation will focus differently on authority dynamics, ethical decision-making under pressure, and managing frontline staff than a programme for a telecommunications firm focused on rapid market innovation. Our coaches with direct sector experience are matched to clients in those industries where domain knowledge adds value to the coaching process.
Yes, and we encourage it. Effective corporate coaching requires a strong three-way partnership between the coach, the coachee, and the sponsoring organisation. We typically involve HR and line managers at the programme design stage, the mid-point review, and the programme close. We provide aggregated feedback and themes to HR — without breaching individual confidentiality — so the organisation gains institutional insight alongside individual development.
We also offer coach training and internal coach development workshops for HR teams and people managers who want to build a coaching culture within their organisation. This multiplies the impact of external coaching by embedding coaching skills at every level of leadership.
Many clients report experiencing meaningful clarity and a shift in perspective within the first one to three sessions. Tangible behavioural change — the kind that others around you will notice — typically begins to emerge between sessions three and six, as new insights start to translate into changed habits and different choices in the workplace.
Deeper transformation — especially of long-held patterns of leadership behaviour — generally requires six months of consistent work. We are honest with clients that coaching is not a quick fix. It requires effort, self-honesty, and a willingness to experiment with new ways of thinking and acting between sessions. The clients who experience the most dramatic results are those who bring full commitment to every session and actively apply their insights between meetings.
Success is defined collaboratively at the very start of your programme. In your first session, we conduct a goal-setting conversation that establishes specific, measurable outcomes — what will be different in your leadership, your relationships, or your performance when the coaching is complete? These become the benchmark against which we evaluate progress.
Tools we use to measure outcomes include pre- and post-coaching 360-degree feedback surveys, goal attainment scaling (a validated coaching outcome measure), session progress reflections, and — for corporate clients — organisational performance metrics identified in partnership with HR. We review progress formally at the programme midpoint and conduct a final review at close, giving you a clear picture of what has changed and what you want to continue developing independently.
Yes. Corporate clients receive a programme impact report at the conclusion of each engagement. This report includes aggregated participation and engagement data, themes from coaching conversations (shared anonymously, without identifying individual participants), achievement rates against stated programme objectives, and recommendations for sustaining and embedding the development work internally.
For multi-year partnerships, we provide quarterly progress briefings to HR and senior leadership. Individual coaching session content always remains strictly confidential between coach and client — no personal disclosures from sessions are included in organisational reports. This confidentiality is protected under our ICF ethics framework and is a condition of every engagement.
The goal of every programme is to develop your self-coaching capability so that you can continue growing independently after it ends. In the final sessions, we focus explicitly on this — helping you identify the practices, questions, and support structures that will sustain your development after our formal relationship concludes.
All programme graduates are invited to join our alumni community, which includes quarterly learning events, a peer network, and access to our resource library. Many clients choose to return for follow-on coaching at a later career stage — either as a booster programme after six to twelve months, or to work on new goals that emerge as their career evolves. We view the end of a programme as a transition, not a conclusion.
This is a question we appreciate clients asking because it shows they are approaching coaching with a results orientation. In our experience, clients who do not fully achieve their initial coaching goals usually fall into one of two categories: those whose goals shifted significantly during the programme (which is actually a sign of successful coaching — you understand yourself better and want different things), and those who experienced external circumstances that changed the playing field.
If a client genuinely feels they have not made progress despite consistent engagement, we will investigate together — honestly and without defensiveness. We may extend the programme, bring in additional resources, or recommend a different approach. Client success is the measure of our success, and we stand behind the quality of our work. We also periodically survey past clients six months after programme completion to understand the sustained impact.
Our team is always happy to speak with you directly. Whether you have a specific question about our programmes, want to explore whether coaching is right for you, or are ready to get started — we are just a message away.
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