Tomorrow morning at 11am, I have a coaching session with my business coach. So today, in between viewing a venue with a visiting practitioner, cycling round Bewl Water, taking daughter to A&E with a suspected fractured wrist and eating a rushed fish finger sandwich (with brown sauce of course), I’m preparing for my coaching session. I’m on the go today so I’m doing it in my head. However, importantly, before my session tomorrow, I will take 30 minutes to write some notes on paper too.
From time to time, when I work with women, I find that one or two have not prepared for their coaching session. So I thought I would share with you today my thoughts on how to prepare for your coaching session, so that you get the absolute maximum value from each and every session.
How to prepare for your coaching session
Your coach will support you, encourage you, challenge you, guide you and hold you accountable to your actions. But the one thing your coach can’t do is make miracles happen. She can’t take those actions for you. She can’t make the decisions for you. She won’t be doing the work – that’s down to you.
At the end of your previous session, you will have committed to taking some very specific actions.
Review your actions
The first thing to do before your next session is to remind yourself of the specific actions from the previous session. Did you follow through? Or did you change your mind? Did life get in the way? Or was it fear or lack of confidence? If you followed through on some but not all, what happened? Take time to consider the reasons for following through or not following through on the actions. Your coach is not going to judge you or berate you … however it is important that you understand what happened to the actions. What you will notice if you consistently don’t follow through on your actions, your coach will pick up on this and invite you to explore what else is going on.
And if you look at your actions list and you missed one, it’s not too late to get it done now!
What else has happened
Once you have reviewed your actions, the next step is to reflect on what else has happened since your last coaching session. Perhaps a new opportunity has opened up for you. Or you discovered a previously hidden talent. Maybe you’ve been promoted. Or you’ve read an article or blog post that has really got you thinking.
Reflect on what else has happened and how that affects your overall goal for your coaching.
Where is your focus
The final thing is to identify where you want to focus your time and energy in your next session. What is the one thing that will help you get closer to your overall goal? What is the step that you are stuck on? What do you want help with to brainstorm ideas and options? What is causing the most confusion and concern?
Your overall goal
Take time to reflect on your overall goal and what progress you are making towards that overall goal. Are you still heading towards the right goal? Are you moving in the right direction? Do you need to adjust that overall goal?
Write it down
You will benefit from a much more productive and effective coaching session if you take quality time to focus on these four steps: reviewing your actions, reflecting on what else has happened, identifying your focus for the next session, understanding the progress you are making towards your overall goal.
Write down some brief notes and ideas so that you don’t waste time during the session trying to recall your thoughts.
Coaching can be incredibly powerful (don’t just take my word, read Ashley’s story) and can help you to make life-changing decisions with confidence and ease. However to maximise the benefits of your investment, it makes good sense to prepare for your coaching session.
Wondering whether coaching can help you? I am always happy to offer a complimentary 30 minute clarity session when you book a call here and we can talk to explore whether coaching can help, and whether I’m the right coach for you.
(Yes I’m aware of the irony of asking you to pluck up the confidence to have a chat to me about clarity and confidence, but if you’re not absolutely confident about something (whether it’s work or business), that’s why you need to talk to me!
I’m not a professional coach, but I immediately thought of my appointment with my physical therapist today. We are working on an extremely sore shoulder and knee. And it is definitely a team effort. Each session I am given exercises and stretches to do before the next appointment. When I return, he asks for my results or feedback. With this information, then he is able to decide what he needs to do to help me. The steps you have provided can be applied in so many different areas in our lives.
Yes good point. You’re right. I remember when I was seeing a physio, it was important to prepare in a very similar way.