HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR COACH AND COACHING SESSION
You’ve made the great decision to organise some coaching, but how can you get the best from it? We’ve put together 5 essential tips to help you get the most from your coaching sessions: –
1 Understand what coaching is
Coaching is about you and what you want to achieve, so it’s important that you are clear about what you want from the coaching relationship. A coach is there to
- work with you
- help you develop
- provide tools, resources and strategies
- enable you to achieve your goals
Coaching is not about giving you the answers (see point 3 below) or imposing something on you. It’s not therapy nor counselling.
2 Be prepared
To get the most out of coaching you need to
- be committed to the session – if you have your mind on something else, for example, the presentation for your next meeting, then you won’t get the best out of the session
- think about what you want to achieve from the coaching. I don’t mean have all the answers but you do need to know the reasons why you wanted to commit to coaching in the first place and be ready to discuss your goals clearly
- ready – if this is anything other than your first session, complete whatever you agreed at your last session (see point 5 following)
3 Understand there is no right or wrong
Coaching is not a test and there are no right or wrong answers/solutions – it’s about getting you to where you want to be. It’s about helping you develop and to enable you to make the right decisions that will work for you. Coaching is a journey so expect it to be challenging and reassess the way you have previously tackled and thought about an issue.
4 Take part, talk and be receptive
To get maximum benefit you need to be proactive and participate in a coaching session with an open mind. Be prepared to talk openly and honestly about your feelings and circumstances – this is about you and what you want to achieve.
5 Agree what happens next
Finally, at the end of the session agree/clarify what you need to do and when it is going to happen so that you can plan your next session. Remember if you have agreed to do something and: –
- don’t get around to it because you can’t be bothered or have run out of time then reschedule to avoid wasting your time in the next session – do it promptly as your coach can then use their time with another client
- but, having seriously tried to do something you feel stuck, you should contact your coach to gain input and information rather than just struggle along.
Coaching is a fantastic way to work towards your goals and opens you up to new approaches and methods of assessing challenges that you face.
