This blog entry is part of a seven-part series on some of the central principles of coaching… from the perspective of the one receiving the coaching. How can we get the most out of our coaching relationship?
Principle #4: Prepare in advance
This chart describes what happens in each coaching session: prepare, engage, and act. This cycle is what makes coaching effective. It’s what gets things done: preparing for the session in advance, interacting during the session, then determining next steps at the end of the session.
When you come into a coaching session prepared with a clear idea of what you want to talk about, the conversation flows much more effectively and saves time. Take time on the front end to think through in advance what you want to address in the session. Doing this will help you come in better prepared and will result in a session that is at least twice as fruitful.
As the session draws to a close, you then can determine the next steps to be taken… which of course informs the preparation for the next coaching conversation.
P.S. You may want to check out MyCoachLog.