How to make the most of your coaching sessions
Committing to working with a coach is a big step. It means you’re investing money (maybe your own, maybe your company’s) and time (definitely your own) in your professional development.
This is great, but it’s critically important to be thoughtful about how you approach the experience. Like many things in life, coaching depends so much on the effort you put into it. If you’ve ever learned a musical instrument, for example, you know that the time you spend in lessons should only be a fraction of the time you spend practicing on your own. It’s the same with coaching. You can’t just show up to your sessions without doing any advance preparation and expect to get maximum value.
By the way, if you’re still unsure if coaching is right for you or you’re wondering what type of coaching would be best for your particular circumstances, be sure to give this a read: How to Decide What Type of Product Coach is Right for You.
In this post, I’ll share some tips to help you get the most out of your coaching sessions.
Write down your top challenges or the goal for your coaching prior to session one.
Your coach will probably work with you to refine this, but taking a moment to be explicit about your goals is a great start.
Block time in your calendar for prep work, the actual session, and follow-ups
The more you see the coaching sessions as part of a bigger program, the more impact they will have. Remember the musical instrument example? The time with the coach should be just a fraction of the time you commit to your professional development goals. The amount of time you need may vary a lot, so it’s worth asking your coach about some of the tasks they tend to assign or how much time they expect their clients to spend on preparation and follow-up work. Do they often suggest reading books or watching videos? Do they have worksheets or other templates for you to fill out? How often do they tend to give out this type of homework?
Keep a journal while going through coaching
Keeping a journal will help you to self-reflect on the coaching topics and see if things have changed for the better. It will also make it easier for you to remember and bring real-life situations into the sessions. Sharing these stories will help your coach better understand your situation, ask more meaningful questions, and ultimately allow you to get more out of the experience.
Plan time for observing your own behavior after the coaching session and reflecting on things
Note if and how your perception of things and events has changed or how a session influenced your actions or attitudes.
What a page in your journal could look like
Ask for recommended background reading material
If your coaching goes beyond personal issues and also concerns business, technical, or specialized issues (because you are working with a product discovery coach, for example) then it makes sense to ask if you should read a certain article or watch a lecture before the next session. Sometimes doing this background research in advance can save a lot of time in the actual session.
Come prepared
If your coach asked you to prepare some questions, bring some examples, or think about the last time X happened, do it! This is where your journal can really come in handy. If you find that you only have a few minutes to prepare right before your session, you can quickly go through your journal to find material that you can use to guide your session.
Here’s an empty version of the journal template that you can use to collect your ideas and experiences
Unlike a teacher, a coach is not responsible for imparting specific knowledge. They accompany you on your learning journey. Teachers and trainers take the active role, but when you work with a coach, you’re in the driver’s seat. You are expected to set the direction and pace.
Remember: The more you put into your coaching experience—whether it’s through preparation, time, or self-reflection—the more you’ll get out of it. The tips I’ve outlined here will help you make sure the investment pays off.
Wondering how we might work together? You can explore my different coaching offerings here.