How do you structure coaching sessions to guide coachees?

Dans mon expérience quotidienne, j'observe que le plus important pour chaque client, c'est de sentir en profondeur que le coach ne le jugera pas quoiqu'il dise et quoiqu'il pense faire. Mon approche est d'accepter inconditionnellement tout ce que le client souhaite amener en séance. Accepter et questionner les convictions du client, faire émerger les paradoxes sans pour autant les bannir ou les stigmatiser. Il me semble que cette posture facilite grandement la confiance et la sécurité.

Psychological safety is key to building rapport and trust in any coaching relationship. Whether the coachee is a corporate-paid or private client, assurance of confidentiality is crucial to establishing trust and building rapport. The coach's fiduciary responsibility is to the client, regardless of who is covering the cost. I will not take on a corporate coachee if their employer expects me to share what was discussed during our sessions or divulge other information that could be used to identify them. Trust and rapport are further established by asking open-ended questions with nonjudgmental curiosity, allowing coachees to speak freely and honestly about why they are seeking a coach and what they want to accomplish during their sessions.

Three things to remember when meeting: 1. Share your knowledge, not in a boastful way, but to help the person you are helping to gain more confidence. Show them what has worked for you. 2. Take time to really listen and ask questions to ensure you are getting the total package of information. Give feedback after. 3. Always, always be positive! Don't let them see you sweat type thing. Even if you are having a bad day, don't let that be seen. Give them your whole undivided attention.

Coachee's situation: The coachee coming with a fragile state of emotion or/and unstable thinking pattern, unusual behaviour, is fearful & doubtful if the challenges will ever be resolved or not. Coach's action: In this situation the most important task of a coach is to give a psychological safe space to coachee by listening with empathy, genuineness, and without being judgmental. To establish rapport, seek common ground to start the conversation and simple conversation to connect with the coachee. Listening with intent to understand the challenge coming from and to support the coachee will help coachee to TRUST coach and helps to gathers courage to open up to share the real issue with honesty.

Rapport and trust. It’s the foundation of coaching. It’s at the top of the list of coaching core competencies. Real true listening shifts the relationship. Clients feel it from you and it can’t be faked.

My near 40 years of coaching has oriented me to very quickly build rapport and move into strategic and generative questions to assess the existing scenario of the client and identify the top several key objectives for the duration of our engagement (generally starting with 6 months.). In the initial session, I also do a quick "life story" review to uncover patterns that have been persistent over time and are usually hidden to the client. I don't assume that the client really knows why they're there, even though there may be issues or 'symptoms' of their challenges. Usually the client is unconscious to the underlying patterns of their conflict. My job as a veteran coach is to help ferret out the root issues of their challenge.

Providing a safe and supportive space is the most critical aspect of the coaching relationship. Rapport and trust are two elements that help create that space; there are many other factors to consider. The coaching profession and the coach's reputation, personal referrals, and media presence are all data sets the client collects long before the first session. Due to the sensitive nature of coaching engagements, the coach must provide ample opportunities to discuss what is needed from all parties to ensure a safe space can be created prior to the first session. ICF (International Coaching Federation) certified coaches do this well with a written coaching agreement co-created with the client.

The prior response made me think about alternative situations where the supervisor was included in the development of the coachee. The caveat to my comments is anything confidential is absolutely off-limits but development is in play. The coach and the coachee would have an understanding and the coachee's permission to include the supervisor. The supervisor needs to know how to support their direct report as the process evolves, The supervisor is a critical measurement evaluator if desired progress has been made. This approach can build the relationship or validate that the changes can't be made.

Building a solid foundation is critical to successful coaching. Learn how to structure your coaching sessions effectively to guide and support your coaches toward achieving their goals. - Begin each coaching session by creating a safe and supportive environment where coaches feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences. Establishing rapport and trust is crucial for building a solid coach-coachee relationship, enabling open and honest communication. - Define clear objectives and goals for each coaching session to provide direction and focus. This helps coaches understand what they want to achieve and allows you to tailor your approach to meet their needs and challenges.

As above, I spend a good chunk of the first session hearing about their personal and work history, and uncovering what may be insidious and unconscious patterns that are at the root of their dilemma. They may have an awareness of the current challenges, and most people have little conscious awareness about the root of those challenges. Therefore, their own assessment goals or objectives is limited by this reality. My job is to help find the roots of the challenge, which we can begin to do in the first & second sessions.

Coaching is neither a linear process nor a formula that can be applied to every client and situation. Clarifying the goal is an important part; however, not necessarily the 'next step' of the coaching process. I have observed that new coaches or leaders who are new to coaching tend to assume the goal or prematurely attempt to clarify a goal, leading to frustration and failed attempts. The 'goal' for the coach is to support the client in clarifying what the client needs to address that will ultimately move them closer to their desired outcome. The 'goal' will be clarified and emerge through thoughtful dialogue and discovery.

Comme le suggère la Compétence 3 des Compétences-clé d'ICF, il est recommandé d'établir en plein accord avec le client, le but de chaque séance. Pas uniquement le but global du partenariat de coaching, mais un but pour chaque séance. Il est extrêmement difficile d'agir sans but, et dans une séance de coaching il s'agit d'agir, de faciliter l'action qui permet le changement souhaité. "Il n'est pas de vent favorable à celui qui ne sait pas où il va." (Sénèque)

In my experience, I always begin with the end in mind, supporting my coachees to explore where they want to be within six months or what specific kind of challenge they want to solve and what that will bring. This is essential to help coachee to see where they are and where they want to be. If there is not any clarified road then it is so easy to be lost with the coachee with the current challenges and problems,

Lucky me, I offer a well designed coaching module of 20 hours and present that to my potential coachees. Solving one issue and then what if another comes. Do they have to come back to me again? Well, being on the other side of HR for two decades closely watching training as well as coaching failing, I knew that a lifetime will have to be spent to develop something simpler based on a structure, creating newer experiences everyday to pick up stories of success and failure and then to have full coaching process and get the coachee reach a stage where doesn't matter the issue at hand they feel empowered to handle. Coachee has the responsibility of practicing what is decided. Only the one who eats can digest. One who cooks cannot do that for you

It is important to know what you want to achieve, but you do not want to tell them what to do, your job is to guide them and ask open-ended questions, a boat in the sea needs to know its direction, if not will be lost in the ocean, same thing with us, we need to know where are going and how we are going to get there, they look for help because they want us to be their compass.

I like to use a model that helps me create the necessary atmosphere to explore the session's goal. Usually, I open the first session by asking what my client would like to work on during that session, and we explore how relevant and important this theme is for my client. Additionally, I also explore what my client would like to take away from this session. After some sessions, I don't even need to ask anymore; my clients usually come to the sessions with all the answers to my initial questions. Of course, there are variations, and I revalidate what the client is bringing. Clients truly evolve in the coaching process usually achieve this level of maturity.

I am less goal-oriented than I am discovery-driven. Goals are little more than imagined conjurings and suffer from imagined outcomes. Discovery and discourse are the reasonable underpinnings of development.

Again, this can typically happen in the first session, and we continue to unpack the root of the challenges over the first several sessions. This GROW model assumes that the client has a complete awareness of what is at the root of their challenges, can name it, is aware of how they create their own reality, and can exert "will" to fix it. I just don't truly believe those are effective coaching techniques, given most people are unconscious to what lies underneath the real issues. Perhaps Coaching 101 is to make them aware of and reflect on what's right in front of them, and this is the slow train to making true progress.

The GROW Model is one of several approaches to helping a coachee navigate from where they are to where they want to go, how to get there, and what they are willing to do to accomplish their goal. The challenge with GROW is that it is based on the premise the coachee wants to resolve a problem, when often that "problem" is only a symptom of a problem. As someone who believes in transformational versus transactional coaching, active listening with curiosity to the coachee's responses to open-ended questions is critical to identifying the real reasons behind why a coachee is pursuing coaching. If only the symptom is addressed, it will be challenging for the coachee to sustain solutions long-term because the actual problem remains unresolved.

"What is stopping you from reaching your goal?" Can unearth things the coachee wasn’t aware of existing. It’s important to use this step as a way to help the coachee see more. You can help them by pointing out inconsistencies, observations and facts from fiction.

With the overall goal in mind, we'll delve deeper into your current situation. This might involve brainstorming challenges you're facing, identifying any limiting beliefs that might be holding you back, or simply reflecting on what's working well and what could be improved. It's important to avoid making assumptions and instead, seek to understand your perspective fully. Asking open-ended questions and actively listening to your responses are key to gaining a deeper understanding of your perspective. Exploring the current situation helps uncover the root causes of the challenges and provides a comprehensive understanding of circumstances. This understanding is vital for developing effective strategies and solutions.

L'essentiel du travail du coach consiste à faire émerger les freins du clients par un questionnement profond et pertinent. La conscience de ses limites peut amener le client à identifier quelles permissions il peut se donner pour réaliser ce qu'il souhaite.

I keep it simple. After I am told how the coachee is feeling about their current state, and before we work on identifying the desired state, I love to start my trust conversation by asking my coachee to share their STORY as they see, and feel right from childhood. And now it's up to me to pick up what is happening to them. I am able to make my notes which serve as guide post.

Ahead of a session I ask a Client to thoughtfully consider and then bring three questions to our time together. This becomes the Client-driven basis for our visit, and using the Interview process mentioned previously, we are easily able to focus on that which is preeminent in their mind.

L'essentiel du travail du coach consiste à faire émerger les freins du clients pas un questionnement profond et pertinent. La conscience de ses limites peut amener le client à identifier quelles permissions il peut se donner pour réaliser ce qu'il souhaite.

See my comments above. Once you have truly identified the root of most issues, rather than the symptoms, you can then begin to evaluate true strategies that will powerfully effect their lives and work situations. Anything less than that is just a short-term panacea.

Once you complete the previous steps well, this step should be the easiest. You can help the coachee not over or under stretch their possible options. “What else,” Can be helpful to help the coachee think of other ways that are possible.

Solutions always come from the coachee, coach is just the `enabler`. Exploring solutions also leads to growth of confidence and realization of strengths among coachees. I do not ask `What are some possible..` as this will lead to general assumptions so I just ask `what is the solution ..`- clear concrete and though provoking

Not everyone can generate options. Not every coachee is a 'why' person. It is important to understand that distinction. So coach has to at times play the role of an advisor too subtly leading the coachee to get to the solution. Well, simplicity and my knowing that nothing can give better results than simple cool 2-way conversations which are not studded with only questions .

Once a client can truly understand how they are impacting their own life, work and well-being through their unconscious habits and behaviors, they can generally commit to resolving the issues without the need for "accountability." A better approach than accountability is to uncover any resistance that the client may have to greatly improving their life, usually looking at beliefs, habits and distractions that get in the way. Otherwise accountability is quite useless.

Encouraging a coachee to really think through the pinpointed and measurable behaviours they are committed to working on is crucial. The ability to demonstrate those behaviours means that the goal and the result is more likely to be achieved.

If a coachee isn’t committed to their action-plan, then they probably won’t follow through with the work. Having 100% buy-in is so important. Also, making goals attainable is another key to success.

Closing a coaching session is equaly important. What your client is really committed to achieve, to work on. Create a action plan and plus thinking about all road blocks and difficulties that could come up it is also very relevant and must be worked.

Ich kann nur aus eigener Erfahrung sprechen, wie sehr mich es als Coachee unter Druck gesetzt hat die gestellten Aufgaben umzusetzen. Shame on me, aber ich hatte dann vorgegeben die Aufgabe umgesetzt zu haben. Weil es mir zu peinlich war zuzugeben es nicht geschafft zu haben. Als Coach den Coachee zum Handeln zu bringen sollte nicht das Ziel sein. >> viel besser ist es aufzuzeigen, wie wertvoll es ist umzusetzen / ins Handeln zu kommen. So nutze ich es auch in meinen Coachingsitzungen. Und wenn ich merke, dass mein Coachee sich davor drückt, bin ich noch sensibler dabei.

Also be sure to identify the things that might get in the way of the coachee completing their commitments. This gives them the opportunity to think it through before a blocking issue arises.

Accountability is essential and key... I trust coachee to take actions because otherwise why would they invest time and energy in trust conversations. A coach cannot be whole time with the coachee. I get my coachee to visualise the outcome and well, now they have to remember their future and keep moving forward. If they forget then perhaps they were not committed in the first place while visualising their goal.. I think experience of the coach to pick up those hints of non-commitment helps more than any other information..

Algo que puede funcionar, junto con el envió de recordatorio, por medio de correos o mensajes directos, es guiar las sesiones con guías, es decir posterior a la sesión, y teniendo en cuenta los compromisos pactados, hacer envío de una cartilla que contenga algunas reflexiones, retos y ejercicios que permita profundizar no solo en las reflexiones, si no también llevarlo a la acción.

Sometimes being deliberately unstructured in a session can lead to some interesting outcomes. Whilst it is important for both coach and thinker/coachee to be aware of the focus and purpose of the coaching, an unstructured approach can (where appropriate) foster creativity and literally unbound thinking from a model or linear approach. As always it’s about working in partnership, listening and not being afraid to experiment and for thinking to be messy and outside the lines.

I use NLP based approach to coaching. I go by a structure I have prepared which goes in the sequence of Know yourself, understand others and build relationships through magical communication. It's 1:1 coaching which moves for 24 hours in 12 sessions of 2 hrs per week..Within this flow, it can move in as an unstructured way as it can. I let the client deviate because I know the exact point when and how to bring them back to the structure subtly . It works. Structure and within that unstructured . RS

The underlying coaching model being explored here is essentially the GROW model. I worked with Graham Alexander who developed this with John Whitmore. It is useful but has its limitations, not least of which is applying a linear structure to what is rarely a linear process. I have also worked with Clean language approach is about as far away from any prescribed process as you can get. Both work and both have powerful contributions to the coaching world that are useful signposts when you first set out. But the more I coach, the more I realise that the only two things that matter are the ability to hear the client and trust that they have the ability to solve their own issues once they are in a space to hear their own truth

Every coaching session should begin with setting an agenda. It's important to clarify the objectives for the session and understand the coachee's desired outcomes. This step sets the direction for the conversation and ensures that both you and the coachee are aligned in terms of expectations. As an executive coach, your role is not just to listen, but also to provide insights and feedback that can help the coachee gain a new perspective or rethink their approach. Ensure that your feedback is constructive, clear, and aimed at helping the coachee grow. A coaching session should be a safe space for the coachee to explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions without judgement.

Because I create a list of 'next steps' that we agreed upon at the end of each session for my clients, most of my coaching sessions start with a review of what they learned, uncovered or celebrations and setbacks they encountered. I don't consider this 'accountability' as much as engaging the client to be curious about the insights we've had in a session, and how to embody that in real-life vs just be a thought process. Next, I generally query the client about their real-life dilemmas and prompt an exploration of how their particular 'way of being' may be creating the dilemma, or how they may be responding to it in a familiar pattern that creates the challenge. We explore ways to look at the patterns and find new next steps to explore.

Consider yourself as the coachee’s thinking partner. You’re there to help them by pointing out the things they don’t see, and helping them see the things they do watch with greater perspective.

Where ever your coachee is in their coaching journey, the most important part of the process is to meet them where they are. It is important to hold them accountable to the goals they set, but it is also important to see if the coachee wants to reexamine and renegotiate those goals as they grow and evolve. Frequently checking in with them about their progress, where they are headed, and where they still want to go will inform any pivots that might be needed to ensure they get the most out of their coaching engagement.

While a structure is generally advisable, a proficient coach can also undertake an impactful coaching session with more fluidity and "playing by the ear" at times. I see no harm in a coach going back to an earlier stage if the state of conversation demands so. For instance, if one were to use GROW model, it doesn't have to be applied sequentially all the time. Also, at times, a coach may need to remind the client of the coaching agreement or of the goal set by them even at the stage of finalizing a way forward. The coaching model, process and framework can be iterative, as long as the coach is confident that the conversation is benefitting the client and is directed towards better outcomes. Having said that, a structure is generally useful.

Review the progress and/or achievement. This is very important since not every coaching session will lead to expected result as planned.

Some structure can be useful to ensure you and the client are focusing on one thing at a time. But at the same time, what you or your client anticipate being the issue can turn out not to be the real issue at all. So having the flexibility to explore a topic without rigid boundaries can also be useful.