So… what is a coaching session anyway? Who is it for? Well, it’s important to say, off the bat that Coaching is not therapy, it’s not counseling and it’s not advisory services. Any client who is on medication or seeing a therapist needs to inform you of this prior to the session. This is really important. The best way to draw the distinction is like this… Therapy is about recovery whereas coaching is about discovery. Therapy is about getting back to normal, but coaching is about getting to extraordinary. It’s less about getting back on your feet, and more about getting you to fly! Coaching actually starts before the session. Always task a new client before they see you. Why? It primes them for action and gathers information that can be used in the session. So get them to complete a client form beforehand. And be willing to refuse to coach a person who doesn’t complete a set task. You’re wasting their money and your time unless they show a commitment. And, by the way, many clients will want to be coached by you even more when you do this. Everyone's style is individual. So be authentic but don't be afraid to model other great coaches. I think, the perfect recipe for a great coaching session is 2 parts listening skills, one part motivation, a dash of knowledge, a pinch of humour and a liberal sprinkling of trust. Trust in yourself, trust in your client and also getting the client to trust themselves and to trust you. There are heaps of ways to structure a coaching session. You might have heard of the GROW model. It’s a solid, simple structure. It stands for Goal, Reality, Options and Way forward. Expand it to TA, I GROW. TA stands for Trust & Agreement. And it’s a great place to start a session especially with a new client.
Coaching Session Structure (TA I GROW)
