How effective are your personal coaching sessions?

Personal coaching sessions can be effective in many ways, including helping people:--- Set goals:- Coaches can help people define realistic career goals and set clear, specific goals to guide their coaching sessions Build awareness:- Coaches can help people understand their values and how their actions align with them Improve well-being:- Coaching can help people reduce stress, increase resilience, and enhance their life satisfaction Develop skills:- Coaches can help people improve specific skills, such as creativity, stress management, and overcoming bad habits Find purpose:- Coaches can help people find a sense of purpose and reconnect with what they love about their life and work 

In my experience, I have observed that clients always do not have a precise idea on what they want out of the process. The initial sessions can be used to reflect and identify areas that need work. Knowing what you want takes you a step closer to achieving your goals. A coach facilitates and guides you on this journey.

Getting clear on what you really want is the first step in working with a personal coach. Even when the destination is cloudy, directionality is possible. Dedicating the first full session to design goals and intentions sets the coaching partnership up for success. Questions to ask: - Which direction do I want to go? - What do I want to dial up? ...dial down? - What's blocking me from what I want? - What happens when the blockers are removed? - What would we see has changed as a result of the coaching? - What are the hardest parts that have been difficult for me to achieve on my own? - On a scale of 1-10, where am I now with this?

Setting expectations is like the secret sauce in coaching. It's all about nailing down clear goals, who's doing what, when it's happening, and how we're going to measure progress. This way, both the coach and coachee are totally on the same page about what they want and how they'll get there. It's like a teamwork boost that makes coaching work like a charm.

Clarity is king - and queen. Before starting your coaching you should be clear on the primary reason you're seeking coaching and the outcome you're hoping to create. Ideally your coach will ask you this very question as part of your initial call so you're on the same page. But if the coach fails to ask, make sure you convey your desired results so the coaching is based on your needs and not the coach's agenda.

Keeping a daily journal is a valuable practice, whether for counseling, coaching, or self-reflection on your emotions and thoughts. Journals play a significant role in this process, as they allow you to document your experiences and insights. Analyzing these entries can provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of your sessions and the progress of your growth mindset.

Tracking your results is a great way for both you and. your coach to assess your progress. It also helps you and your coach determine if any changes in strategy are needed and if you're still aligned with your original goal. It will help you stay on track with the outcomes you're desiring to create and ensure that the coaching provides you with the best possible outcome.

Receiving feedback from a coach is particularly effective because coaches have the ability to track and remember your progress over time. They maintain a comprehensive record of your journey, which allows them to provide targeted insights and guidance. The historical data helps identify patterns and emotional triggers aiding effective treatment.

Asking for feedback is critical to your success,especially if you feel like you're not making desired progress. I learned this lesson the hard way when I hired my very first personal coach. I had never worked with a coach before and had assumed he would provide feedback and getting none after each session erroneously believed he didn't have any and I was on track for my goals. With only one session left, and having made little progress I finally directed the question to him at which point he gave me feedback that would have been much more valuable in the first few sessions. Don't wait - ask early and ask often!

Reviewing the sessions is like the coach's secret weapon. It's all about taking a step back after coaching sessions and thinking about what went down. Did the strategies work? What could've been better? This self-review helps coaches fine-tune their approach and keep getting better at what they do. It's like a coach's superpower for constant improvement. So, after each session, kick back, reflect, and level up!

If possible, either record your sessions or take notes. Sometimes we may not fully resonate with something that comes up in a call and only upon re-listening does it land a bit more. I personally found recording my calls with my own coach to be super helpful and a great way to go back and reflect on portions of the discussion that I may have missed or not fully focused on during the initial call.

Adjust the approach all about staying flexible and being ready to switch things up. If your usual coaching tactics aren't quite hitting the mark, it's time to get creative. Maybe it's a different way of explaining things or using new techniques. The key is to adapt to what the coachee needs in the moment. It's all about being a coaching chameleon and making sure you're delivering the right support at the right time. So, don't be afraid to change it up when you need to - that's how the magic happens!

Personal coaching can be very unique and doesn't always look the same for every person. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need from your coach. Communicate what works best for you so you and your coach can work collaboratively to create the best possible outcome and results for you.