Coaching is a powerful tool that can unlock your potential, help you achieve your goals, and bring about personal growth. A coach will help you look at different perspectives and support you in exploring and developing solutions. By spending some time thinking about the part that you will play in the process you can significantly increase the value you get from an experience of coaching.

Here are my suggestions for before, during and after your sessions to help you get the most from them

Spend some time preparing to focus before each session

  • What are the things that matter to you most? What really inspires and energizes you? How do you define success?
  • ·What one thing, if you could improve it, would fundamentally transform how you operate?
  • What do you most need help and support with. Bring a topic, question or an example to each session as a place to start
  • Review your reflective journal and learning from previous sessions (see below)
  • What do you most need help and support with. Bring a topic, question or an example to each session as a place to start
  • Be ready to focus on what may feel hard: What do you most fear? What triggers anxiety in you?

During coaching sessions

  • Be in a quiet place where you won’t be overheard and can work without distraction or interruption
  • Be ready to engage with curiosity, openness and honesty. Let your coach know if you feel uncomfortable or stretched, it may be part of your journey, but your coach will be able to help and support you
  • Be open to feedback, challenge and any other inputs your coach may offer, they are doing it to help you!
  • Make notes of the important “nuggets” that you find and the actions you commit to, taking your learning into practice

Take action between coaching sessions

  • Reflect on the learning you get from each session and look for opportunities to apply it
  • Use what you are learning in some real-life situations, start in a low-risk way to see how you get on
  • Use a reflective journal to note down what you tried and what the outcome was, along with your observations and learning from your actions

If you would like to start exploring then get in touch with Madeline for a free 30 min taster session – or peruse the wide range of Executive Coaches on the Trusted Coach Directory.

Madeline Cranfield is a highly experience Executive coach. She has worked internationally for complex organisations across sectors as diverse as finance and engineering, FMCG and technology. She combines strong business skills in strategy implementation with an ability to engage and motivate people to deliver more of their potential utilising a behavioural approach.

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