Preparing for a Session

Between calls with my coach, I had two goals. First, I wanted to meet the commitments I made in my previous call. We called these commitment my homework. Second, I wanted to complete my session prep form for my coach. All of this was due the day prior to my next session.

There never seemed to be enough time in the week to do what I was already doing. I worried constantly about falling short on both of these goals.

My homework during the early months of coaching involved listening to audio programs designed to teach skills such as time management, goal setting, managing my emotional state, and similar things. Each of these programs had their own homework. So completing the first five parts of the Time of Your Life program, for example, involved listening time as well as time spent completing exercises.

I quickly became bored with transcribing questions and answers from the journal I used for my homework to the email I was sending my coach. I wanted to show my work, but life seemed too short for that kind of transcription. In order to provide myself with some variety, I would include stream-of-consciousness annotations for some questions.

“This question was really hard for me,” I would say. “I had no idea where to dig in to start answering. I know I like plants, food, and writing, but what do they have to do with mastery?”

It turned out this made my homework more interesting to me, and it gave my coach an extra layer of understanding. He could read through what I sent him and have feedback during our next session — feedback specific to me and my situation rather than more general ideas I might have gotten otherwise. I accidentally created a mechanism for getting more value from my coaching.

After I typed up my homework, I mailed it to Steve. Then I started on the session prep form.

The session prep form was exactly what it sounded like. It included some basic information about me and my upcoming session. It also included a recap of my homework commitments, some questions about my overall progress with goals, what I accomplished, and a specific outcome I wanted from my next session.

Although the form itself was simple, it was an important part of my success with coaching. By recalling my homework commitment from the previous session, both my coach and I were on the same page about what I was supposed to accomplish. Expectations were managed on both sides of the relationship.

I received a benefit in taking a step back to evaluate my goals and general emotional state on a regular basis. Some days were less inspiring than others. It was easy to believe not much progress was being made in any part of my life on those days. One look at my list of goals, though, was all I needed to see proof of progress. That was helpful on all but the very worst days.

Honesty is a key part of any healthy relationship. There were times when I failed to manage my time, and I missed one or more commitments. We both took the setback in stride and adjusted our expectations for the next session. By owning up to my progress on my homework commitments — or lack of progress — I practiced acting with integrity and kept the lines of communication open with my coach.

An important component of success is knowing what your desired outcome is. The final question on the session prep form was there to help me focus on what I needed to get out of that next session. Did I need tactical assistance with something? Was I having a difficult time with state management at work? Was there a particular skill gap I was looking to close? Steve could help me with a variety of things. His ability to do that for any particular outcome was based on my knowing my outcome and communicating it to him. The session prep form was invaluable in this area.

Whether you are preparing for your next coaching session, or preparing for the next two weeks at work, having a tool such as the session prep form can be helpful in keeping you on track. It is a great way to record your outcomes and commitments, your progress, and key things to focus on going forward. Consider trying it first thing next week.