structure your coaching session<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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1. Start with honesty and build rapport<\/h2>\r\n
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When a new client is coming into their first coaching session, they may seem a tad bit hesitant, slightly anxious, and a little uncertain. That\u2019s probably because they have not yet fully bought into the idea of having consistent coaching.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Your job as a coach is to bring all the cards to the table and share honestly about what might be expected out of a first coaching session.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Share your personal story with them\u2014introduce yourself, and share how you\u2019re feeling.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Ask them to open up and share their current mental state, what\u2019s on their mind, how they\u2019re feeling about the coaching session, etc.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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This is a great opportunity for you to build trust and rapport with your client so they can feel comfortable enough to open up to you.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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2. Set up the context of the conversation<\/h2>\r\n
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Setting up a context to what\u2019s going to happen in the coaching session or throughout the coaching engagement\u2026<\/p>\r\n
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Will help both of you prepare and set up for the right track of conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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This is a great opportunity for both you and your client to express your expectations from the coaching session.<\/p>\r\n
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And work together to bring focus to the desired outcome.<\/p>\r\n
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3. Set boundaries\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n
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Setting up some loose boundaries goes a long way in elevating the experience of the first coaching session for your client.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Boundaries at this stage can look like clarifications regarding the logistical setup (example: I expect you to turn off notifications on your phone while we are in the session<\/em>).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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They can look like clarifications about the duration of the session and what kind of mental state is expected of the client. (For example: During the next 45 minutes, I would love for you to come with a presence of mind so we can have a focused and fruitful conversation.<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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4. Establish where your client is at today<\/h2>\r\n
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One of the greatest strengths you can develop in a first coaching session is gaining clarity about where your client is at right now vs. where they want to be.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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When you know this, you are better prepared to help bridge the gap and empower your client to reach their desired state of behavior or action.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Simple questions like:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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\r\n- Where are you today?\u00a0<\/li>\r\n
- How are you in your emotional state?\u00a0<\/li>\r\n
- How are you in your workplace?\u00a0<\/li>\r\n
- How do you feel about your life right now?\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
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Can help you establish your client\u2019s emotional, spiritual, and professional states. Take a few moments in the first coaching session to explore these questions and establish your client\u2019s current state.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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5. Identify where your client wants to go<\/h2>\r\n
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You have already established your client\u2019s current mental state. The next step is to understand their future aspirations and goals; that is, where do they want to go?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Ask them, Where do you see yourself one year from now?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Questions like this are future-paced questions that empower your client to look forward at what\u2019s possible and then create that reality for themselves.<\/p>\r\n
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Getting them to time travel into the future establishes the greatest outcomes they could imagine for themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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6. Understand why that goal has not been achieved yet<\/h2>\r\n
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This step is crucial in understanding some of the key limiting beliefs or instances that may be holding your client back from achieving their dreams.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Ask something like, what has happened in the past that has held you back from your goals?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Then go over to exploring whether that past event or circumstance can hold them back in the future yet again.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Keep asking questions that will give you clarity regarding what you really need to focus on while coaching your client.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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As your client shares the challenges they have faced in the past and what they apprehend about the future\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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You will be able to gain insight into your coaching conversation and outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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7. Establish expectations in relation to their goal<\/h2>\r\n
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The final step in this first coaching session would be for you to come out with a very clear picture of what your client is expecting from you in order to reach their goals in the next year.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Ask them, “What do you need to get to your goal in the next 12 months?<\/em>“<\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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This will open a floodgate of ideas and strategies that you both can then explore to get to those goals.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Work through these ideas and strategies to bring awareness and establish a solid action plan or a way forward for your client.<\/p>\r\n
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When you follow all these steps, you will add structure and clarity to your client\u2019s experience of a first coaching session.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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It\u2019s important to remember that a first coaching session is not about immediate transformation or results\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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But rather about setting up the journey for success.<\/p>\r\n
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If you want to dig deeper into understanding the structure of a first coaching session, head over to this YouTube video now.<\/p>\r\n