Tracking your immediate perceptions of your work in a coaching session provides you with insights and new avenues for learning. Moreover, such self-reflections help identify emerging issues in relationships with clients. Answering the following questions thoughtfully promotes your development as a coach.
Client’s Name _________
Date of Session _______
Does this statement describe my work in this coaching session?
- Early in the session, I established a clear contract for the work.
- I confirmed or reconfirmed the session’s agenda as needed.
- Midway through our time, my client and I had discussed and agreed upon well-defined benchmarks for assessing desired outcomes for this session.
- My client and I collaboratively identified what needed to be explored in service of the stated agenda.
- My client and I collaboratively agreed upon how we would work together in service of the stated agenda.
- I expressed support for my client and his or her work.
- I coached the whole person, not just my client’s agenda.
- I remained present in the session. I felt connected to my client and was not distracted by my thoughts.
- My physical posture reflected respectful attention to my client and enhanced my capacity to be fully aware.
- I used open, closed, and indirect questions appropriately.
- I asked informative and evocative questions based on my perception of what was most needed.
- My questions were based on what the client needed to explore rather than my interests.
- I worked to encourage my client to do most (at least 60 percent) of the talking.
- I validated through inquiry my understanding of what my client was saying, including specific words or phrases that he or she used.
- Whenever possible, I had my client summarize points or plans that he or she had expressed rather than doing this myself.
- My interventions in the session were predominantly in the role of coach as opposed to any other helper role (e.g., mentor, consultant, counselor).
- I offered my ideas, insights, and opinions promptly and as appropriate to my role and the client’s stated agenda.
- I brought new perspectives to my client through feedback, metaphors, challenges, or other forms of direct communication.
- I engaged in a co-creative process of planning for action with my client.
- I worked with my client to test the robustness of his or her action plan, including exploring supports, barriers, opportunities, and contingencies.
- My client and I collaboratively determined the most appropriate ways for him or her to be accountable for established goals.
- I used the skill of immediacy to bring focus to our work and to address “in the moment” matters.
- Through my interventions, my client seemed to have one or more new insights or experiences of awareness.
- I was intentional in my inquiries and exploration of what my client was learning.
- I behaved with strong integration of my intellect, emotional awareness, intuition, and focus on action.
- My client confirmed that he or she had achieved the goal for the session.
- I expressed appropriate support and encouragement for my client’s progress in his or her coaching achievements.
- I partnered with my client in closing the session.
Total number of checkmarks in each column: ___Yes ___No ___N/A
Other reflections?
Scoring: The following grid may help you assess your work.
Number of yes answers. Level of coaching
24-28 High proficiency
18-23 Moderate proficiency
12-17 Insufficient proficiency
Below 12 Problematic coaching
As you can imagine, you want to strive for a near-perfect score. At the same time, some of these coaching effectiveness markers are less critical than others. In this light, please reflect on each question where you selected “No” or answered with a question mark. Where might you need to modify your style or approach? What might you need to learn? You may want to use this form in a session with a supervisor or in a peer development process to further delve into your patterns, approaches, successes, and challenges in coaching.