Like this:

6 . If it isn’t helping, say so!
7. Communicate, communicate & communicate

 

 

6 . If it isn’t helping, say so!
This may seem so obvious but it is easy to leave a coaching meeting not feeling as though you’ve made progress, perhaps hoping that something will happen later. Maybe it will, but if not, then raise this with your coach because the way you have been approaching the subject together simply hasn’t helped.

The coach needs to know as its only feedback and good coaching should not be wedded to a particular technique so flexibility is required.

This is the essence of ‘making your coach work for you’ – if it isn’t working bring this to the coaching meetings and with enough commitment and flexibility you can still make progress together.

7. Communicate, communicate & communicate
Finally, to make your coach work for you communicate with them as regularly as you can. The whole essence of the coaching relationship is communication and so it’s hard to see how you could have too much of this.

When I work with professional sports clients they are used to reflecting on their performance and progress and sharing this with me as coach. This is less true of clients from other walks of life, especially business clients.

Although I always tell people I’m available anytime on the phone to keep in touch and share what I call ‘hot off the press stuff’ as soon as it happens, in the early days of a coaching relationship I rarely get calls between meetings. Yet constant feedback on what’s happening – situations, thoughts, reactions, behaviours and outcomes – allow me to both help there and then and to prepare for the next meeting.

If nothing else it helps save on catch-up time in the meetings!

Advertisement