One of the reoccurring questions that I see and hear from those who are beginning to develop their coaching skills is based on the problem of struggling to pin-point a goal for a coaching session.

A common response from more experience coaches can be a variation of “Yes, that’s something I remember experiencing and it’s something that gets easier with practice”. Whilst I agree, it is something that gets easier when you practice, let me also give some pointers for that practice 🙂

Firstly, what expectations does your client have about what happens in a coaching session? If you want them to set the direction of the coaching how did you explain that when you both agreed to work together?

If you find that it is a common theme that all your clients struggle to pin point a goal for the session, you may want to consider what you can do differently during your initial conversation with a potential client? Is there something you can say or do that will increase the chance of a goal being established quickly?

You may also use questions to establish the expectations that your client has before you start coaching either in your initial conversation or if you include questions in your welcome pack.

The wording of these questions can be tailored to best suit your clients but an example could be “How would they know it’s been a great coaching session?” Presumably they would be happy if each session with you is a great coaching session. Having formed an answer to this question it will aid them to set each session goal in-line with these expectations in the future.

If you know what their answer is, it also allows you to discuss their expectations in more detail with them if appropriate.

Many coaches ask their clients to complete a coaching preparation form prior to the actual session. The format and actual questions on a preparation form can vary from coach to coach.

One aspect that a coaching preparation form can have is to ask a question that allows your client to already come prepared with a session “goal.” Already having this established ahead of the session allows you to spend the time focusing upon that goal.

These are just some thoughts about the things that you can add into your practice to assist you in setting a goal for your coaching session. What other methods and approaches can you suggest?