3 steps to linking coaching sessions

Linking coaching sessions can be difficult. Sometimes it's hard to pick up where we left off and time is wasted getting back up to speed. The Achievements, Issues Plans model is my preferred method for avoiding this.

Begin by discussing achievements, i.e. what has been accomplished since you last spoke. Remember that even if every goal was not achieved in full, any kind of momentum needs to be encouraged and recognized. This is a marvellous way of instilling confidence and of course confident people tend to become competent performers. Confidence is a product of being successful and knowing that we were responsible for those successes. Let your coachee be the one to define what an achievement is.

Then you can move on to issues. An issue is anything that has cropped up since you last spoke that has prevented agreed actions being carried. There might be external factors such as time pressure or conflicting priorities. There could also be a number of internal factors; feeling unclear, lacking belief or just feeling scared. I find it best to try to remain neutral when discussing such issues. You don't want to come across as a teacher quizzing why homework has not been completed. This will be met with excuses rather than reasons and you will not uncover what's really going on. I would also suggest that you both look ahead to what looms on the horizon that might create more difficulties.

Finally move on to plans. A good coaching session will have two sets of plans. There needs to be a plan for the coaching conversation itself, so you could ask "What would you like to accomplish today?" or "What would have to happen today for you to consider this time well spent?" There will also need to be agreed actions and plans confirmed for making progress on whatever issue or situation is being discussed. You should find yourself questions along the lines of "What will you now do?", "When are you going to do it?" etc.

This model works particularly well when you meet regularly with your coaches. It creates a useful cycle in that any plans agreed ought to become the achievements for discussion at the next session. There will no doubt be issues that occur, but you can agree plans to deal with these and one again, these should become achievements for next time. Over time this approach can develop a real action orientation in any coaching relationship. Make a plan, carry it out, identify issues, create a plan to solve them, carry it out, recognize achievements and so on and so on.