Preparation is important
It is important to come to each 1on1 coaching session with a specific topic in mind. This helps us to dive straight into the heart of the matter, making the session more focused and effective.
The session topic should be aligned with the coaching objectives we set at the start of the coaching journey.
Please do not come to the coaching session and ask your coach “What should I talk about?” You are resposnible for setting the topic and your coach is responsible for bringing the right tools and exercises to help you move forward.
If you are unsure what topic you want to talk about, do this:
- Review your Coaching Objectives document. Which of the goals is priority right now? Which part of the objective would you like to focus on during this session?
- Reflect on the topic we explored in the previous session. What progress have you made and what still needs to be worked on?
What makes a great coaching topic?
Within your sphere of control
Your topic needs to be something internal, a mental barrier a personal challenge. It should not be about external factors or making other people change.
Bad example: How can I make my team to take ownership for their work?
Better example: How can I empower my team to take ownership? What do I need to change within my mindset and attitude?
It is meaningful
Your coaching topic needs to be worth spending an hour on. Ask yourself:
- What could I gain if I address this topic?
- What might I lose if I ignore this topic?
If the answer is “not much,” then I sugest you think of something that matters more to you and your vision.
Not about functional or technical skills
On-the-job coaching that you might receive from your manager or peers is likely to focus on functional or technical skills, such as planning advertising campaigns or building financial models on excel.
Professional coaching from an independent coach focuses on your mindset and soft skills, such as how to manage your emotions at work or how to overcome the fear of delegating.
It doesn’t have to be about a problem
Your coaching topic can be brainstorming opportunities or turning something good into great. It doesn’t have to be about resolving a difficult problem.
Achievable within the length of the session
Clients sometimes come into a 60min coaching session and want “to improve their leadership style.” Needless to say, this is unrealistic. Whilst this topic is meaningful, it needs to be broken down intol smaller sub-topics.
Here are 2 ways to do this:
- Break your topic into 5-10 subtopics. Which one is the most important and urgent one to address right now?
- Play around with the action verb – ex. “to become aware of my leadership style” / “to brainstorm what kind of leader I want to become” / “to explore different leadership styles”
EXAMPLES
Here are some real-life examples of good coaching topics:
“I am overly focused on the negative. I take the positive for granted.”
“I want to work on my fear of having difficult conversations.”
“How should I go about deciding whether or not to take this job offer?”
