Creating Momentum Between Coaching Conversations

Continuity between coaching sessions is important for consistency and progress. The coach should think of a loop with different components. At 12 o'clock, there should be a learning project related to the coaching area, like being a positive teammate. At 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, the coach should ask questions and facilitate activities or discussions. Each conversation should end with a learning project that kicks off the next session. This creates continuity and helps the person being coached develop and progress. Creating continuity between coaching sessions or conversations is really critical for consistency and maintaining progression, or I should say progress and momentum. When you are coaching, think about a loop. Think about, just for a second, 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock. Okay? So think about 12 o'clock, a learning project. A learning project is tied to the area that you're coaching, such as being a positive teammate. So you might say, John, next week I want you to come in with two examples, one where you really inserted yourself as a positive teammate, and maybe one looking back where you may have missed an opportunity, and maybe what you might do differently the next time. 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock become those components of a conversation where you ask questions, and then that's your 3 o'clock. Your 6 o'clock is maybe you facilitate an activity like a role-play session or a discussion, or maybe you're going to teach a methodology of having a really good conversation. And then you end every conversation with a learning project, which kicks off your next conversation, such as, John, next week I want you to come in with two examples of where you inserted yourself as a positive teammate. The next session you get together, you say, well, John, last week I asked you to come in with two examples, and what are you coaching to? John's assertiveness to being a positive, influential teammate. When we have conversations that just stand on their own, there's nothing wrong with that, but they tend to be very spotty or choppy. Yet if we create continuity by having a learning project that is tied to the area that you're coaching to, that serves as a bridge between coaching conversations, you have now created continuity, which will create greater momentum and development of the person that you're coaching.