Like teaching and training, there are several different approaches possible in coaching. Some practices all coaches follow. Others are chosen only by some. The coaching plan is one of these. Put simply, the question is this: should coaches and clients come up with a list of topics and a plan to work from at the beginning of the coaching programme?
My view is an unequivocal yes, and here is why.
What is a coaching plan?
A coaching plan is a way of helping coach and coachee work out what the overall goal of the coaching is, and identify the topics that will be discussed across the sessions. It can be developed in a number of ways — through questionnaires, psychometric profiles, or simply through conversation.
Generally, the coaching plan is worked out in the early sessions so that the coachee is clear on the topics and direction from the outset. As with all good coaching, the content, ideas and answers come from the coachee. The coach’s role is to provide the structure, the questions and any relevant paperwork.
Why don’t all coaches use them?
The most straightforward explanation is that many coaches simply haven’t come across coaching plans. Perhaps their training didn’t cover this area, or it hasn’t come up in their reading.
But there are other reasons too. Some coaches worry that a plan will be too prescriptive and lock the coachee into topics that may become less relevant over time. Some feel that too much structure inhibits the gradual evolution of the coachee’s thinking. Others wonder whether it reduces the number of sessions a coachee might buy. All of these concerns can be valid — if the plan is not done well.
Why is planning important in coaching?
A coaching plan allows the coachee to set an overall goal for their coaching, giving them direction and something to work towards. It also allows them to identify a number of specific topics that will be genuinely useful to explore. And importantly, it encourages them to go as deeply as they wish into each one.
Spending time at the start of the coaching relationship exploring overall goals and specific topics is a surprisingly freeing way to work. For coachees who like structure, it gives them focus and a clear sense of direction. For those who find structure constraining, a skilled coach will use the plan to create the right balance between direction and flexibility.
How to develop a coaching plan
The process moves through three stages.
Before the first session, the coachee does some preparation.
There are several approaches to choose from. An outcomes questionnaire uses broad questions to help the coachee identify their goals, the reasons behind them, and their motivations. A personal reflective questionnaire explores habits, feelings, beliefs, skills and motivations, helping the coachee understand themselves better across these areas. A wheel of life, work or job role gives a self-scoring approach on a scale of one to ten, identifying areas of satisfaction and areas to develop. A values questionnaire uses self-reflection to surface the coachee’s values, which in turn helps identify coaching topics. Goal mapping uses visual prompts for detailed self-planning around personal and professional goals, both short and long term. Or, with a blank sheet of paper approach, no prior preparation is done at all — the coachee is simply encouraged to think about what they want from coaching, and the first session is driven by questions and exploration from the coach.
The coaching plan session
The coaching plan session itself, whichever preparation method has been used, is devoted to identifying useful coaching topics by drawing on the material and thinking the coachee has already done. It resembles a standard coaching session in many ways, but differs in one important respect: the aim is not to coach to an outcome, but to identify the areas that will become future coaching topics. This requires the coach to explore enough to check whether something is worth returning to in a dedicated session, while holding back from trying to resolve any of the issues that are emerging. By the end of the session, the coachee confirms the topics they want to work on and identifies where they want to start.
Use the coaching plan flexibly
From that point, the plan is used flexibly. Some topics take more than one session. Sometimes more than one topic is covered in a single session. New topics emerge. It is the coach’s job to remind the coachee of the plan before each session, while staying open to changes in order, additions, or shifts in direction. This flexibility is part of how a good plan evolves.
Not sure where to start?
If coaching plans appeal to you but feel new, the best thing is simply to have a go. Try it with a practice coachee before using it with a paying client and see what the experience is like. In various forms, coaching plans make a real difference to both coach and coachee. They help the coaching flow and give the coachee the best chance of reaching the outcomes they are looking for.
If you’re looking to grow your coaching business, get in touch.
