Coaching and Note-taking
By Cathy Liska
Coaching sessions are an opportunity for clients to think out loud, explore their opportunities, brainstorm possibilities, develop strategies, plan actions, and be accountable for their own progress and success.
What happens if there are no notes from the coaching session? On the pro side confidentiality is protected as there is no record. During coach training, there is discussion about protecting the confidentiality of the notes. On the con side the ideas or plans that came up during the session may be forgotten.
If there are notes, who takes the notes? If the client takes them then they have the ability to note only what they want written and to protect the information. It is important to consider that if the client is taking the notes, it limits their ability to continue thinking and brainstorming because they stop to write. If the coach takes the notes, then it is incumbent on the coach to have a plan for how the information is protected and how it is shared with the client. The benefit for the client is that they are free to think and talk, knowing their coach is capturing the information. The benefit for the coach is that they are really listening to the client, have an outline to ensure accuracy when rephrasing and following up, plus can refer back to the notes to prepare for the next coaching session and as the coaching relationship is completed to measure outcomes.
While and after completing coaching certification, graduates are provided access to recorded coaching sessions where they can listen to the coaching and see the note taking.
