The obvious answer that comes to mind about what happens between coaching sessions is that clients are taking their action steps. Ideally there is much more happening. Specifically, between coaching sessions clients often:
- Reflect on the coaching conversation to deepen their awareness
- Are attentive to what is happening, what it means. and how they want to adjust
- Consider different perspectives
- Recognize more possibilities
- Read or study on topics of interest
Coaching is about creating meaningful change. Creating change involves thinking, learning, and doing.
- Sometimes coaching sessions are all about the thinking. This means the client thinks out loud and the coach expands, challenges, and clarifies the thinking.
- Other coaching sessions focus on learning. The coach explores what the client is learning from the coaching, from their interactions, and from their actions.
- Coaching often focus on doing. The coach works with their client on refining strategies and designing their actions. The coach also follows up with the client as their accountability partner.
Consider the value of what happens between coaching sessions as part of the benefit of the coaching relationship and what happens during coaching sessions. As a client be aware and reflect. As a coach support client awareness by asking questions so the client chooses in-the-moment awareness or creates time for reflection. Follow this up in the next coaching sessions by exploring with the client what they experienced and learned.
