How to Structure Your Coaching Session: A Guideline for Managers

Written By Heather Nickel

As a manager, it can be daunting to figure out how to structure your sessions with employees. Fortunately, there are some guidelines that you can follow to ensure that your sessions are effective and helpful. In this post, we'll go through a step-by-step process for structuring your coaching session.

Start with a Focus

The first step in any coaching session should be to ask the employee what they would like to focus on. This is important because it puts the employee in the driver's seat and helps them take ownership of their development. It also ensures that you are addressing their most pressing concerns.

Set an Outcome

At the start of the coaching session, it's important to set an outcome. Ask the employee what they would like to achieve by the end of the session and what success looks like to them. This helps to ensure that you're both on the same page and working towards the same goal.

Keep Asking "What Else?"

As you're working through the employee's focus, keep asking "What else?" This helps to ensure that you're addressing all of their concerns and can uncover hidden issues that may be impacting their work. Usually the first issue presented is not the actual thing that needs to be solved! Keep asking, ‘What else?’ To get to the desired area they’d like to focus on.

Clarify the Outcome

Once you've set an outcome, clarify what it means. Ask the employee how they will know when they've achieved the outcome and what it will look like. This helps to ensure that the outcome is achievable and that you're both clear on what success looks like.

Understand the Meaning it has for them

It's important to understand what the focus area means to the employee. This can help you to tailor your coaching to their unique situation and ensure that you're providing the support they need. For example, if the employee is struggling with time management because they're easily distracted, you might focus on strategies for minimizing distractions

Prioritize Focus Areas

Once you have an outcome in mind, it's important to prioritize the focus areas. Ask the employee what they would like to address first and why. This can help to ensure that you're focusing on the most important issues first.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

When asking the employee about what they would like to focus on, it's important to use open-ended questions. This allows the employee to provide more detail and helps them feel heard and understood. For example, instead of asking "Do you want to focus on your communication skills?", ask "What would you like to focus on?".

Clarify Meaningful Words

As you're discussing the employee's focus areas, they may use words that have different meanings to different people. To avoid misunderstandings, it can be helpful to ask the employee what they mean by a particular word or phrase. For example, if the employee says "it's so challenging", ask them what challenging means to them.

Get to the Root of the Issue

To truly help an employee, it's important to understand the root of their issue. You can do this by asking questions that get to the heart of the matter. For example, if the employee is struggling with time management, you might ask them directly, ‘what is at the root of this?’

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Consider Trade-Offs

As you're working through the focus areas, consider trade-offs. Ask the employee what they are saying "no" to when they say "yes" to a particular focus area. This helps to ensure that the employee is aware of the potential trade-offs and is making informed decisions about their development.

Determine the First Step

Once you've prioritized the focus areas, determine the first step. Ask the employee what they can do right away to start making progress. This helps to ensure that the employee has a clear starting point and is able to take action immediately.

Set SMART Goals

As you're determining the first step, it can be helpful to set SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By setting SMART goals, you can ensure that the employee has a clear understanding of what they need to do and how they will measure their progress.

Identify Support Needs

As you're working through the focus areas and goals, it's important to identify any support needs the employee may have. This could include training, mentoring, or additional resources. By identifying support needs early on, you can ensure that the employee has everything they need to be successful.

Address Potential Obstacles

No development journey is without obstacles. When coaching employees, it's important to help the employee identify potential obstacles and develop strategies for overcoming them. This helps to ensure that the employee is prepared for any challenges that may arise and is able to stay on track towards their goals.

Encourage Learning

Finally, it's important to encourage learning. As the employee works towards their goals, ask them to identify what they are learning about themselves. This helps with introspection and reflection for growth.

In conclusion, coaching employees can be a challenging but rewarding experience. By following these guidelines, you can structure your coaching sessions in a way that is effective and helpful for your employees. Remember to stay curious and avoid offering advice. By putting the employee in the driver's seat and asking open-ended questions, you can help them take ownership of their development and achieve their goals. And if you're interested in learning more about coaching, be sure to check out Michael Bungay Stanier's book, 'Advice Trap'.

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Heather Nickel
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