Are you considering coaching or already in a coaching relationship? Here’s what I’ve learned from 9 years of coaching leaders, backed by research, to help you get the most out of your coaching journey.
1. Frequency Matters: My experience shows clients who engage in coaching weekly experience more significant breakthroughs. Research echoes this – more frequent sessions lead to better outcomes. (A study found that nearly all of the 22 positive effects of coaching were higher when coaching conversations occurred every 1-2 weeks, suggesting that more frequent sessions lead to better outcomes (link).) Recommendation: Aim for weekly sessions to accelerate your growth.
2. The Power of Journaling: I’ve noticed clients who journal between sessions gain more insights. Studies confirm that journaling enhances the coaching process by clarifying thoughts and feelings. (Research supports this, showing that journaling in coaching helps clients clarify their thoughts and feelings, making experiences tangible and real. It serves as a valuable tool for reflection, introspection, and maintaining a record of learning and experiences, leading to more targeted coaching conversations. (link) (link) (link).) Recommendation: Keep a reflective journal. It’s a simple yet powerful tool to deepen your learning and progress.
3. The Long Haul Pays Off: Clients who stick with coaching over years reap the greatest rewards. Research from a Fortune 500 company and the International Coach Federation supports this, showing substantial improvements in performance, time management, and teamwork over time (link). Recommendation: View coaching as a long-term investment in yourself.
4. A Focus on Learning Between Sessions Makes a Difference: Of course all of us are busy, and it’s hard to make time for learning activities that are self-motivated. But I’ve noticed that the clients who’ve made the greatest strides have been the ones who have made time for additional learning activities between sessions. This includes reading articles, watching videos, or listening to podcasts on topics related to their coaching goals. Research on “homework” or inter-sessional activities in coaching suggests that these practices can enhance the learning experience of clients. Homework is an opportunity to apply knowledge and develop mastery outside of coaching sessions, with studies indicating its effective use in education, therapy, and training, where it’s linked to self-regulation and empowerment. Research also shows that it’s important that this activity be self-directed rather than ‘assigned’ by the coach. You can develop your homework in collaboration with your coach, but it’s your follow-through that makes it effective (link). By engaging in learning between sessions, you also leave space in coaching to explore barriers, brainstorm options, and identify root causes rather than jut getting answers that ChatGPT might give you (link). Recommendation: Discuss continuous learning activities with your coach and make it a priority to follow through in a reasonable timeframe.
4. Be Open to Change: This one is very much my own personal observation. Clients who felt like victims initially but who left coaching with a commitment to action saw the best results–even better than those who came to coaching feeling empowered initially. While research on this specific aspect isn’t common and we need more, coaching is known to shift perspectives. My personal theory is that people who enter into coaching with a victim mindset but combine that with a commitment to action are most likely to experience life-changing transformations as a result of coaching. Recommendation: Even if you feel like the world is against you, enter coaching with an open mind, ready to challenge your usual way of thinking and behaving.
Final Thoughts: Coaching is a journey of personal and professional growth. By engaging frequently, journaling your thoughts, continuing your learning between sessions, committing for the long term, and being open to change, you can maximize the benefits of this transformative experience.
