HOLD A COACHING CONVERSATION

Coaching isn’t a lockstep process. To be successful, you need to tailor your approach based on the needs of the person
you’re coaching. In most cases, you’ll find it useful to follow three general steps for conducting an effective coaching
conversation:

1. CHECK FOR READINESS • Before you begin, ask the person you’re coaching, “Is
now an okay time to go over [the event or task]?” If it’s
not, schedule a time to talk.

• If you start a conversation and your coachee appears

preoccupied, agree to defer the conversation until
they’re ready.

• Similarly, you need to be ready. Before you start, ask

yourself: “Am I feeling focused and patient?” If you’re
not, wait until you’re prepared to give your full attention
to the conversation.

2. HAVE THE CONVERSATION Once you know that you’re both ready,
depending on the situation and your team member’s
needs:

• Encourage reflection to help the coachee move beyond

their initial reactions to deeper insight.

• Listen twice as much as you talk.

• Ask questions to spark additional thinking.

• Share your thoughts but avoid dominating

the discussion.

3. AGREE ON NEXT STEPS Close the coaching conversation by establishing specific

next steps. Resist the urge to tell the person you’re
coaching what you think should happen. Instead,
encourage them to take ownership of what needs to be
done next and by when. Specifically agree on:

• What they will do next and in what timeframe

• Whether they need any resources from you

• If it makes sense to schedule a time to follow up

together

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