From Loose Habits to a Consistent Way of Working as a Coach
A consistent way of working as a coach consists of five phases every program goes through: intake, setting the goal, a working phase with sessions and assignments, review and closing. For each phase you define what minimally happens and which tools you use. The content stays tailored, the structure does not.
Most coaches do have a way of working, but it lives in their head. They "usually" do it this way, except when it is busy, or when a client asks for something slightly different. That works, but it makes you dependent on your memory and your energy. A written way of working makes it repeatable.
Why a Consistent Way of Working Helps
- For your client: clarity about what is coming, and trust that there is a plan.
- For you: fewer decisions per program, and an easier overview of several clients at once.
- For your development: you see better what works, because programs are comparable.
- For your marketing: you can explain clearly how a program with you works.
The Five Phases
| Phase | What minimally happens | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Intake | Explore the question, align expectations, sign the agreement | Intake form, coaching agreement |
| 2. Goal | A concrete, measurable goal and a starting score | Scaling question, SMART goal |
| 3. Working phase | Sessions with notes, assignments and reflections in between | Methods, actions, reflections |
| 4. Review | Look back midway and adjust | Compare scores, short review questions |
| 5. Closing | Name the result, agree on follow-up, formally close the program | Final review, export |
How to Build Your Own Way of Working
Step 1: Write Down How You Do It Now
Take your last three programs and note per phase what you did. Where did you always do the same? Where did you improvise? What did you sometimes forget?
Step 2: Choose the Minimum per Phase
What must happen in every program, whatever is going on? For example: no first session without a signed agreement, no working phase without a defined goal, no closing without a final review. Read more about goals in how to set SMART goals with clients.
Step 3: Choose Your Fixed Tools
A handful of methods you master well, a fixed intake form, a fixed structure for session notes. You can always vary, but you have a base to fall back on. Find inspiration in the coaching methods guide.
Step 4: Test It With Three New Clients
Use your way of working with the first three new clients of the year and adjust afterwards. A way of working is never finished, but every version beats no version.
Tailored Within a Structure
A consistent way of working does not mean every program is the same. The question, the pace, the methods and the tone differ per client. What is fixed is the skeleton: that there is an intake, a goal, a review and a closing. Also see the coaching program structure guide.
Your Way of Working in FocusCoachee
FocusCoachee is built around these phases. Every program has an intake, goals with scaling scores, a timeline with sessions, methods, actions and reflections, and a formal closing. You choose from more than 88 methods and adapt them to your own way of working, so your structure is ready for every new client.
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