Tag: Coaching

Coaching prompts: Real accounts from coaching sessions

Coachee: I’m exhausted. I have more work than I can possibly do in a day because we’re supposed to be doing more with less at work. I have 2 kids I’m trying to keep entertained in confinement. I’m worried about my 70+ year-old parents who enjoy sheltering in place less than my kids. Days are blurring together. And my work-life balance or integration or whatever you call it is a distant dream. I’m spent. [Seven-year-old sticks his head into the camera frame and stares blankly.]

Coach: What do you really want?

Coachee: I want to feel some semblance of order.

Additional Questions:

• Apart from exhausted and spent, how else are you feeling? Which “emotion” words would you use? Which sensations do you feel in your body?
• What would that “semblance of order” look like for you?
• What are you learning about yourself during this time?

David’s Final Thought: I am reminded of the Serenity prayer which tells us to accept the things you cannot change and to have courage to change the things you can. For those who might think this is easier said than done, take a moment to consider a list of 5 things that you can change, no matter how small. And from that list, choose at least 1 thing that you will change.

Coaching prompts: Real accounts from coaching sessions

Coachee: We were recently told that it’s mandatory for everyone to work from home for the foreseeable future. I just became the manager of a team of people who usually come into the office. There are a few remote employees, but most are on the ground with me. I have no idea how to make sure that everyone is doing their job. What do I do?

Coach: What do you really want?

Coachee: I want to be sure that the team members are as productive and effective as possible.

Additional Questions:

• How have you ensured that remote team members remain productive and effective in the past?
• What techniques have you used to stay productive while working from home?
• What concerns you most about your team working remotely? What are some ways to mitigate those concerns?

David’s Final Thought: Trust your team to deliver. If an employee doesn’t seem to be as productive or effective, be curious and ask honest, open questions to determine the underlying reasons.