Coaching is a powerful way to unlock your potential, explore new areas for growth and work towards achieving your personal and professional goals. While some might have a list of issues they’re eager to work with their coach on, that’s definitely not a requirement for success! We know from experience that coaching can be just as valuable for developing new skills, building on strengths and preparing for future opportunities.
Whether you’ve worked with a coach previously or not, being prepared to kick off that first session on the right (or left!) foot will go a long way to ensuring you make big strides with your coach right off the bat.
Here are a few simple steps (both figuratively and literally) that you can take to ensure you step into your first coaching session feeling confident and prepared.
Take a Step Back: Self-Reflection
Whether you have an idea of what you want to focus on in your first coaching session or not, taking a moment to contemplate the following questions (and jot down your answers!) can help you prepare to flush out an existing idea or form the basis of a new goal.
- What do I enjoy most about my work or personal life?
- What do I wish I could improve or get better at?
- When do I feel most energized and motivated?
- What obstacles, if any, am I facing right now? (Keep in mind that these could be small, not just big challenges!)
- What are my long-term aspirations—where do I want to be in a year or five years?
Step into the Future: Goal Visualization
Goal visualization is a technique that can help you set a vision for your future and identify areas you’d like to work on to get there. Just choose how far out you’d like to visualize (one, three or five years), consider the questions below and then note your answers. This will be incredibly helpful for your coach to better understand the direction you’d like to be headed.
- What do I want my career or life to look like in the future?
- How do I want to feel about my work or personal life?
- What does success look like for me?
Jump Around: SWOT Analysis
A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis can give you a clear picture of where you are in your life and career. Working through a personal SWOT and sharing your thoughts in your session will help pinpoint areas where your Arcora coach can support you.
- Strengths: What do I do well? What stands out about me at work or in my personal life?
- Weaknesses: Where do I feel less confident? What would I like to improve?
- Opportunities: What exciting possibilities do I see for growth in my career or life?
- Threats: Are there any challenges (internal or external) I’m facing that could get in the way of my goals?
Whether you tackle one or all three of these exercises is entirely up to you! And it’s also fine if you’d prefer to work through these with your coach. Whether your first coaching session starts with a baby step or one giant leap, your Arcora coach will meet you wherever you are on your journey.
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