One of the many advantages of being a certified executive coach is that it is simple to create a coaching plan. Executive coaching is less complex than a plan to build a bridge, implement new software in an enterprise, or even lead a management consulting engagement. A good executive coaching plan can take up no more than a single page.

Following is an example for a client that wants to tune up his or her leadership. Of course, different situations call for different plans, and at the Center for Executive Coaching we give you over two dozen coaching methodologies to get results efficiently and effectively with your most demanding clients. However, this high-level plan gives you an idea of how you can clearly plan out an engagement for a client who wants to be a better leader….

Prior to the first meeting:

• Define the goal(s)/outcome of the engagement.
• Agree on how to measure results and success.
• Confirm fit between coach and client.
• Make sure that the client and any stakeholders/sponsors (e.g., Human Resources, the client’s manager) define the success of the coaching engagement the same way.
• Agree on the terms of the coaching engagement, including duration, meeting frequency, and confidentiality.

First meeting with client:

• Review goals and how the coaching engagement will work.
• Set up the assessments to be completed. Examples: off-the-shelf assessment(s), 360-degree verbal assessment, and our proprietary Leadership Dashboard.
• Begin coaching on any key issues that the client is facing and that relate to the goal of the coaching.

In between first and second meeting with client:

• Client and coach complete assessment process.

Second, and perhaps third, meeting with client (reviewing assessments can take more than one meeting):

• Review assessments with the client.
• Based on assessments and goals of the coaching engagement, client chooses one behavior that will have the biggest impact on performance. This will be the focus of the behavioral coaching component of the engagement.
• Set up behavioral coaching process. We provide you with a methodology for this process, which is grounded in the best practices of behavioral psychology.

Third and future sessions:

• Coaching begins in earnest. Begin each session with a clear outcome that brings value to the client and relates to the overall goals of the engagement.
• Discuss the new behavior and the behavioral coaching process, including monthly metrics demonstrating improvement.
• Discuss current issues that the client faces and that relate to the coaching goals.
• Optional (and especially effective with high-potential leaders and leaders that might not have had leadership training/education): Introduce leadership topics that can most benefit the client, based on their goals and interests. The Center for Executive Coaching provides 27 toolkits that can be used here, as well as to help clients deal with pressing challenges.
• Close each session with the client summarizing their insights, how they will put them into action/be accountable, and anything else the client wants to discuss to have a sense of completion.

At appropriate intervals:

• Review progress with stakeholders/sponsors and client (e.g., every 3 months)
• Conduct another 360-degree assessment to confirm results and identify new areas of focus (e.g., every 5-6 months).

That’s it! When you join the Center for Executive Coaching, you get practical, actionable tools to help your clients get results, position yourself as an expert, and succeed. While other programs dwell on theory, pseudoscience, or life coaching fluff, we focus on what matters most: client satisfaction and value. Plus, you are always a member, with ongoing access to our classes, online member area, and one-on-one support when you need it. Join today. You will be so glad you did!

Meanwhile, here is a suggestion to to leave you with once you have a large enough practice: Many coaches ask about platforms to work with clients. One of them to try might be Quenza, an application that enables you as a coach to digitally engage your clients with homework exercises, assessments, psychoeducation, and online care paths. According to our contact at Quenza, coaches working with this platform deliver better care to their clients at a larger scale while eliminating time spent on administrative tasks and email, thereby drastically cutting mental health care costs. Visit Quenza.com for more information.