A "Just-In-Time" Fast-Track to Your Leadership Success with the Single-Session and One-At-A-Time Coaching

What is Single-Session and One-At-A-Time Coaching?

Single-Session Coaching (SSC) and One-At-A-Time Coaching (OAAT) are specialized, solution-focused coaching approaches designed to provide immediate value and actionable outcomes in just one session. Unlike traditional coaching models that require multiple sessions over an extended period, these methods emphasize rapid intervention to address specific challenges or goals.

Single-Session Coaching (SSC)

In Single-Session Coaching, the goal is to achieve maximum impact within a single, focused meeting. This approach is rooted in the idea that sometimes a person only needs one well-structured session to gain clarity, make a decision, or solve a problem. It's often used for clients who:

Have a pressing issue that requires immediate attention.

Are looking for actionable solutions they can implement right away.

Prefer not to commit to a long-term coaching program but still want a professional's insight.

Key features of Single-Session Coaching:

Time-efficient: Typically 60-90 minutes, focused on a specific challenge or goal.

Solution-driven: Emphasis on identifying clear, actionable steps that the client can implement immediately.

Client-centered: Tailored to the client’s most urgent needs, allowing for a targeted and impactful experience.

One-At-A-Time Coaching (OAAT)

One-At-A-Time Coaching builds on the Single-Session concept but offers the flexibility of scheduling follow-up sessions as needed, without the requirement of committing to a long-term coaching plan upfront. Each session is treated as a standalone coaching experience, providing focused guidance for a specific issue at a particular time.

This approach works well for individuals who:

Want the option to check in when they feel the need for coaching support.

Prefer autonomy in deciding when they need a session rather than being tied to a set schedule.

Benefit from short bursts of coaching that focus on resolving a single problem or exploring a specific opportunity.

Key features of One-At-A-Time Coaching:

Flexible: Clients can book sessions as and when needed, allowing for greater control over their coaching journey.

Adaptable: Each session is focused on the current priority, ensuring that the coaching remains relevant to the client's immediate challenges.

Accessible: Offers an affordable and time-effective option for busy professionals seeking guidance.

Benefits of SSC and OAAT Coaching

Both coaching formats are ideal for current and aspiring women leaders, particularly those in fast-paced industries such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and biotech, where time is at a premium.

The structure allows leaders to:

Address immediate challenges without waiting for multiple sessions to see results.

Gain clarity and direction quickly, improving decision-making and leadership skills.

Maintain flexibility by engaging in coaching when it’s most needed.

In today’s fast-moving world, SSC and OAAT coaching provides the ideal "JUST-IN-TIME" intervention for leaders looking for practical, powerful, fast-tracked personal and professional growth.

Long-Term Benefits While single-session leadership coaching focuses on immediate, targeted solutions, it can also deliver significant long-term benefits for executives.

Here's how:

Clarity and Decision-Making Skills

Single-session coaching often hones in on a pressing issue, giving leaders the tools to think critically and make confident decisions. The frameworks and strategies learned during that session can be applied to future challenges. This sharpens decision-making abilities and allows leaders to approach complex problems with a clearer, more structured mindset over time.

Enhanced Self-Awareness

A key component of leadership coaching is increasing self-awareness—understanding one’s strengths, weaknesses, and impact on others. Even in a single session, executives often uncover important insights about their leadership style or blind spots. This self-awareness, once heightened, tends to stay with the leader, guiding their behavior and leadership decisions long after the session ends.

Confidence in Leadership

Single-session coaching can significantly boost a leader’s confidence by offering a fresh perspective on their challenges and giving them actionable strategies to implement immediately. The success experienced from resolving one key issue builds long-term confidence, empowering leaders to handle future leadership hurdles with greater ease.

Improved Communication and Influence

A single session focused on communication or executive presence can lead to long-term changes in how a leader interacts with their teams, stakeholders, and peers. The practical tips and feedback provided often lead to better relationships, stronger influence, and enhanced credibility. These skills are essential for long-term career success.

Leadership Habits and Mindset Shift

Even in a short coaching intervention, leaders can experience a mindset shift that influences their long-term leadership approach. For instance, a session might focus on strategic thinking or empowering teams, and those new habits can take root and lead to more effective leadership over time. Leaders often integrate the lessons learned into their daily practices, improving their overall effectiveness.

Increased Resilience and Adaptability

Single-session coaching frequently equips leaders with tools for handling stress, change, and uncertainty—essential traits for long-term success. Once a leader learns strategies for resilience or adaptability in a session, they can continually apply those approaches to various challenges, enabling long-term personal and professional growth.

Access to a Scalable Resource

While single-session coaching is designed to be a one-time intervention, executives often feel empowered knowing they can return for future sessions when new challenges arise. This “on-demand” nature of coaching allows leaders to address specific issues as they come up, creating a sustainable, long-term resource for personal development and problem-solving.

How Single-Session Leadership Coaching Works

Single-session leadership coaching is designed for maximum efficiency and impact, offering a focused, results-driven approach to leadership development. Here's how it typically works:

Identifying a Specific Challenge: Before the session, the executive identifies a pressing issue, goal, or challenge they want to tackle. This could be anything from navigating a tough decision, or handling a leadership transition, to addressing team dynamics or performance.

Pre-Session Preparation: Both the coach and the executive engage in brief preparation. The executive may provide context on the issue, while the coach reviews relevant background or leadership frameworks that can be applied during the session. Some coaches use pre-session questionnaires to streamline the process and get clarity on the desired outcome.

The Coaching Session: The session itself typically lasts 60-90 minutes. During this time, the coach asks targeted questions, helping the executive clarify their thinking, explore options, and uncover actionable insights. The coach’s role is to guide the leader in making the most effective decisions quickly, based on their specific situation.

Focus on Immediate Solutions: Unlike traditional coaching, which might explore a broad range of long-term developmental goals, single-session coaching hones in on finding immediate solutions. It’s action-oriented, with a focus on practical steps that can be implemented right away.

Post-Session Reflection: After the session, the executive reflects on the insights gained and begins implementing the strategies discussed. Some coaches offer brief follow-up communication to ensure progress is being made or to address any further questions.

Why It Works:

Laser-Focused: By concentrating on one critical issue, executives can dive deep into solutions without distractions, leading to faster and more relevant outcomes.

Time-Efficient: Busy leaders appreciate the time savings. In just one session, they receive the expert guidance they need without the commitment of long-term coaching engagements.

Action-Oriented: The session is designed to provide practical, actionable steps, allowing leaders to apply what they learn immediately in real-world scenarios.

This streamlined approach makes single-session coaching a powerful tool for executives who need fast, effective guidance in today’s demanding business environment.

Both coaching formats are ideal for current and aspiring women leaders, particularly those in fast-paced industries such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and biotech, where time is at a premium. The structure allows leaders to:

Address immediate challenges without waiting for multiple sessions to see results.

Gain clarity and direction quickly, improving decision-making and leadership skills.

Maintain flexibility by engaging in coaching when it’s most needed.

Single-session leadership coaching offers more than just short-term solutions—it can set the foundation for lasting personal and professional growth. By providing clarity, enhancing self-awareness, building confidence, and developing leadership skills, these sessions can create long-term benefits that compound over time, making leaders more effective and resilient.

Why I Embraced the Single Session Mindset for Developing Current and Aspiring Women Leaders

Efficiency and Effectiveness:

The Single Session Mindset allows for focused, high-impact coaching in a condensed timeframe. For busy women leaders balancing multiple responsibilities, this approach provides a practical way to gain insights and strategies without requiring a long-term commitment.

Immediate Results:

Women leaders often face unique challenges in their careers, and the single-session format enables them to address specific issues head-on. This mindset fosters an environment where clients can achieve clarity and actionable outcomes quickly, empowering them to implement changes right away.

Empowerment and Ownership:

By focusing on actionable steps within a single session, women leaders feel a greater sense of agency in their development. This mindset encourages them to take ownership of their growth, reinforcing their ability to make impactful decisions in their careers.

Flexibility and Adaptability:

The Single Session Mindset embraces the need for flexibility, allowing the coaching to adapt to the specific needs and contexts of women leaders. This tailored approach acknowledges the diverse experiences and challenges faced by women in leadership roles.

Solution-Focused Approach:

This mindset promotes a solution-oriented perspective, which is essential for overcoming obstacles. By emphasizing strengths and opportunities for growth, women leaders can shift their focus from problems to possibilities, enhancing their resilience.

Supportive Environment:

Creating a safe and supportive space for women to share their challenges fosters trust and openness. The Single Session Mindset allows for deep exploration of personal and professional issues while maintaining a focused agenda, ensuring clients feel heard and understood.

Celebrating Progress:

The structure of single-session coaching encourages clients to recognize and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement is crucial for building confidence and motivation, especially for aspiring leaders.

Encouragement for Continued Development:

While the single session is impactful, it also lays the groundwork for ongoing growth. Clients are motivated to seek additional sessions or resources, creating a pathway for continuous development in their leadership journey.

By following these steps, you can efficiently leverage single-session leadership coaching to address specific leadership challenges and gain actionable solutions—quickly and effectively.

My Clients' Success Stories of Using a Single-Session Coaching Approach

Single-session leadership coaching has gained traction due to its efficiency and immediate impact. Here are a few examples of my client's successful coaching interventions:

A senior executive was facing a critical product launch that was not meeting internal expectations.

Sales were sluggish, and the product team was demotivated. Instead of engaging in a prolonged coaching process, the executive turned to a single-session leadership coach for immediate guidance.

During the session, I helped the executive identify the underlying issue: misaligned goals between the marketing and product teams. We worked on the strategies to realign teams, improve communication, and refocus the launch messaging. Within days, the executive implemented changes, reinvigorating the product team and driving a marketing pivot that eventually led to a successful launch of a new drug.

Navigating a High-Stakes Negotiation

A CEO of a growing healthcare startup was preparing for a critical negotiation with investors, where the outcome would determine the company’s next round of funding. With little time to engage in long-term coaching, the CEO booked a single session to work on improving his negotiation strategy.

In a 90-minute session, I helped the CEO clarify priorities, develop confidence in her position, and outline tactics for managing investor pushback. The CEO entered the negotiation with a clear strategy and secured the funding, preserving company equity while satisfying investor demands.

Resolving Leadership Conflict

A VP of Operations was struggling with conflict between two high-performing team members whose personal differences were causing tension and affecting overall productivity. Unsure how to mediate the situation, the VP sought a single-session coaching intervention.

During the session, I guided the VP through conflict resolution techniques and helped her develop a structured mediation plan. Equipped with clear steps and the confidence to address the issue, the VP was able to facilitate a productive conversation between the employees, restoring collaboration and improving team morale.

Making a Career-Defining Decision

An executive was at a crossroads, deciding whether to pursue a promotion within the company or take an opportunity at a competitor. With both decisions carrying significant career and personal implications, the executive sought the advice of a leadership coach for a single-session consultation.

I used decision-making frameworks to help the executive weigh the pros and cons, clarify their long-term career aspirations, and understand the potential risks and rewards. With a clear mind, she decided to take the promotion, leading to greater job satisfaction and new leadership opportunities. This quick yet transformative session provided the clarity needed to make a high-stakes choice.

Improving Executive Presence

A newly appointed leader was struggling to establish her presence in meetings with seasoned executives and board members. She turned to single-session coaching to address this specific issue before a major presentation.

In the session, we focused on developing strategies for building confidence, improving communication style, and handling difficult questions. After implementing the feedback, the executive delivered a powerful presentation that earned praise from the board and solidified her leadership position. This quick intervention helped her make an immediate impression without needing months of development.

These examples show how single-session leadership coaching can deliver powerful, transformative results quickly. From navigating high-stakes negotiations to resolving leadership conflicts or making career-defining decisions, single-session coaching offers targeted support to leaders when they need it most. Its flexibility and impact make it an essential tool for modern executives.

What about Your Leadership Development Needs and Wants

Whether you're facing a critical challenge or seeking rapid growth, I can help you gain clarity and move forward with actionable solutions—all in a single session. Let’s work together to drive the results you need, fast. Book your one-on-one single-session leadership coaching today and take the first step towards your leadership breakthrough!

Preparing for a single-session leadership coaching ensures you get the most out of our time together.

Here’s how to prepare effectively:

Identify Your Key Challenge

Clarify Your Focus: Reflect on the specific leadership challenge or decision you’re facing. Is it a strategic decision, a team conflict, or enhancing your executive presence? Be clear about what you want to address.

Set Objectives: Define what you hope to achieve from the session. This could be gaining clarity, developing a strategy, or finding solutions to a problem.

Complete Pre-Session Materials

Pre-Session Questionnaire: If provided, fill out any pre-session questionnaires or forms. This helps me understand your situation and goals in advance.

Background Information: Gather relevant documents, reports, or data that might be useful during our discussion.

Prepare Key Questions or Topics

Draft Questions: Write down any specific questions you have or topics you want to discuss. This helps keep the session focused and productive.

List Priorities: Identify the top 2-3 priorities you want to address in the session.

Set Up Your Environment

Choose a Quiet Space: Ensure you have a quiet, comfortable space for the session where you won’t be interrupted.

Technical Check: If the session is virtual, check your internet connection, camera, and microphone to avoid technical issues.

Adopt an Open Mindset

Be Open to Feedback: Approach the session with an open mind and a willingness to explore new perspectives or strategies.

Prepare to Engage: Be ready to actively participate and engage in the discussion. The more you put into the session, the more you’ll get out of it.

Reflect on Your Leadership Goals

Long-Term Goals: Think about your broader leadership goals and how the session can help align with those objectives.

Recent Experiences: Reflect on recent experiences or challenges that might be relevant to the session’s focus.

Plan for Post-Session Action

Action Items: Be prepared to discuss how you’ll implement the insights or strategies from the session. Consider setting aside time immediately after the session to plan your next steps.

Follow-Up Coaching

It is good to know that I do offer follow-up options to ensure that the insights and strategies from our single-session coaching are effectively implemented and that you continue to make progress toward your leadership goals.

Brief Follow-Up Sessions

Purpose: To review progress, address any new challenges, and refine strategies.

Format: Typically 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Frequency: Can be scheduled as needed, whether it’s a few weeks or months after the initial session.

Email Support

Purpose: To provide quick answers to follow-up questions or additional guidance on specific issues.

Format: Brief, focused responses to ensure clarity and continued support.

Availability: Usually offered for a defined period after the session (e.g., one month).

Extended Coaching Packages

Purpose: For leaders who find they need ongoing support beyond a single session.

Format: Includes multiple sessions, with flexibility in scheduling and focus areas.

Benefits: Provides comprehensive, long-term coaching and development.

Progress Check-Ins

Purpose: To periodically assess progress towards goals and make adjustments as needed.

Format: Brief sessions or informal check-ins.

Frequency: Customized based on your needs and goals.

How to Arrange Follow-Ups

Discuss During Your Session: If you think you might need follow-up support, let me know during our coaching session so we can plan accordingly.

Contact Me Directly: Reach out via email or phone to schedule follow-up sessions or inquire about additional support.

Review Options: Depending on your needs, we can tailor the follow-up plan to best support your ongoing development.

Follow-ups are designed to ensure you stay on track and continue to benefit from our coaching, providing additional support and accountability as you implement new strategies and insights.

Please feel free to talk about your follow-up needs during our session or contact me anytime to arrange additional support.

Single Session Coaching Format

A single-session leadership coaching typically lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. This timeframe allows for a focused, in-depth exploration of your specific challenge or goal. Here’s a general breakdown of what you can expect:

60 Minutes

Focused and Efficient: Ideal for addressing a clear, specific issue or decision.

Structure: Brief introduction, discussion of the challenge, exploration of options, and development of actionable strategies.

Outcome: Effective for shorter, more straightforward topics or immediate concerns.

90 Minutes

Comprehensive and Detailed: Suitable for more complex issues that require deeper exploration or multiple perspectives.

Structure: Includes more time for context-setting, in-depth discussion, strategy development, and addressing any follow-up questions.

Outcome: Provides a more thorough analysis and potentially more comprehensive action plans.

The duration of the session is designed to maximize effectiveness while fitting within your busy schedule. During our time together, we’ll focus on delivering actionable insights and strategies to help you move forward with confidence. If you have specific preferences or needs, feel free to discuss them when booking your session!

When can we start

We can get started as soon as you’re ready! Here’s a quick guide to scheduling your session:

To book your Single or One-At-A-Time leadership coaching session, simply follow these steps:

Complete a detailed pre-session questionnaire to help me understand your leadership challenge and goals, needs, and wants:

https://forms.gle/nKnUTDPpcjtGDS6F9

The intake information will be handled with strict confidentiality.

Once I look over your information, I will email your session preparation materials and questionnaires.

If you need a session urgently or have specific timing constraints, let me know, and I’ll do my best to accommodate your needs.

Key Takeaways from the Article:

Immediate Impact:

Both Single-Session Coaching (SSC) and One-At-A-Time Coaching (OAAT) offer focused, solution-driven coaching in a single session, providing immediate clarity and actionable steps for pressing issues.

Time-Efficient:

Ideal for busy professionals, particularly current and aspiring women leaders, these approaches require no long-term commitment and are typically completed in 60-90 minutes.

Flexibility and Autonomy:

One-at-a-Time Coaching allows clients to schedule follow-up sessions on an as-needed basis, giving them control over when and how often they engage in coaching.

Cost-Effective:

These models offer an affordable alternative to long-term coaching programs, making leadership development accessible for those with limited time or budget constraints.

Practical and Targeted:

By focusing on specific challenges or goals, SSC and OAAT coaching deliver tangible results in a short timeframe, enhancing decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Ideal for Fast-Paced Industries:

SSC and OAAT are particularly suited for industries like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotech, where leaders need quick, strategic insights to navigate complex challenges.

I look forward to helping you achieve a leadership breakthrough in the shortest possible time!

My Short Bio

ICF Certified ACC Coach

Certified Executive Coach by the Henley Centre for Coaching Henley Business School

Fellow Institute of Coaching McLean Affiliate of Harvard Medical School

Columnist for the Clinical Researcher Official Journal of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)

Senior Executive Contributor BRAINZ Magazine (by invitation only)

Former Member of Forbes Coaches Council (by invitation only)