A Powerful 15-Minute Coaching Session

As a coach, I always fretted about 15-minute laser coaching sessions.

I always also wondered, “How can I coach in only 15 minutes?”

There are many beliefs around how long effective coaching sessions should be. However, nowadays, we not only lack a full hour, but seem to be so easily distracted that hour-long sessions may actually be a barrier to signing on coaching clients.

For me, I have found that I so resonate with Solution Focused coaching techniques, which helps me focus my coaching presence in a way I did not have access to in the past. The structure of a Solution Focused coaching session lends itself so easily coaching sessions of any duration, including a 15-minute laser coaching session.

Note session structure/elements in italics. (See this?video by my mentor, Kirsten Dierolf?for more.)

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An Example of a Powerful 15-Minute Coaching Session

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Ticket Office/Coaching Agreement

Coachee:

I have this stressful situation at work (coachee dives into it for 2 minutes, gets directly to the point).

Coach (me):

Can you share one word to describe how you feel about this?

Coachee:

Shares 4 sentences around what they think about it and what they currently do in the situation. (Client is a woman. She is playing with her hair, looking hither and thither, taking time to select her words.)

Coach:

This is important, based on what you are saying (repeating the words from the client), I can gather what you are thinking about it (I point to my head) and what you are currently doing. How do you feel in here (point to my heart)?

Coachee:

Hmmm… oh, yes, feeling… I feel X (she mentioned a feeling word, for privacy reasons I am not listing it here).

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Best Hopes/Desired Future/Miracle Question

Coach:

So, now you feel X (I say the word back she coined). In an ideal world, let’s say?a miracle happened?and this situation was perfect for you. How would you feel?

Coachee:

I don’t know… can you ask that differently?

Coach:

Sure, maybe take the opposite of this feeling. What would the opposite be?

Coachee:

Oh, yes, the opposite of X is Y.

Coach (I can use a virtual drawing board or a physical one depending on meeting space):

I will draw a continuum with X on one end and Y on the other. What kind of expression does X and Y have?

Coachee selects happy face for Y and sad, crying face for X.

Coach:

I noticed when you selected the Y feeling and assigned a happy face for it, your entire body language and mood changed. You stopped playing with your hair, and?you suddenly had an aura of complete calmness.

Coachee:

OH, you noticed that? I guess you are right! (A big smile ensues.)

Coach:

So, when you take a look at that continuum we just drew with your two feeling words and?emoticons, what comes to mind?

Coachee:

How can I get from here to there?

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Successful Past Gallery

Coach:

Well how about we look at this from a different perspective… Can you share an example from your past where you handled a similar situation in a way that felt good to you?

Coachee (silent for several minutes to think about it):

Well, of course, there were many situations that now when I look back on them, I feel I handled them successfully, but at the time they were happening, I felt totally stressed out.

Coach:

That’s understandable. Would you like to select one to discuss?

Coachee:

Sure. (She talks about one minute.)

Coach:

Is there anything you can extract from this experience that could work in this situation you are facing now?

Coachee:

Gosh, I had never thought about this before!! Yes, I think so….. (she talks about it…)

Coach:

This is really insightful, I can see some similarities between that experience and what is happening now… can I share my insights?

Coachee:

Yes, of course!

Coach:

(Shares insights, gains confirmation of clarity from Coachee.)

Coach:

May I ask – After discussing your past successes in this arena, if we revisit the continuum created earlier, how do you?now?think about the jump from X to Y?

Coachee:

Silence for a minute….

Coachee:

Well…I have never thought of this before. This is really interesting. I actually think this jump would be really easy!! (She sighs, and relaxes into her chair.)

Coach:

Wow, your eyes just lighted up!! When we first started the conversation, your message was very different than now.

Coachee:

Yes, no doubt about it. I was mired in the problem. But this discussion has helped me see that I can make the situation better.

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Gift Shop

Coach:

Would you like to discuss how to make this easy jump?

Coachee:

Yes, let’s! (With enthusiasm)

Coach:

What do you think is the smallest tweak you can make to start moving from X to Y?

Coachee:

I think I can…. (she came up with many small tweaks very quickly and easily, increasing her momentum toward feeling better and better)

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15-minute Coaching Session: Final Thoughts

I must say that this experience really motivated me. Seeing how my client shifted their perspective on a?deep, personal level?in only 15- minutes is so transformative to the client – and to me as the coach. It’s mutual co-creation at its best. And, just to let you know, when I followed up with this client, the client was able to apply their insights to their situation, feeling ease and success over a few weeks to a month period, effectively finding a solution that made sense to them, their values and their life philosophy, while reducing stress and increasing satisfaction.