by Sabrina Sourja How To Write Effective Coaching Notes: 5 Templates & Solutions Coaches, like everyone else, are suffocating in a world of push notifications, social media noise, and 101 things they need to get done now. So, as your coaching practice matures and you work with a growing client base, it will become harder to keep track of each client. The solution is to write things down. Taking notes during various stages of your coaching engagement will let you easily recall the information when needed. Is It Important To Write Notes in Coaching? It is critical for a coach to take notes throughout the coaching journey, both for the benefit of the coach and the client. [1] - Discovery Sessions: A discovery session is our very first detailed meeting with the client. We discover their goals, values, needs, strengths, and motivators. We also get a sense of their working style and preferred communication methods. - Ongoing Sessions: During each session, we learn more about the client. How strong is their inner critic voice? What are the recurring themes in each session? As we get to know the client, it’s important to note down what we’re learning. - Reflective Practitioner: As coaches, we know that growth is always possible. So, it’s important to reflect on each coaching session to develop your skills as a coach. You can reflect on how the session went, what you could have done differently, and what you learned about yourself. - How To Write Effective Coaching Notes 1. Prepare ahead of the meeting — You need to know the format of your notes and what information you’re looking for in advance. This will make it easier to grasp this information during the session. 2. Take minimal notes during the session — Most beginner coaches take detailed notes during each client session. But you will notice that this takes away your attention, and you may miss some of the nonverbal cues from the client. Your client may also feel less heard because eye contact will be less. I, too, started off this way. But now, I only write down the coaching agreement for the session in a sentence or two. 3. After the session, write detailed notes — Immediately after a session, I take a quick break. But within two hours of the session, I get my notes down. If you wait too long, you may forget how the session went and how you felt during the interaction. [2] 4. Read notes from the previous session before the upcoming session — Taking a quick look at your notes before a client session gives you a refresher on what the client committed to doing at the last session. You also get into the client’s “zone” by revisiting their profile before the session.