Improving Our Coaching Techniques: Assigning Homework

What is coaching?

• Coaching is not therapy
• It is not counseling
• For the most part, it is also not about giving advice.

Coaching is actually the powerful process in which the coach and client(s) form a partnership to formulate, implement, and achieve a desired outcome or a goal in a specific valued life area. 

Role as the coach

As a coach, you should do the following:

• Ask evocative questions
• Provide information
• Give appropriate feedback that will help your client(s) develop and clarify their goals and establish appropriate action plans 
• Support clients in tapping into their own resources and strengths, make their own choices, develop new skills, and with the coach’s support, make progress towards achieving their goals.

The coaching process

This may involve the following tasks:

• Conducting questionnaires
• Assigning relevant homework assignments
• Identifying personal resources (experiences, values, strengths, competencies, knowledge, and so forth)
• Creating strategies to successfully identify and remove obstacles to achieving desired goals
• Enhancing self-awareness
• Developing emotional competence
• Creating a personal life-vision based on the clients’ values and dreams

Another integral aspect of the coaching relationship is the development of accountability between the coach and the client(s). It is important to be able to create appropriate action plans and strategies that facilitate the client’s movement toward the attainment of their valued goals and the overall enhancement of the quality of life.

Through the coaching process, a client(s) is able to assess aspects of their life. This should help them determine what he or she values and wishes to enhance or change. With the help of the coach, you can intentionally construct and live a more satisfying, happier life. I believe that giving homework is the core to a successful coaching relationship.

Why homework?

I have found that assigning tasks and homework has helped both me and my client ensure that the best of the session has been absorbed and understood. This format allows the coach to have a better idea of exactly how well the coaching session has made an impact. It will also give the coach some perspective on how their guidance will be applied to the client’s daily life.

To be an effective coach, it is important to ensure that the information presented at the coaching session is well received. You want your client to use it in the desired way, which is why assigning homework is helpful. The coach will be able to view the effectiveness of the coaching sessions and make improvements or adjustments, should there be a need for it.

Homework also provides a good platform for the audience to put all the information they gathered at the session in a more committed form. More than that, the assignments can help the client develop a more independent use of the information learnt.

It will also allow the audience to display some level of independence in how the information is to be incorporated into their lives based on their own perspective and understanding.

Should the use of the information learnt be displayed in a manner that is contrary to its original presentation, the coach will be able to address this as it would show up in the task or homework done.

Overall, taking the time to assign homework has helped me have a 100 percent success rate with my clients for the past seven years!

Assignment sample

Here is an example of an assignment that I use with my clients:

The Key Concept I’d like you to practice this week is the concept of Self-Talk.

Here’s the definition we’ll use for Self-Talk: “The skill and practice of replacing old, harmful ‘mental programs’ with new programs that create a healthier, long-term sense of self, fulfillment, and personal well-being.”

First, we will review the perceptions of Self-Talk that you have right now. All you have to do is answer each of these questions:

1. Do you consciously practice Self-Talk techniques now – and in what way?

________________________________________________________________________

2. How important do you think your personal Self-Talk is to your success and happiness as an individual?

________________________________________________________________________

3. Do you typically listen to professional Self-Talk tapes? If so, for how long, and how do you use them?

________________________________________________________________________

4. If you could change any of your old programs, which programs would you change?

________________________________________________________________________

5. What areas of your own Self-Talk would you like to work on first?

________________________________________________________________________

6. Would you be willing to listen to some Self-Talk each day, if doing that would help you reach your goals? _____ Why?

________________________________________________________________________

VII. YOUR SELF-TALK

This week I’d like you to listen to____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

VIII. CLOSING

On the same scale of 1 – 10, how do you choose to make this week work for you? _____

What will you do to make that happen?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

You can do it! I believe in you, ______________. I’ll talk to you next week.