The Power of Preparedness in Coaching Sessions

Prepared Coaching: Notes, Energy, and Being Fully Present with Clients

SUMMARY:

Angie and John discuss why showing up unprepared to coaching sessions harms client outcomes and rapport, and why “work before the work” matters.

They emphasise protecting energy and presence by avoiding back-to-back sessions and building in at least 15 minutes between calls to reset, review prior notes, and track action steps. They argue that coaches who wing sessions without notes or tracking may be adequate but cannot be masterful, and that forgetting prior commitments is a “bad look” that can damage trust, renewals, reputation, and business.

They describe notes as a strategic tool that helps clients feel uniquely seen, supports continuity over months or years, and provides a story of the client’s progress when reviewed near the end of an engagement.

They also compare manual note-taking with AI note-taking, noting that AI can organise summaries and action steps, while coaches still capture standout moments and edit them before sharing.

Finally, they debate recording sessions, suggesting that recordings can help coach development and quality assurance, but may distract clients or pull them back into an old emotional state, while well-structured notes may deliver more value for client reflection and transformation.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Prepared or Not

00:58 Willy Nilly Coaching

01:54 Energy and Spacing

04:18 Sweet Spot Scheduling

05:59 Notes and Mastery

09:35 Presence Feels Magical

10:32 Coffee Chat vs Results

13:52 Assembly Line Warning

14:57 Why Notes Matter

16:01 Rocks Pebbles Sand

16:57 AI Note Takers

19:21 Stay Present Coaching

19:58 Recordings For Clients

22:17 Transformation Over Replay

24:15 Final Session Story

25:57 Renewals And Progress

26:29 What Did You Say

28:09 Wrap Up And Next

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