What to Do Before a Coaching Session: A Simple Guide
Whether it's your first coaching session or your fifth, you might be wondering: “Is there anything I should be doing to get ready?” The short answer is: yes, but not in a way that feels like homework.
Coaching isn’t about having the “right answers” or arriving with everything perfectly packaged. It’s a space for exploration, reflection and growth. That said, a little intentional preparation can help you get the most out of your session, and make the experience feel more purposeful and powerful.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through some simple, thoughtful ways to prepare for a coaching session, especially if you're working with a professional coach for personal development, leadership, or team growth.
1. Get clear on why you’re coming
Start by asking yourself:
“What brought me to coaching in the first place?”
You might have a clear focus, like preparing for a leadership role, navigating a team challenge, or making a career decision. Or it may be more open-ended: feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or simply ready for change.
You don’t need a polished goal - your coach can help with that- but it helps to come in with a sense of what you’re hoping to explore and think about.
Try asking yourself:
What’s been on my mind lately?
What feels difficult, confusing, or important?
What am I hoping will feel different after this session - or this coaching journey?
How will we know by the end of the session, that it’s been useful?
Jot down a few thoughts. Even if they're messy, they’ll help you and your coach set direction together.
2. Reflect on what’s changed since your last session (if you’ve had one)
If this isn’t your first session, take a few minutes to look back.
Ask yourself:
What’s happened since our last conversation?
What did I try, change, or notice?
What have I learnt about myself?
What progress have I made, and what’s still feeling sticky?
Coaching is all about momentum. Even if things haven’t gone the way you hoped, reflecting honestly on your experience helps keep the work real and rooted in your day-to-day life.
3. Capture key themes or questions
Sometimes, life feels like a noisy inbox, full of competing thoughts, emotions and decisions. Writing things down can help you spot the signals in the noise.
Before your session, take 10-15 minutes to write down:
What’s taking up most of your headspace or energy right now?
Are there patterns you’re noticing in your behaviour or thinking?
Is there a question you’ve been circling, avoiding, or coming back to?
For example:
“Why do I keep putting this off?”
“How can I be more confident and speak up in that meeting?”
“What do I want from this next stage of my career?”
You might not know the answer, but naming the question is a powerful first step.
4. Bring a real situation to explore
Coaching works best when it’s grounded in your real life, not hypothetical situations. If you’re not sure where to start, consider bringing a specific situation you’d like to unpack.
For example:
A challenging conversation you’ve been putting off
A decision that’s weighing on you
A moment where you felt stuck, overwhelmed, or out of alignment
Bringing a real example allows your coach to help you explore your thoughts, assumptions, emotions and behaviour, and consider new perspectives or approaches.
5. Don’t worry about being “coaching-ready”
This one’s important: you don’t have to come into coaching with it all figured out.
You don’t need to be articulate, confident, or even clear. Coaching is not an interview or performance, it’s a partnership. The coaching session should feel safe, non-judgemental and supportive.
Some of the most powerful sessions begin with someone saying:
“I’m not sure what I want to talk about today.”
“I just feel stuck.”
“Can we figure this out together?”
A good coach will meet you exactly where you are, and help you build clarity from there.
6. Give yourself space before and after
Where possible, try not to rush into or out of your coaching session.
Before:
Give yourself 10-15 minutes to slow down, breathe and reflect.
Revisit your notes or questions if you’ve made any.
Take a moment to transition from “doing mode” to “thinking mode.”
After:
Avoid diving straight into a meeting or inbox.
Give yourself time to process the conversation - what resonated, what surprised you, what you might want to do next?
Jot down key insights or actions while they’re still fresh.
Even a short buffer can make a big difference to how much you absorb and apply.
7. Optional: Gather any tools or notes
If you've had previous coaching sessions or completed reflection tools (e.g. strengths profiles, values exercises, 360 feedback), it can be useful to revisit them.
You might also want to bring:
A notebook or device for notes
Any actions you committed to from your last session
A reminder of your overall coaching goals or themes
But don’t worry if you don’t have any of that. The coaching space is flexible and responsive. It’s about what you need most on the day.
8. Trust the Process
Coaching isn’t about fixing you, it’s about supporting you to think deeply, lead more consciously and move forward in ways that feel right for you.
That means sometimes you’ll leave a session energised, clear and full of ideas. Other times, you may leave still mulling things over, and that’s just as valid.
Some of the biggest shifts happen not in the session, but in the space between them.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for a coaching session doesn’t need to be a big task, it’s more about creating the time and space to tune in, reflect and show up with openness.
Whether you’re facing a challenge, exploring a new goal, or just trying to make sense of what’s next, coaching offers a unique space to pause, think differently and move forward with intention.
So take a breath, trust yourself and bring you to the session. That’s more than enough.
Ready to start coaching or deepen your journey?
If you're thinking about starting coaching or want to explore how it could help you or your team, get in touch - we'd love to talk.