What are the signs that I’ve gotten as much as I can from my coach?
“I’ve been working with my coach for about two years now. I’ve learned a ton, and I’m eternally grateful for his support. But now it feels like I’m not getting as much from our sessions. When should I decide it’s time to take a break, or time to look for a coach with a different approach or skill set?”
Thank you for asking this question! In our experience, most clients feel this way at one time or another, but few are courageous enough to ask.
Regarding the question of whether to take a break from coaching: From our perspective, the best coaches are trying to work themselves out of a job by empowering you to be your own coach. For this reason, every coaching engagement has a natural endpoint, which is the point at which you need time to coach yourself. But how do you know if you’ve reached that intersection?
Instead of focusing on what you’ve gotten out of coaching over the past few months, consider the potential ROI over the next year. Start with the end in mind and ask yourself: What do I want to be doing differently a year from now? How might a coach help me to accomplish that goal?
If you can’t think of ways in which you need to grow in order to accomplish your goals, then it could absolutely be time to pause on coaching. Choose a period of time to let go of coaching, and prepare for your next season of coaching by keeping a list of things to bring to your next coaching engagement. Alternatively, schedule a quarterly or bi-annual check in meeting, or keep your coach on retainer for ad-hoc coaching sessions.
Regarding the question of whether to look for a new coach: There are significant pros and cons to finding a new coach. The obvious pro, as you mention, is that not every coach will bring unique elements of style, approach, and skill set to the equation. Could you learn a ton from a new coach? Absolutely!
On the flip side, consider the cons of finding a new coach. A new coach will need to understand you, and this will take time. When you first begin to work with a new coach, it may feel like a step backward instead of a step forward. You can’t expect your next coach to automatically have insight into your personality, strengths, challenges, and blind spots - this is something that took your current coach some time to acquire. Before assuming that your coach has little more to offer, be explicit with your coach about what you need. For example, you might say something like, “I’ve appreciated your willingness to challenge my perspective, but now I need more support around putting the new ideas I have into practice. Can we shift our conversations to be less about idea generation and more about idea implementation?”
Or, if you don’t know what you need, be explicit with your coach about how how you’re feeling. For example, this might sound like, “I’ve learned so much so far, but I feel like I’ve hit a plateau. What opportunities do you see to challenge me further or differently?”
Furthermore, the fact that you’re no longer getting a ton of value from your current sessions may have more to do with you than it has to do with your coach. Consider the following:
To what extent have you translated your learning (insights) into action?
What changes have you made but not made a habit out of?
Would others agree that you’ve “learned a ton”? What feedback are you getting from others?
To what extent have the changes you’ve made had the impact you were seeking?
Reflect on these questions for yourself, then share any insights with your coach. The best coaches will also be candid with you if they feel that you’ve missed opportunities to maximize the ROI of their coaching.
