17 Prompts for Coaches: Reflection and Journaling

John Bennett/ August 13, 2024/ Development, Executive Coaching

Journaling is a Powerful Tool to Foster Reflection and Growth

Reflection and feedback are powerful tools to help us continue growing and developing. Adults learn best through their experiences—often through their failures. I encourage all coaches and people leaders to journal about their experiences, the meaning they make of those experiences, and how they will use what they learn.

Here are 17 prompts that help you reflect on your experiences coaching:

What elements of the coaching for change process worked well for me and why? What did not and why? What will I do differently next time?
How did my mental models, filters, and biases impact how I processed what my client said and did? What will I try next time?
In what ways did I insert my opinions into the coaching conversation? How could I remain neutral in the future?
How well did I employ one or more coaching skills—e.g., listening for understanding, asking powerful questions, reframing, and providing feedback? What did I do well? How will I continue to improve?
What did I observe in my client that shows up in me? How did it impact my coaching? What will I do to address this in myself? How will knowing this impact my coaching in the future?
In what ways was I bold in my coaching? What were the impacts? How can I leverage this in the future?
What about coaching feels comfortable? What makes it comfortable? What feels less (un)comfortable? What makes it less comfortable? What will I do with this awareness?
How does my familiarity with the topics, goals, situations, etc., that my client is dealing with influence my coaching? What will I do with the awareness?
What feedback have I received about your coaching? How did the feedback make me feel? What will I do to get more helpful feedback? What will I do with the feedback?
What theoretical approach(es) to coaching—e.g., cognitive behavioral, person-centered, appreciative, transactional analytic—did I use? What were the impacts? How could I employ it/them more effectively? What will I do next time?
How have I applied what I am learning about coaching in non-coaching interactions? What are the implications? How will I continue using the mindset and skillset of coaching in non-coaching interactions?
What is present for me right now? What does it mean to be me? What will I do with this awareness?
What have I done to be fully present with my coaching client? How has it worked? What are the implications for the future? What will I do to continue being as fully present as possible?
How am I “connected”? What is contributing to this connection? What are the implications for my professional relationship with my client? What will I do about this going forward?
What would it be if I stopped doing something to improve my effectiveness as a coach? What makes this essential for me? What action will I take?
How would I describe my coaching style? In what ways do my behaviors support this style? What style do I want to employ? What will this require of me?
What reduces my ability to listen to my coaching client truly? What is the impact? What will I do the same and differently going forward?

I hope you will take a few minutes after your coaching sessions to consider one of the prompts. Perhaps you will keep a journal of your experiences. Journaling is a powerful tool to foster reflection and growth. These prompts are simply here to help you get started and focus your reflections. As you reflect and journal, I’m sure you will begin to develop your prompts.

I’d love to know your thoughts, so please leave your comments below.

For more information about coaching, consult my book, The Manager’s Guide to Coaching for Change (2024).

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