No matter how successful a coaching session feels while it’s underway, if it doesn’t lead to change after it’s over, it hasn’t been effective. Unfortunately, too many managers don’t adequately follow through and thereby squander the important time they’ve invested in coaching. You can make the process more effective by adopting these practices after every session.

Use this list of tips and questions to help you track the progress of everyone you’re coaching. It will help you offer meaningful support in follow-up meetings, as well as in between meetings.

Right after the meeting:

Write things down. You won’t remember everything you see, hear, and think about your employees’ progress, so write it down in a dedicated place. You might consider using a standard template to capture this information. Good notes will allow you to give more meaningful feedback as you move forward.

After each session, ask yourself:

• What can I do to support this employee’s development between now and our next coaching meeting?
• What did I learn from this meeting that I didn’t know going in?
• What did the person I’m coaching learn? What key messages were reinforced in the meeting?

Ongoing:

These tasks should become a routine part of your management practice, if they aren’t already. Schedule time on your calendar to work on the tasks that are most difficult for you to remember or complete.

Follow up on agreements. Review your written agreements periodically, and follow up on action items. If members of your team have requested specific help from you, make sure you’re getting them what they need.

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