“I’m a little lost.” Paige’s admission came several months into our coaching extension—a period that should have been marked by clear progress but now felt shrouded by uncertainty. While she remained committed to her development goals, she noticed the sense of urgency that once propelled her forward had faded, leaving a sense of frustration. She wanted to show up prepared for our sessions but wasn’t sure where to focus.

As her coach, I was feeling as though the sharpness of our first few months together was starting to wear off. It was taking longer in each session to get to her “most important thing”, and while I knew her goals were still personally important to her, we were becoming less clear on what meaningful, observable progress she wanted to make in the second phase of our engagement. Though this was a positive indicator that we had become comfortable with each other, it signaled that something needed to shift.

Sound familiar? This moment of uncertainty isn’t unique to Paige’s experience. At Vantage, we frequently encounter professionals wrestling with the fundamental challenge: how to prepare and align effectively. As the saying goes, “you get out what you put in”, which is true both for coaches and their clients. But, how do you know what to put in? We tend to treat coaching as an investment—whether financial, personal, or temporal—by the coach, the client, and their organization. Whether engaging in coaching for the first time or re-energizing around goals, how do you maintain focus and prepare strategically to get the most out of your investment?

  • Contract well. Be sure that your coach sets clear expectations from the outset— define the duration of the contract, outline periodic check-ins with your direct manager and HR, and clarify the practices around closing or renewing the engagement. Make sure there is open dialogue up front about how you should come prepared to meet with your coach. This sets up the accountability structure so there are no surprises, and you know what to prepare for and when.
  • Use tools to prepare. Ask your coach for any frameworks or tools that will help you prepare for each session. One of Vantage’s most used tools are the MITs and ABCs: In Get a Coach, Be a Coach (2020), Jeff Adcock, Kelly Andrews, and Roger Connors outline a framework for “coaching triggers” that help a coachee determine their “Most Important Thing”, or MIT. This can be an activity you are doing for the first time, a place where you have gotten stuck, or something you want to accelerate. Then, you outline your “ABCs”:
    • Point A: where you are now
    • Point B: where you want to be and by when
    • Context: what you’ve done so far around your MIT

This allows you to determine what the most relevant priorities are for each session and create structure around where you want your coach to support. At its core, you should come prepared with a few key objectives for each session and any questions or feedback you want your coach to provide. And—make prep a no-brainer. Carve out 5-10 minutes in your calendar—ideally two days before your session—as a non-negotiable ritual for reflection, ensuring you’re not scrambling but strategically positioned for meaningful growth.

  • Check on your development plan. Your development plan is your own contract to yourself, to your coach, and to your company. These are intentional actions that translate into development. Are your goals still relevant? Are they meaningful? Are they actionable? Your coach should have a structured way to check back in on these, typically at the beginning, middle, and end of your engagement together. But each session should be used to work on an aspect of your overall goals. If this link is not as clear anymore, it may be time to refresh or review.
  • Re-engage in an assessment. At Vantage, the initial assessment process is key to how we help coachees determine strengths to leverage and opportunities to address. A midpoint or endpoint 360 assessment can help you gauge your progress through the eyes of your colleagues, as well as identify behaviors that need refining. It also gives you a chance to reflect on your successes to date, which can reinforce your momentum and be a strong motivational tool.
  • Engage your Manager. Your direct manager plays a critical role in maintaining your developmental momentum. Beyond occasional check-ins, they should be an active partner in your coaching journey—helping to clarify organizational context, providing performance insights, and reinforcing the connections between your coaching goals and broader professional objectives. Engage them as a strategic ally, sharing your key developmental focus areas and inviting their perspective on how your growth aligns with team and organizational needs.
  • Be honest, and be reflective. At the end of the day, the person who is primarily responsible for your growth is you—your coach and your manager are there to facilitate, support, and provide tools for self-development. If you’re not feeling engaged, if you’re confused about how to get the most out of your time together, or if your goals have shifted, do your best to share this with your coach. Additionally, priorities change—if now is no longer the right time for coaching, or you need a pause, say so. Stay connected to yourself throughout the process by using a short reflective exercise after each session. Write down what worked well and what didn’t, how you felt about it, what you might need more of or less of next time you meet, and what you might change for next session.

A great coach will support you with all of the above, providing tools, structure, and prompting to ensure you’re getting the most out of your time.

Ultimately, successful coaching is a collaborative journey that requires commitment, reflection, and strategic alignment between coach, coachee and their organization. While individuals drive their own growth, organizations can create the frameworks for success. Reach out today to shape tomorrow’s leadership.