Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Perfect Coaching Session
67 Plays2 months ago
Delivering the perfect coaching session—hitting all the markers, checking every box, and meeting every standard. Is that really what perfection looks like?
In this episode of PRIME SPACE, host Elias Scultori unpacks the myth of the technically flawless session and reframes what makes coaching truly powerful. From the unpredictability of human connection to the balance of form and flow, Elias explores why “perfect” isn’t about precision—it’s about presence, flexibility, and creating lasting value for the client.
Tune in to discover how to let go of rigid expectations and embrace the kind of session that transforms—messy, human, and perfectly imperfect.
#Coaching #ProfessionalCoaching #ICF #CoachingPresence #LeadershipDevelopment #PRIMESPACE #EliasScultori #PerfectSession #PRIMECoachingAcademy #standards
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Prime Space Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to Prime Space, a Prime Coaching Academy podcast with your host, Elias Scultori.
The Pressure of Coaching Standards
00:00:14
Speaker
Coaches, today I'm going to teach you how to facilitate the perfect coaching session.
00:00:27
Speaker
What do you think? Ready? Well, we get a lot of this in coach training. And students and mentees, people applying for their ACC, PCC, MCC, it doesn't matter, really concerned about doing it right.
00:00:49
Speaker
What is the right thing to do? I'm doing this wrong. I'm doing this right. And then it's understandable. Because the whole focus during ah these periods of time are, you know, focused on standards, polishing our skills, certification path, what are the assessor's expectations, am I doing it right? So much pressure.
Critique of Perfectionism in Coaching
00:01:14
Speaker
And i i remember giving myself that pressure at times. yeah so much So much so that pressure that um to the point that we get stuck and we lose our confidence.
00:01:31
Speaker
All because we are trying to do that perfect session.
00:01:37
Speaker
And this is all very noble. it's ah It's the old story of trying to do it right in our efforts to do a good job and our commitment to being you know good professionals.
00:01:51
Speaker
We end up aspiring to match every standard and check all the boxes, that ideal that we try to pursue.
00:02:05
Speaker
Well, but I'm sorry to disappoint you, coach.
The Reality of Human Interactions in Coaching
00:02:10
Speaker
ah From that perspective, I don't believe that there is a perfect coating session.
00:02:19
Speaker
And the reason why I say this is because even if we mark all the markers and check all the boxes... I'm positive that there will always be something we could have done better.
00:02:35
Speaker
Better listening or a better question, setting up a better focus for the conversation or perhaps showing more support or to be trying to be less intrusive in the coaching conversation, creating more space for the client. There is always a way to do our language could be better, more succinct.
00:02:59
Speaker
That observation that we gave could have been placed a little bit more clearly.
00:03:07
Speaker
There is no and to this technical pursuit.
00:03:12
Speaker
And you might ask, like, why, Elias? You know, i i shouldn't it just be about learning the skills and applying them? That should be simple. We say, right, one of the tenets of Prime Coaching Academy, coaching is simple but not easy.
00:03:28
Speaker
Yes and no. Yes, there are techniques and skills to develop, but no, because coaching, another tenant that we have coaching, is a human-to-human experience.
00:03:45
Speaker
And humans are messy. Coaching is unpredictable. Every time we have a session, perhaps with the same client, the client is going to show up differently. We are going to show up differently. There are so many nuances, so many factors playing in the moment of coaching, so many connections ah that are happening in the moment.
00:04:13
Speaker
at That's why there is no one way for us to do
The Core of Effective Coaching
00:04:18
Speaker
anything. There is no way, one way for us to, for example, establish a session agreement.
00:04:24
Speaker
No set of questions. We'll work all the time, every time. The skill is not to do it predictably,
00:04:37
Speaker
The skill is in the ability to be flexible, play by ear, adjust, customize. And in doing so, things are never going to be completely in control and completely clear and and and and right.
00:04:59
Speaker
What is right?
00:05:02
Speaker
So i I would encourage you to let go of this perspective of the right, the technically perfect session. If that exists, I am not sure if I want it.
00:05:18
Speaker
You know, you you may know that I am um i'm a pianist, I'm a classically trained pianist, and in the classical music world, we have several examples of people playing the piano and we look at them and it's like, wow, it's technically flawless, it's amazing.
00:05:37
Speaker
incredible but you if you listen ah it's missing something it's missing ah there is no no no communication there is no message there is it doesn't touch us right because it's just a display of technique and bravo it's amazing but that human connection it's missing And I think it's the same thing with coaching.
00:06:04
Speaker
If we just pursue this technically flawless conversation, i'm not sure if that is going to really be profound and transformational.
00:06:20
Speaker
However, having said that, I do believe there is a perfect coaching session.
00:06:31
Speaker
And you know which one that is? The perfect coaching session is the session that is perfect for the client in that moment.
Prioritizing Client Value over Standards
00:06:42
Speaker
The session that brings value to our clients.
00:06:46
Speaker
The session that makes the client satisfied. The client that... ah the the The session that supports the client to be able to see themselves more broadly.
00:07:01
Speaker
And that vision, that broader vision, is impactful to them. The session that supports the client to make different connections, to gain a better understanding of themselves, of their situation, and therefore move forward with more intentionality.
00:07:27
Speaker
A lot of times, those sessions, these valuable sessions, are not technically perfect at all.
00:07:40
Speaker
And that's something that we don't talk much about, especially in coach training or in the coaching, the professional coaching arena at all. we We focus so much in what are the standards? Did this person mark the marker? Did it mark the marker?
00:07:57
Speaker
Did mark the marker? Did this person follow this bar? Didn't follow the bar? Is the session open-ended, closed-ended? We talk so much about about these skills and these standards, and we miss talking about what is the value that we have created or what is the open door or what is the space that we have created that creates value for the client? Because that is that is the bottom line.
Balancing Art and Science in Coaching
00:08:24
Speaker
like The goal is to support that individual to grow, to learn, and to connect.
00:08:34
Speaker
We commit to learning and being more effective with these skills
00:08:41
Speaker
so that we have more tools to support them, so we can be more effective.
00:08:48
Speaker
It is something that we need to be mindful of. Perhaps with the we are so eager to do it right, to following the rules, that that this becomes more prominent or so prominent that we forget what this is all about.
00:09:11
Speaker
We miss the point.
00:09:16
Speaker
This is no reason for us to lower our standards and to be sloppy with our technique. Without solid skills, without command of our technique, without being current with ah industry standards, the possibility of us creating value is highly diminished.
00:09:36
Speaker
That's why at Prime Coaching Academy, we are focused on this idea of the form and the flow, the science and the art of coaching. It's both. And some of us may lean more towards art. Some of us may lean towards science.
00:09:53
Speaker
And we need to be mindful of it so that we can counterbalance it and bring both of them.
Commitment to Growth and Empathy in Coaching
00:10:00
Speaker
Both form and flow will create ah perfect coaching session, which he is imperfect.
00:10:09
Speaker
So here here's the deal. i Here's how you create a perfect coaching session. Number one. Commit to your coaching education, ongoing coaching education. Doesn't matter what is the certification level, how many years of experience you have.
00:10:26
Speaker
Commit to your coaching education. Commit to being up to date with industry standards. I don't care if you agree, disagree, if you if you think that this is hard or easy.
00:10:40
Speaker
ah it is right there in these discussions that we are having and and we are creating and we are ah understanding These standards, it is right there that the industry is happening and it's crucial for us to be there.
00:10:57
Speaker
I believe it's our duty as professional coaches to do so, to be committed to being up to date to industry standards. Commit to your growth and development as a human being. we are committed.
00:11:12
Speaker
in a line of work that is all about humanity and human development. So we have to show up that way. And we have to understand or seek to understand what it means to be human.
00:11:28
Speaker
That's what it's all about. Commit to being to building the muscle of empathy, compassion, kindness, embracing the other,
00:11:43
Speaker
Commit to going beyond your points of view, seeing the world with a wider lens. Commit to your client, to their resourcefulness, to their potential, to the brilliance of this individual in front of you.
00:12:01
Speaker
Commit to that moment of coaching, to being fully, fully present with the best of your your abilities. I'm here. I just put a blog post, The Art of Being Here, ah prime the Prime Edge, our Prime Coaching Academy blog. I highly encourage you to to read that. Commit to being here.
00:12:24
Speaker
Commit to listening.
00:12:28
Speaker
And simply respond.
00:12:33
Speaker
I'm a firm believer if you put all of this together, the likelihood of you facilitating the perfect moment, which he is very imperfect, is much higher.
00:12:50
Speaker
So, let me know how it goes. Reach out, send me a message, talk to me, ask questions. It's always wonderful to hear from you. And of course, subscribe, write us a review, and share this episode with other coaches. It would be highly, highly appreciated.
00:13:12
Speaker
Thank you so so much for listening, and will see next time.