What are some effective ways to solicit feedback from your coachees?

To add to the valuable and insightful contributions, a way to build trust and rapport is to create a space for deep psychological safety without any judgment, regardless of the topic. Aligning shared goals and creating a value-aligned culture within the coach and coachee relationship can elevate trust, collaboration, and achievement.

All positive interventions, but sometimes asking your client for permission to either ask a question or perhaps offer a perspective provides them with a sense of control which in turn in turn builds trust.

I would add to the first step above of building trust and rapport is to set expectations. Let the client know what to expect in your sessions. For example, you're not going to tell them what to do. Instead, within a safe and supportive space, you'll ask questions to facilitate conversations that allow them to explore options, consider alternatives, uncover factors, share, and express themselves freely. Then, during active coaching time, you can practice active listening, open-ended questioning, and other rapport-building and exploratory tools that help the client feel comfortable and willing to provide feedback.

Productive feedback is always helpful, but assisting your client to focus on "specific" areas of feedback may be even more helpful. I've found that by assisting a client to become more aware of the differences between their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral experiences, they are more able to structure their "internal" feedback constructively. This in turn allows the client to better understand the importance of both giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Again, seeking and understanding the client's perspective is always important. This is especially true with regard to feedback and I've found that inquiring how the client prefers to receive and offer feedback is invaluable. Once this preference is identified then you and the client might collaborate on defining a format to encourage and support all levels of feedback.

This is one of the most powerful ways to end a session. 1. Ask what they gained from the session and how they can put it into play immediately > This reiterates the positive and future paces them using it. 2. AND what could we do next time for even more insight? > This question is really at the heart of what we're doing - to best help our clients. It allows us the opportunity to adjust if needed for that purpose and evaluate their growth and progress. Especially if the feedback shifts from a 'do for me' in the beginning to a 'support me' in the present. Thinking of this question in these terms (better support, gauge growth) it becomes an incredible tool.

Actively listening to, engaging with, and taking into account your coachee's contributions is important. Creating a space after every session for a moment of reflection on the meeting has had tremendous results for both my clients and myself. It allows us to deepen our connection and understanding of each other to create a lasting impact. Showing that I am in service to them and fully committed to their journey nurtures a safe and trusting environment, among other things.

The best way to get feedback that you can track, digest and respond to is to send a standard email with three short questions approximately five minutes before the session ends. It has to be easy, it is best if it has the same questions each week, and it has to only ask the questions you really need and want them to answer in order to do something better, different or to focus on continuing to do. The post-session feedback coupled with a quarterly survey that I personally write and send to each client with the questions that is authentic to their experience increases the chances of them responding with equal authenticity. This is an approach when you are focused on a small number of high value clients.

I like starting with a "pre-work survey" in which the individual or group to be coached answers questions about where they think their own abilities rank in different categories. It provides coaches with a safe jump off point for discussions on strengths and areas of concern.

I do exactly the same. The questionnaire works as a great tool to start a conversation as the information was given by the coachee. Thus, they feel comfortable and easy to talk about what they wrote...