I have mentioned before the practice I have with a colleague of conducting coaching reviews at the end of coaching assignments. Our reciprocal arrangement – to interview each other’s clients – gives clients a space in which they can say whatever comes to mind without fear of offending. It’s an invaluable source of feedback and learning for us, helping us to develop our coaching skills as well as to close our coaching projects fully when this time comes.

As time goes on, I have more and more clients who are ‘returners’ – coming back for more coaching after a break – or longstanding clients. These are people who make an ongoing commitment to coaching. These clients have many reasons for choosing coaching as an ongoing relationship, not least because it affords them the opportunity to step back from life’s immediate demands to re-connect wth a bigger picture. The more I work with these clients, the more I am moving towards a process of mid-term coaching review and finding it invaluable.

This evening I sit with one such coaching review. It’s clear from the responses that my client has taken the opportunity to ask “what do I need at this stage in my coaching?” I drop him a line to thank him for his feedback and to suggest we take some time to agree how best to meet his needs as they are now evolving.

As ever, I am grateful to my colleague for her willingness to devote time to this process. I am grateful for the value it brings to me, to my clients.