The connection between coach and coachee is one of the most powerful collaborative working relationships there is. And like all collaborations, it takes both sides to be ready and in the right mindset to work. But what does it mean to “be ready” to be coached and how can you make sure you’re ready for your taster session with The Product Refinery? Getting ready is pretty simple— there are just 3 things we want you to keep in mind, which we’ll explore in this short article.

1. Take responsibility for your coaching session

Coaching sessions with The Product Refinery have a specific structure to them so that you get the most out of your time with our coaches, but that doesn’t mean you sit back and relax. As the adage goes, “You only get out what you put in.”

To get maximum benefit from your coaching session, we recommend you come prepared with details about the goals you’re working on, progress to date, and questions/talking points ready. The better prepared you are before the session, the more value you’ll get from your coach.

2. Get ready to experiment

If you’re lucky, your challenge is straightforward and the right solution comes from just one session with your coach. But often, challenges are more nuanced and will take time to find the right solution. This means taking risks and trying new things with the chance they don’t work out the first time.

Your coach will be your sounding board and thought partner — using their past experience in similar situations to creatively problem solve with you. But then it’s down to you to try things out, fail, learn, and then try again.

3. Did someone say growth mindset?

It’s cliché to say, yes, but a growth mindset is imperative to successfully addressing your challenges. How can you possibly change and grow, if you don’t believe it’s in your power to do so? This translates to acknowledging outside factors that contribute to your challenges (the company, your manager, the team, etc), but not being a victim to those factors and allowing them to become blockers.

You are always in control of something that can shift the dynamic and allow you to move forward. Hold yourself accountable, and you will make progress.

Bonus: A simple activity to get ready

Before your coaching session, write down the three biggest challenges you are facing at work right now. Then imagine what your life would look like if you had solved those challenges. Write that next to each of the challenges.

This activity will help you get clear on what you want to focus on, set you up with a positive solution-oriented mindset and get your mind working on some ideas you could use to overcome your challenges. To get your session off to a flying start, you can even email your notes to your coach ahead of time.

If you’ve come to this article after booking a TPR coaching session, you’ll have a link to a guided version of this activity which automatically emails your notes to your coach. Make sure you complete it before your session.

If you’ve not yet booked a TPR coaching session and you’d like to explore whether product coaching is for you, book a coaching consultation call find out how a product coach could help you.