Coaching Essentials (CE)

– Eight weeks long, one 90-minute class each week, with 2 trainers via Zoom (See course calendar for holiday accommodations)
– Seven 90-minute Skills Building Group (SBG) meetings, one each week, with two other classmates
– Class time training includes instruction, discussion and question time, coaching demonstration, and assignment review
– Between-class assignments (see below for details)

– Typically, you will receive start-up instructions and tasks 2 weeks, and again 1 week, prior to the first class
– Allow 3+ hours to complete all Coaching Essentials start-up tasks
– Read through the CE Course Overview and the two start-up documents (allow an hour)
– Complete the New Student Info Form and sign and return the document Understanding & Agreements (15 minutes)
– Communicate your Skills Building Group (SBG) scheduling preferences via email (a few minutes) and then coordinate with your group to set up your meeting schedule
– Organize your training materials, including downloading/printing/reviewing those needed for Class 1 (allow an hour)
– Get a headset with microphone to use during class (optional, but highly recommended)
– Log in to the CE Coaches Learning Lab (CE CLL), complete your student profile, and look around (15 minutes+)
– Listen to the recorded CE Orientation Telesession (15 minutes)

– Assignment completion times vary from student to student, but expect to spend 4-5 hours each week (in addition to the (1½-2-hour class) to complete all
– Complete brief reading assignments (short articles and handouts), usually 1-2 each week (1/2 hour)
– Complete forum post assignments, usually 1-2 brief posts each week, and review classmates’ posts (1/4-3/4 hour)
– Prepare for your weekly SBG meeting (¼ hour) and attend/participate in it (1½-2 hours)
– Listen to the recording of your SBG meeting and complete the SBG Report (1 hour)
– Listen to the recorded coaching demonstration and capture questions and comments for class discussion (1/2 hour)
– Review new documents that will be used in each upcoming class (1/4 hour)

– Complete an online course evaluation (15-30 minutes)
– Complete a written, take-home, open-book assessment provided after Class 7 (average 4-6 hours to complete, range of hours reported is 3-20)
– Be sure all other course assignments are completed

After completing Coaching Essentials, you are eligible to take two other courses:
– Strengths-Based Coaching — the second of the five foundation courses, described briefly above and on its own page Strengths-Based Coaching
– Coaching Skills Lab, an elective foundation course decribed briefly in the next Q&A and in more detail on its own page Coaching Skills Lab.

CSL‘s lab-style training is for those who have completed Coaching Essentials. Designed to support new coaches at any point in their foundation program training, classes are limited to five students. This inexpensive course strengthens coaching confidence and competence between courses (or if you stopped foundation training with CE).
– In each class, a live coaching session takes place with a student coach and client. The trainer provides instruction and feedback and leads discussion with all present.
– For many years, Denslow Brown, MCC (the Coach Approach co-founder) has been the CSL trainer.
– Coaching Skills Labs is offered throughout the year in various configurations (weekly, every other week, monthly). The registration fee is determined by the number of sessions ($90-150).