Last week’s article sure ended up being a discussion, here are 10 tips for coaching at a client’s home or office. This is how I originally started my coaching career (then called consulting career.)

Hold your horses! I respect that coaches prefer to coach on online because it is convenient to their life. However, a coach who does very deep emotional work does prefer to meet their clients in person. And VERY often clients prefer it regardless of the type of coaching. One the ways of doing so is meet the client in their space. Meaning the client’s home or office.

10 Tips for coaching at a client’s home or office

1. Make sure that the client understands the rules upon meeting in their office or home.

2. No distractions: no (cell)phones, closed-door policy, no noise, no kids, no co-workers interrupting etc.)

3. Preferably a location where there are no other people, or other people can not burst in. It leaves for awkward situations when someone is being coached on a limitation or difficulty with another person who is nearby. Or a deeply personal matter.

4. No paperwork or objects relating to tasks in view.  No objects that remind the client as to what still needs to be done.

5. Beware of anchors (NLP) in the room, you may want to choose a different location when heavily anchored.

7. Ensure of your own safety when meeting the client for the first time. You may want to meet in public first.

8. Make sure there is plenty of space, when you use coaching techniques that may require space, like NLP timeline coaching.

9. Protect the client – coach relationship, which means the meeting is conducted as a coaching session. When meeting at a clients office or home, there is a temptation for the client to feel as if they are talking to a friend or co-worker.