The first coaching session is an opportunity for you and your coach to get to know each other. This process unfolds as you reflect on questions like the ones below (in addition to any other information you may have provided to your coach in advance). These reflections lay a foundation, identifying topics, situations, passions, goals, and vulnerabilities that you might address in subsequent sessions. Your coach will expand this inquiry with additional questions and observations – and you may have questions for your coach as well.
It’s not important that you prepare any answers in advance. Your answers in the moment, and the discussion they will spur with your coach, will meet the needs of coaching. You may also find that you and your coach choose to focus on different questions than those listed here.
- What is your scholarship? What do you work on and why is it important or interesting to you?
- How did you first get interested in this topic? How and when did you choose to make a career in academia?
- Why did you choose your current institution? In what ways has it met your hopes and expectations? What has been surprising? What, if anything, has been disappointing?
- What is your department like? What do you like about it, or not? What do you wish you understood more? How connected do you feel within this department? Who are your allies?
- How do you feel about writing? What’s your writing practice like? Do you have a writing community?
- Describe the colleagues and students you work with most closely (your graduate students, research team, etc.)
- What are your current career goals or challenges?
- What do you find most challenging about being a faculty member?
- How does your social identity impact your experience as a faculty member?
- Describe your life outside of academia – friends, family, interests/hobbies.
- Describe your overall health and well being. How do you feel about your overall health? Your exercise and sleep habits? Your nutrition? How do you relieve stress?
Goals for Next Session
Depending on the content of the conversation, your coach may summarize and identify goals for the next session.
