◈ TRUECOACH GUIDE · MAY 8, 2026
Coaching can be easy to confuse with just having good conversations. Here's how to objectively evaluate whether your investment is delivering results.
The clearest signs: you are taking actions you wouldn't have taken without coaching, your self-awareness has measurably increased, you are making progress on your stated goals, and you are developing tools and frameworks you can use independently. If none of those things are happening after 6 to 8 sessions, something needs to change.
Red flags: sessions feel like pleasant conversations but produce no real insight or action; you leave feeling heard but not challenged; your goals aren't getting clearer; you're not completing agreed actions and your coach isn't addressing it; or you sense the coach is more focused on the relationship than your results.
Directly and specifically. Most coaches actively want to know what's working and what isn't — it's how they calibrate to you. You might say: 'I found last week's session really valuable when we went deep on the belief pattern — I'd like more of that.' Or: 'I notice I'm leaving sessions with insights but not clear enough next steps.' Good coaches welcome this.
First, examine whether you're completing agreed actions between sessions — this is the most common reason coaching stalls. If you are completing actions and still not progressing, have an honest conversation with your coach. If the relationship isn't working after a genuine attempt to address it, it's legitimate to find a different coach.
A formal reassessment every 4 to 6 sessions is healthy. Ask yourself: Am I clearer on my goals than when I started? Am I taking different actions? Is my self-awareness growing? Am I getting what I came for? A good coach will initiate this conversation if you don't.
Always. You are never obligated to continue a coaching relationship that isn't serving you. Common legitimate reasons to end: you've achieved your goals, you've outgrown what this coach can offer, the fit isn't right, your circumstances have changed, or you simply need a break. A confident, ethical coach will support your decision.
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Explore coaches specialising in this area: Michael Bungay Stanier, Lolly Daskal, Mel Robbins, Martha Beck
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