Partnering with the client to close the session is an important part of every coaching session, no matter if the coach is ACC, PCC or MCC skill level. It’s a way to honor the client and bring closure to their coaching session, so the client is in a resourceful place and becomes ready to move out of their coaching session and on to whatever is next once they leave.
Partnering to close the coaching session is often missed by the coach or misunderstood in what it means. In fact, ICF Core Competency 8: Facilitates Client Growth may be omitted or given minimal time by the coach, which robs the client of integration and preparation for what comes next after their coaching session.
Competency 8 is where the fruits of the exploration done throughout the session can come together as the client is given time to consider what occurred, to compare, contrast and speak about their session progress around their chosen topic/s and their measure of session success. The client can explore their learning, including unexpected discoveries. The client can consolidate their learning and leave the session with clarity about what’s next (actions, further reflection, research…).
Competency 8 also includes the coach authentically acknowledging the client such as client progress, client learning and client way of participating in the session.
Competency 8 includes the coach partnering with their client to close the session.
ICF Information on Partnering to Close the Coaching Session
The last behavior statement under ICF Core Competency 8, Facilitates Client Growth reads: “Partners with the client to close the session.”
For each credential level – ACC, PCC and MCC – the Minimum Skills Requirement (MSR) documents refer to this statement, highlighting that this is a behavior expected to be demonstrated by a coach at every skill level.
For ACC the coach behavior statement reads: “Coach supports the client to close the session.”
For PCC the coach behavior statement reads: “Coach partners with the client on how they want to complete the session.”
For MCC the coach statement reads: “Coach partners with the client to complete the session.”
Just as there is an expectation that the coach partners with the client at the beginning of the session, this same partnering mindset is expected all the way through to ending the session.
To fully embrace the power of Partnering mindset often requires a shift by the coach from leading or directing the client throughout the session, based on what the coach is curious about. In The Upgraded Target Approach to the ICF Core Competencies, I describe in detail two different types of Partnering (defined by me, not the ICF).
Back to Partnering to close the session
Instead of the coach deciding it’s time to close the session, the coach asks the client a fundamental question about whether they are ready to close the session.
An example partnering question: “As we near the end of our time together today, how ready do you feel to begin closing the session?”
This type of question, or something similar, gives the client a chance to become present to this moment, as the client may have been engaged in a lot of thinking, feeling or introspection. Yet there is recognition that the time is nearly over for today, and we support the client bring closure for now, so they can be resourceful and ready to move on to whatever is next immediately after the coaching session ends.
From the ACC perspective:
To ‘support’ the client to close the session holds the same partnering intention; we want to prepare the client to leave in a resourceful state.
The fundamental question applies: How ready does the client feel to begin closing the session? Followed by supporting the client to close the session. This may include asking the client what else they need to share before closing the session? Or what else the client needs to talk about in the minutes remaining? And what does client want to share to close the session today?
What not to do: Coach ends the session saying something like, “Well we’re done for today.” Or “Is there anything else you want to say before we close?” thereby deciding the timing and method of closing the session.
From the PCC perspective:
All written above for ACC applies to PCC, beginning with a version of 
how ready does the client feel to begin closing the session. The added distinction for PCC is partnering with the client on ‘how’ they want to complete the session. While implicit for ACC, this makes explicit that the coach is curious about the client’s way (not imposing the timing, or coach’s way of ending the session).
For example, if a coach asks, “How would you like to complete the session today?” Many clients want to thank their coach. Consider your comfort level with the client recognizing you as their coaching partner. If uncomfortable, consider what needs to be developed in you to be able to humbly receive client recognition of your role in their coaching process.
When other clients are asked how they’d like to complete the session, they may want to share something personal, or breathe together, or share a poem, prayer, quote or move their body in a certain way. All of these possible ways are client chosen, not coach chosen. We trust our client to share whatever feels best for them in the way that feels best to them.
Another possibility is the client says they have received what they wanted from the session, thereby indicating to the coach to move toward completion (and not open a new topic or ask discovery-oriented questions that lead the client away from what they just said). In fact, the coach doing so would contra-indicate being present, listening to and honoring the client.
From the MCC perspective:
All written above for ACC and PCC applies to MCC, who engages from partnering mindset with ease and confidence. The MCC coach trusts their client as a full partner in the coaching process.
The coach is confident knowing how to structure a coaching conversation and stay present, curious and humble. They are present to the whole person of their client (who) first and foremost, while not ignoring the situations (what) they want to gain clarity about.
The MCC coach is:
- responsive to their client throughout the session including how to complete/close the session. The coach does not impose their way of thinking, their timing, or way of completing the session.
- quietly confident inquiring about client progress, learning, and actions. They are comfortable with acknowledging the client and being acknowledged by their client.
- understands the importance of partnering with their client to complete and close the session, so their client is in a resourceful place as they move into whatever is happening for them immediately after the coaching session.
- is listening to their client level of confidence in what they’ve decided on as actions (or reflections, research…) and that their client has sufficient clarity about what they are going to do next.
- keeps the ‘spotlight’ on the client throughout the session, from the very beginning to the very end of the session.
- listens for the opportunity for the client to expand learning beyond their presenting topic, to other situations in their works situations or other life situations. Ability to Expand Learning is one of my Ten Characteristics of MCC Skill Level.
- is deeply attuned to their client in every moment. They are present to what’s occurred for the client during the session and the nature of the topic they explored. If the client is still deeply reflective, the MCC coach realizes it’s not appropriate in that moment to ask about expanded learning opportunities.
Coach partners to manage session time
Coaches I mentor often say they don’t have enough time to ask
questions about progress, learning, action, acknowledging the client and partnering to complete the session.
ICF Core Competency 3.09 says, “[Coach] partners with the client to manage the time and focus of the session.”
An example: “With about [5, 7, 10] minutes remaining in our session, what would be the best use of the time for you?”
Most often the coach does not allow enough time for Competency 8. The coach realizes there is no time remaining so instead of partnering with the client on readiness to close the session, the coach instead goes directly to something like, “What would you like to say to close the session?” This is an example of coach deciding the session is over.
Partnering mindset and managing use of session time begins with the coach being aware of time and asking the client about how they want to use it. Partnering mindset is present throughout the session and might include clarifying use of time if the client brings more than one topic. In which case the coach partners by clarifying how much time the client wants to allocate to each topic?
Moving toward the last part of a coaching session and being aware of time remaining, the coach might explicitly partner such as, “There’s about 10 minutes left in our session today and checking with you if you feel there’s more for you to explore, or if you are ready to talk about your progress, learning and actions?” If the client is in the middle of deep introspection, then hold off asking a process question about use of time remaining. If the client wants to explore more, the coach honors that. If I’ve been present and listening well, I can usually sense the time to ask this type of process question. Most often the client is in fact ready to talk about their progress, learning and actions.
As a result of partnering in this way, coach questions shift toward integration. Some example questions might be:
- “As we move toward the end of our session today, checking with your measure of session success: You said you wanted to have [fill in the blank]. How much progress have you made toward that?” Note: Hopefully this question will be asked sooner than the very end, so there is time to address what the client may say if they haven’t progressed in the way they’d hoped for.
- “What would make this session feel complete for you?”
- “What do you feel we didn’t address sufficiently today?” Followed by partnering with the client whether they are going to take on actions, or if the client wants to wait and carry forward into their next coaching session.
Bonus information about Partnering Mindset
Bonus information about Partnering MindsetThe concept of Partnering with your coaching client is a key concept for ICF and is embedded in their definition of coaching: “Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to recognize and maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Here’s some contextual information for the concept of Partnering.
Partnering mindset respects that our client is an equal partner with their coach in the coaching process while recognizing coach and client have different roles.
The coach is responsible for:
- Creating an environment of safety for the client to share freely about themselves (who) and their situations (what).
- Explaining the overall coaching process and clarifying as often as necessary
- Explaining the structure of each coaching session so the client understands what coaching can deliver as a Professional Coaching Conversation.
- Explaining what Partnering is and discussing with the client.
- Delivering on Partnering mindset throughout the entire session.
- Keeping the client ‘in the spotlight’ rather than the coach spotlighting themselves and knowledge they want to impart.
- Continuing to explain the structure of a coaching conversation including roles – as often as needed – so the client can benefit from a Professional Coaching Conversation.
The client is responsible for:
- Bringing a topic (or topics) that are important for them to discuss and gain clarity around.
- Bringing knowledge about themselves into the conversation, usually as a result of the ability of the coach to ask curious questions, offer non-judgmental and non-directive observations, and provide silence / space for the client to reflect and consider whatever is emerging for them.
- Being given the opportunity to choose what to explore next in their coaching session, and experiencing trusted from their coach as to what they choose.
Because of the safe environment created by the coach, the client can explore – without fear of being judged by their coach – their thoughts, emotions, sensations, beliefs, values, needs, wants, fears, hopes, dreams and more. The output of such exploration is most often the client has realizations (also called insights, new awareness, new learning) that inform more clearly what they might do after the coaching session.
The coach also benefits because they hear if the session was successful, and what might have been missed. This reflection time gives the client an ability to consider how successful the session was for them. This increases the likelihood of the client realizing they may have gained more from the session than first realized and supports the case for coaching as a successful approach.
Written by Carly Anderson, MCC
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