In this episode, I am talking about laser coaching sessions: those short, 15–20-minute conversations that can create a shift when done well.

Most leaders don’t have an hour per team member every week. And even if they want to coach more, they often don’t know how to make a short conversation meaningful. So they either avoid coaching altogether or they end up giving advice because it feels faster.

This episode is about doing it differently.

We look at how to make short conversations intentional, focused, and actually developmental (not disguised micromanagement). Not every topic belongs in a 15-minute space.

I talk about:

• Why shorter sessions require a narrower goal and how to define it
• How to contract explicitly so people understand what you’re doing
• How to create momentum so the conversation doesn’t just circle around the problem
• How to check whether the options feel complete before moving to action
• And how ending with reflection helps people build independent problem-solving capacity

I will also address the risk of going too deep when you don’t have enough time to integrate what you’ve unpacked.

If you’re a leader experimenting with coaching, this episode will give you a simple structure you can try immediately and a way to hold the conversation so it actually moves somewhere.

In the next episode, we’ll talk about something many coaches struggle with: talkative clients who go off on tangents and fill the entire space. How do you hold the space for them without shutting them down? How do you interrupt respectfully? Let’s talk about that.

Enjoy other free materials:

• Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders
• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc
• PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session

Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth):

• ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/
• PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/

In this episode, we explore what it really means for a leader to act as a coach and when it actually makes sense to do so.

Many leaders want to incorporate coaching into their leadership style, yet struggle with the practical question: When should I coach, and when should I simply lead, direct, or mentor? This episode brings clarity to that distinction and offers a structured way to recognize real coaching opportunities in everyday leadership contexts.

We explore:

• The most common trigger situations that signal a coaching opportunity
• Four core coaching intentions you can hold as a leader
• Coaching mindset qualities to cultivate as a leader
• How to “step out of coaching mode” ethically when expertise is needed.

If you are a leader who wants to empower your people without giving up your expertise, this episode offers some real-world examples and practical guidelines.

Coming up next:

In the next episode, we move into laser coaching: how to design and deliver high-impact 15–20 minute conversations that create focus, ownership, and forward movement without turning into surface-level check-ins.

Enjoy other free materials:

• Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders
• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc
• PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session

Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (for coaches who want to work at depth):

• ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/
• PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/

In this episode, we explore what makes a coaching question truly powerful and why lists of powerful questions are useless.

I see powerful questions as an emergent outcome of a coach’s presence, listening, relational attunement, and capacity to stay with uncertainty. Powerful questions do not come from performance or preparation; they arise when the right internal and relational conditions are in place.

Much of the difficulty coaches experience with asking impactful questions has little to do with not knowing what to ask, and much more to do with how they listen, how attached they are to outcomes, and how comfortable they are with ambiguity, discomfort, and vulnerability, both their own and the client’s.

In this episode, I explore:

• What defines a powerful question and how it differs from content-deepening or information-gathering questions
• How trust, relational presence, and generative listening create the conditions for impactful questions to emerge
• The role of timing, attunement, and emotional readiness in whether a question lands or falls flat
• How noticing what is not being said (somatic cues, emotional shifts, gaps, or contradictions) can lead to deeper inquiry
• Practical ways to work with frames of reference, assumptions, and systemic patterns in a client’s thinking
• Why powerful questions are closely linked to the coach’s own tolerance for ambiguity, complexity, and not knowing.

If you find yourself searching for the “right” question, worrying about sounding “insightful enough”, or feeling pressure to perform as a coach, this episode offers a grounded, relational, and psychologically informed way to rethink what powerful questions really are and where they come from.

Coming up next:

In the next episode, we shift to a more practical focus on laser coaching: how to work effectively and with depth in short, focused conversations, particularly relevant for leaders and coaches working within tight time constraints.

Enjoy Other Free Materials:

• Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders
• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc
• PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session

Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (designed for coaches who want to work at depth):

• ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/
• PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/

In this episode, let’s explore one of the most common questions that comes up in coach training and mentor coaching: how to establish clear and meaningful measures of success for a coaching session.

Rather than treating measures of success as a technical requirement or a box to tick during contracting, let’s look at them as a relational practice that serves the client first. Measures of success are not there to help the coach manage the session; they help the client clarify what would make the conversation truly useful, satisfying, or complete for them.

Much of the difficulty coaches experience with measures of success has little to do with not knowing how to ask the question, and much more to do with presence, listening, and the ability to stay with uncertainty. Working with measures of success often mirrors a coach’s own relationship with uncertainty, time, and results.

In this episode, I explore:

• Common patterns that make measures of success feel elusive or “hard to get”
• How presence, deep listening, and curiosity allow success criteria to emerge naturally
• Different ways clients define success, including internal shifts, emotional resolution, learning, clarity, or a felt sense of completion
• Practical ways to recognize and co-create measures of success using the client’s own language

If you find yourself unsure whether you are “doing contracting right,” or if measures of success sometimes feel awkward, forced, or overly formal, this episode offers a grounded and relational way to think about them.

Coming up next:

In the next episode, we shift to a very practical focus on the art of asking powerful questions by looking at what makes a question impactful, deep, and capable of opening something new in the client’s thinking.

Enjoy Other Free Materials:

• Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders
• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc
• PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session

Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (designed for coaches who want to work at depth):

• ACC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/become-a-coach/
• PCC Path: https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/the-path-to-excellence-for-certified-coaches/

This final episode of the year is a reflective exploration of unlearning.

In this final episode of the year, I spend some time with the idea of unlearning as making space for something new to emerge in our coaching. I look at unlearning not as erasing old patterns, but as creating the conditions for new responses to emerge.

Much of what coaches struggle with in training, mentoring, and supervision is not a lack of knowledge, but difficulty letting go of control, performance, over-reliance on technique, or the need to be helpful in familiar ways. This episode looks closely at how those patterns form, what keeps them in place, and what helps loosen them safely.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why unlearning is a necessary part of developing presence, listening, and relational responsiveness
• The difference between knowing something cognitively and being able to embody it
• What experienced coaches often need to unlearn as they move toward greater mastery
• Qualities that support an unlearning mindset

The episode closes with a set of reflective questions you can use to look back on the past year not in terms of what you’ve learned, but what you’ve let go of, softened, or stopped doing in your coaching.

If you’re ending the year in a reflective mood and thinking about how you want to grow next not just in skills, but in how you are as a coach, this episode offers a gentle place to pause before the new year begins.

Coming up next: We start the new year with a practical focus on how to define clear and meaningful measures of success for a coaching session, especially when clients bring topics that feel big, vague, or abstract.

Enjoy Other Free Materials:

• Free Coaching Course for People Leaders: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/basic-coaching-skills-for-new-leaders
• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC, MCC) from UpThink Coaching: podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc
• PCC Marker Demo: upthinkcoaching.podia.com/pcc-marker-demo-session

Next ICF-Accredited Coach Training Programs (designed for coaches who want to work at depth): Spring of 2026, exact dates TBC Check out our website

This episode takes a careful look at the Revised ICF Core Coaching Competencies released in 2025 as a professional reflection on what these changes signal about the maturity of our field and the evolving role of the coach.

I walk through each competency and highlight where language has shifted, where expectations have deepened, and where the emphasis has moved.

We explore why some competencies remained unchanged, why others expanded, and what this tells us about how ICF now understands coaching practice in a global, complex, and increasingly relational context.

In this episode, we cover:

• What remained stable and why that stability matters for the profession
• What’s really new in Competency 2 (Coaching Mindset), and why supervision and reflective practice are no longer optional
• What it means to have bias, culture, technology, and well-being explicitly named as professional responsibilities
• What the addition of “knowledge” in Competency 7 means and what it does not mean.

Throughout the episode, I share reflections from my work as a coach, coach educator, mentor coach, and supervisor, including how these changes intersect with relational dynamics and the often-unseen impact a coach has on the learning space.

If you’re preparing for an ICF credential, mentoring other coaches, supervising practitioners, or simply trying to stay up-to-date about how coaching is evolving, this episode may provide some food for thought about what is being asked of us now professionally.

If the conversation resonates, feel free to share it with a colleague you’re already discussing these changes with.

Coming up next: I’ll choose a final topic to close out the year. The theme is still taking shape. Join me for one more episode before the end of 2025.

Would you like to support the podcast?

Here’s a donation link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/LiubovDiasamidze Explore My Other Resources to Deepen Your Coaching Skills:

• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (https://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc )
• PCC Marker Demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr9Layk-py8)
• Conversations with Credentialed Coaches about Various Coaching Niches and Approaches (https://www.youtube.com/@upthinkcoaching )

Let’s Connect.

• DM me on LinkedIn or visit upthinkcoaching.com to explore supervision, mentor coaching, or our accredited coach training programs.
• If you’re deepening your coaching practice and want accredited training that integrates emotional intelligence, relational depth, and intercultural awareness, visit https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/ Our next PCC Path (Level 2) and ACC Path (Level 1) cohorts begin in spring of They are designed for coaches who care about coaching beyond the tools and techniques. If that’s you, reach out to schedule a call and explore.

Every coach bumps into these questions: “How do I structure my practice? Which business model actually works for me and for my clients?” This episode takes a practical look at the most common B2C coaching business models and what it takes to make them sustainable.

We walk through one-off sessions, fixed-term packages, retainers, tiered offers, and group programs. You’ll hear the pros and limitations of each model, along with the ethical nuances not to be overlooked.

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between one-off sessions and long-term work;
• What makes fixed-term packages predictable and effective and where they can get messy;
• Common ways to make retainers work;
• How group programs can help you scale your impact;
• Practical questions to help you choose a model aligned with your energy, values, financial goals and long-term vision.

You’ll also hear about the emotional and operational load that affects your sustainability as a coach.

If you’re a newer coach designing your practice, or an established coach rethinking how you want your business to run, this episode will help you make a grounded, informed decision rather than guessing or copying what others do.

And if this conversation sparks ideas for you, feel free to pass it along to another coach who might be reimagining their business model too.

Coming up next: We’ll look at the Revised ICF Core Coaching Competencies introduced in 2025: what’s changed, why the updates matter, and how to integrate the new logic into your coaching and mentor coaching practice. This one’s going to be important. Would you like to support the podcast?

Here’s a donation link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/LiubovDiasamidze Explore My Other Resources to Deepen Your Coaching Skills:

• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (https://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc )
• PCC Marker Demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr9Layk-py8)
• Conversations with Credentialed Coaches about Various Coaching Niches and Approaches (https://www.youtube.com/@upthinkcoaching )

Let’s Connect.

• DM me on LinkedIn or visit upthinkcoaching.com to explore supervision, mentor coaching, or our accredited coach training programs.
• If you’re deepening your coaching practice and want accredited training that integrates emotional intelligence, relational depth, and intercultural awareness, visit https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/ Our next PCC Path (Level 2) and ACC Path (Level 1) cohorts begin in spring of They are designed for coaches who care about coaching beyond the tools and techniques. If that’s you, reach out to schedule a call and explore.

Every coach has faced that subtle tension “Am I doing enough for my client?” or “Should I feel responsible if they don’t act?” In this episode, we unpack the delicate balance between care and over-responsibility in coaching.

Coaches often enter the profession because they genuinely want to help people grow. Yet that same empathy can quietly lead to blurred boundaries, such as extending sessions, feeling guilty about charging fees for cancellations, or taking on the client’s motivation as your own. Drawing on the ICF and EMCC Codes of Ethics, this episode explores what true professional responsibility means and what it doesn’t.

You’ll hear about:

• Common ways coaches unintentionally take on too much responsibility;
• What professional codes actually say about coach and client responsibilities;
• How over-functioning affects the coaching relationship and client agency;
• Practical ways to stay grounded and trust the coaching process.

If you’ve ever hesitated to remind a client of an agreement, felt guilty enforcing boundaries, or wondered how to hold care and professionalism at once, this episode is for you.

We also touch on the inner work behind these dynamics: self-trust, validation, and the fear of not being “enough.” At its heart, sustainable coaching isn’t about doing more, but about doing what’s ours.

If this conversation resonates, share it with another coach who might need the reminder that caring deeply doesn’t mean carrying the client.

Coming up next:

In the next episode, we’ll shift from what happens in sessions to the outer structure of your coaching business and various business models. We’ll look at how to design coaching engagements and fee structures that honor your time, reflect your values, and create clarity for clients from the start.

You might find this useful:

Episode 15 “Three-Party Agreements”: https://upthinkcoachingpodcast.podbean.com/e/three-party-agreements-coaching-in-organizations/

Would you like to support the podcast?

Donation link (China-based): https://yoopay.cn/event/78450053 International: Paypal.me Explore My Other Resources to Deepen Your Coaching Skills:

• Mock ICF Credentialing Exam (https://upthinkcoaching.podia.com/mock-icf-credentialing-exam-pcc-mcc )
• PCC Marker Demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr9Layk-py8)
• Conversations with Credentialed Coaches about Various Coaching Niches and Approaches (https://www.youtube.com/@upthinkcoaching )

Let’s Connect.

• DM me on LinkedIn (Luba Diasamidze) or visit upthinkcoaching.com to explore supervision, mentor coaching, or our accredited coach training programs.
• If you’re deepening your coaching practice and want accredited training that integrates emotional intelligence, relational depth, and intercultural awareness, visit https://upthinkcoaching.com/coach-training-development/ Our next PCC Path (Level 2) and ACC Path (Level 1) cohorts begin this fall, designed for coaches who care about coaching beyond the tools and techniques.