Contracting Call Prep Guide
I'm glad we're here.
Our last conversation was coaching. This one is different. We're not going to work on your material today. We're going to design the container that we will be able to use for our coaching work together, and then decide together whether to build it.
It takes about 45 minutes. Here's what to expect.
What we'll decide together
The focus. What we're actually contracting around: the goal you're committed to, and what you'd need to develop in yourself to get there. Held firmly enough to be real, lightly enough that it can change as things unfold.
The shape. How long we’ll work together, how often we’ll meet, how long each session is. I'll propose something we’ll discuss.
The fee, and how you'd like to pay it.
How we work between sessions. What you can reach me for, how to reach me, and what waits until we meet live.
Confidentiality, and how I handle notes and recordings. I'll walk you through exactly what happens to a recording of our calls, including the AI transcription I use. You can say no to any of it.
The practical stuff. Rescheduling, cancellations, planned time off.
What I'll bring
My understanding of what you're facing, said back to you in my own words. You can correct me before we build anything on top of it.
Developmental goals we can focus on. Most people arrive with a goal about their situation. Something to build, fix, or decide. I'll likely propose we also name what you'd want to develop in yourself, a skill or way of being, in order to get you to your goal, and contract around that too.
What I'm committing to. Not outcomes I can't promise. What I'll actually do: help you find and loosen what's blocking your own resourcefulness, and be at your side as a partner through this journey.
My own needs and requests. I have needs in this relationship too/ Things like: you take equal responsibility for the outcomes. You do the practices you commit to between sessions. This is a practice, and new ways of being take time and commitment.
You can decline any of it. If a request of mine doesn't work for you, say so and we'll find a version that does. This is meant to be a back-and-forth so that we can make agreements that work for both of us.
What I'll ask you to bring
What you want to be different six months from now. Rough is fine. And if you can, a thought on how we'd know it happened: what you'd notice, or what someone close to you would notice. We want your progress to be observable.
What you need from me to make this worth it.
Your doubts about working with me. Genuinely, this is the most useful thing you can bring. Unspoken doubts don't dissolve. If not named, they’ll quietly pull the strings of our work together.
Anything practical I should know: budget, travel, capacity, a hard upcoming season…
how it ends
We'll make a decision on this call. Yes, no, or a specific date when you'll know.
No is a completely fine answer, and it's a much better answer than a yes you talked yourself into. If it's a no, I'd still like to know what didn't fit.
If it's a yes
I'll send you a contract and an invoice, and a link to your onboarding worksheets and your coaching homebase where our session notes, practices, and resources live. Then we'll book our kickoff session.
If you have any questions before our call, please let me know.
Otherwise, I’ll see you soon.
Warmly,
David