A Sample Hybrid (AI)  Coaching Conversation

In this example, we explore how AI can support your journey as a leader in education. While AI won’t replace the depth and empathy of a human coach, it can help you reflect, generate new ideas, and focus your thoughts between coaching sessions.

We’ll take you through a mock coaching conversation that demonstrates how to use AI tools to guide your thinking, which you can later take to your coach for deeper exploration. This hybrid approach suggests an effective way to write your prompts, hold a conversation with Ai and allows you to maximize the impact of your coaching by combining AI-driven insights with personalized, human-centered guidance.

The Mock Conversation

User: Hi, I am a Vice Principal in an international school in the South of China and currently having regular executive coaching with a coach which I find very useful. Between sessions, I want to make use of you (ChatGPT) to explore topics that I can subsequently take back to my coach for further exploration. Are you ready? Do you have any questions for me about this process before we start?

AI Response: Hello! It’s great that you’re looking to make the most of your time between coaching sessions. Using AI to explore topics can be a really effective way to deepen your reflections and bring more focus to your discussions with your coach.

I don’t have any specific questions before we start, but here’s a quick thought: As we go through this process, it can be helpful to know if there are any particular areas or challenges you want to prioritize. Is there a specific topic or situation you’re currently facing that you’d like to start with? Let me know where you’d like to focus, and we’ll dive in!

User: On reflection, I am enjoying work even though it is pretty busy, of course. I would like to discuss with you a more effective and efficient way of setting up meetings with my heads of department. They are a great team, but I feel that we may not be making the most of our time in weekly meetings.

AI Response: It sounds like you’re in a good place with your team, which is a great foundation for making improvements. Let’s see how we can make those meetings more effective and efficient.

To get a clearer picture, let me ask a few questions to help guide our discussion:

1. Purpose: What are the main goals or objectives of your weekly meetings with the heads of department? Are they mainly for updates, decision-making, problem-solving, or something else?
2. Structure: How do you currently structure these meetings? Is there a set agenda, and if so, who creates it? Do you find that you often deviate from the planned topics?
3. Engagement: How would you describe the level of engagement from your heads of department during these meetings? Are they active participants, or do you feel like some voices dominate while others remain quiet?
4. Time Management: Do you notice any specific areas where time tends to be wasted in these meetings? For example, are there recurring discussions that seem to go in circles, or topics that could be handled outside the meeting?

User:

1. We cover most of those objectives, though not every week.
2. I set the agenda partly based on the previous week’s outcomes and also any issues arising during the week.
3. It’s a bit frustrating when one or two of the keen ones do not contribute as much as I think they could.
4. On reflection, I guess the conversations do go on sometimes longer than they might or go off track. There are times when it feels like it’s becoming a whining session! I want to let people have the opportunity to ‘off-load’ but it does cost time. I guess there may be a balance to achieve here.

AI Response: It sounds like you’re already very aware of the dynamics within your team meetings, which is a great starting point. Let’s break this down and explore a few strategies that could help you make the meetings more focused and inclusive while still allowing space for your team to express concerns.

1. Clarify the Meeting Objectives:
• Define the primary goal of each meeting before it starts.
• Segment the agenda into time-blocked sections, with each part dedicated to a specific objective.
2. Encourage Balanced Participation:
• Introduce a structured way to involve quieter members without putting them on the spot, like a round-robin style check-in.
• Use open-ended questions that invite everyone’s input to create a more inclusive space.
3. Managing Off-Track Conversations:
• Use a “Parking Lot” technique to note down issues that aren’t directly related to the agenda but are important to discuss later.
• Set time limits for each discussion point to keep the meeting productive and on track.
4. Balance Between Venting and Problem-Solving:
• Allow brief moments for venting, followed by a structured move towards finding solutions.
• Set a rule like “5 minutes of venting, then 10 minutes of problem-solving” to ensure a constructive balance.

User: This has been useful. Could you give me a summary of the outcomes of this conversation, including what you recommend I take to my coach? Also, if you have any suggestions for resources or further support on this topic, thanks.

AI Response:

Summary of Key Outcomes

1. Clarify Meeting Objectives:
• Define clear objectives for each meeting using a segmented agenda.
2. Encourage Balanced Participation:
• Use structured methods to involve quieter team members.
3. Managing Off-Track Conversations:
• Implement the “Parking Lot” technique and time limits for discussion points.
4. Balance Between Venting and Problem-Solving:
• Allow venting but guide quickly towards solutions.

What to Take to Your Coach

• Meeting Structure: Strategies to refine meeting format and time management.
• Engagement Techniques: How to bring quieter members into the conversation.
• Managing Venting: Ways to handle venting sessions constructively.

Suggested Resources for Further Support

1. Books on Effective Meetings: Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni and The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven Rogelberg.
2. Online Courses and Workshops: LinkedIn Learning courses on leading productive meetings.
3. AI Tools for Meeting Management: Otter.ai for transcription and Trello or Asana for task tracking.

Next Steps: Experiment with the suggestions in your next few meetings and bring these reflections to your coach for deeper exploration.