For many years now, I have taught executives, managers and HR professionals how to create and use the Same Day Summary (SDS), as explained in this article. Since becoming a Stakeholder Centered Coach, I have found the SDS to be of great value here as well. The positive things a coach brings to an engagement include clarity, organization, and accountability. The SDS helps with all three.
For example, let’s say you as coach have a conversation with your coachee in which she says she will do her 30-day stakeholder check-ins the following week and send you a summary by the following Monday. You agree that once you receive the summary, you’ll reply to schedule a real-time discussion.
Hopefully, everyone remembers to do what they agreed to do within the timeframe they agreed. Rather than leave things to chance, however, what if you send her this email message right after the conversation:
To: Coachee
From: Coach
Date: Today
Subject: Follow-up with Stakeholders
Dear Coach,
Here’s a summary of takeaways from today’s conversation. Let me know if I missed or misstated anything.
- In the following week, you will meet individually with each of your Stakeholders for the 30-day check-in.
- By the following Monday, you will email to me a summary of the feedback and feedforward you received.
- I’ll reply with proposed days and times for us to have a real-time discussion.
This simple message takes minutes to write. Yet the return can be huge. It clarifies expectations. It helps with scheduling. It reinforces accountability without being overbearing. And it demonstrates the coach’s commitment to helping the coachee succeed.
Another benefit of the SDS practice: It helps discipline you during the conversation. When you start to think about what will be in your SDS, you’re less apt to leave things vague or general. It won’t be “in the next week or so.” It won’t be “sometime the following week.” And it won’t be “we’ll get around to scheduling things later.” The SDS creates structure and discipline for both coach and coachee. This includes confirming your own commitments as coach: “As I said, by this Wednesday, I will have a report to you based on the 360-degree input I received.”
The Same Day Summary – Add it to your coach’s toolbox.
