Coaching
The check-in message clients actually answer
Stop sending “how was the week?”. Structure, timing, and the three questions that get real answers.
“How was the week?” is friendly, but it asks the client to write the agenda, choose the level of detail, and decide what matters. Many people answer late or not at all because the blank box is doing too much work.
Ask three useful questions
A check-in can be short and still give you enough to coach. Try:
- What went well that you want to repeat?
- What got in the way of the plan?
- What would make next week easier?
The first question finds a behaviour worth reinforcing. The second finds friction without turning the conversation into a confession. The third turns reflection into a decision.
Make the timing predictable
Send the check-in when the client expects it and give them a clear deadline. A predictable rhythm removes the feeling that they are being tested at a random moment. If the week has not gone well, a simple “rough weeks count too” reminder can make honesty safer.
Do not wait for the perfect response before replying. A quick acknowledgement tells the client their effort was seen; a considered coaching response can follow when a decision is needed.
In Diby, the check-in sits next to the client’s plan, progress, and conversation. That gives a coach the context to reply to the week the client actually had, rather than opening several tabs to reconstruct it.
Reply to the answer, not the form
The client should recognise their own week in your message. Mention the specific win, name the obstacle, and make one next step visible. If everything needs changing, nothing is clear. Choose the smallest adjustment that addresses the signal.
For example: “Your three lunch-time walks held even on the travel day. Keep those, and next week swap the Thursday session for the shorter version so the late meeting does not decide the whole week.”
Consistency beats cleverness
The best check-in is the one clients understand and can answer honestly every week. Keep the questions stable long enough to notice patterns, then change them when the coaching question changes.
A good message does not extract more information. It makes the information a client already has easier to share.