What Online Coaching Actually Looks Like

Most people who book a first call with me ask some version of the same question: does coaching over a screen actually work?

Fair question. It sounds like it should be a lesser version of the real thing. A video call instead of a room. A laptop instead of a coffee table between us.

After more than 800 coaching hours with clients in over 20 countries, here's what I've noticed: the screen is rarely the problem. What gets in the way online is the same thing that gets in the way in a room. Not saying the true thing. Staying polite. Talking about the situation instead of about yourself.

So what does a session actually look like?

You join from wherever you are. Your office with the door closed. Your kitchen table. Somewhere quiet between two meetings.

We start with what's alive for you today. Not a framework, not a worksheet. The decision you keep circling. The conversation with your director that went sideways. The thing you said yes to and now regret.

Then we slow it down. I ask questions, I reflect back what I hear, and sometimes I name the thing you've been stepping around. You do most of the thinking. That's the point. A leader who borrows someone else's answers is still stuck once the call ends.

We finish with what you'll actually do next, and what might get in the way.

What makes executive coaching work online is the same as anywhere: trust, honesty, and enough rhythm that you don't lose the thread between sessions. That's why you get a written recap after every session, and why I stay reachable in between.

What it isn't: a place to perform. You don't need to arrive with a polished problem statement. Half the work is finding out what the real question is.

Try this: Before your next big meeting, write down one thing you want to say and one thing you're afraid to say. Notice which one you usually choose.

If you're working on this in a leadership role, Leadership Skill Drill is focused 1:1 coaching for it. Book a free 45-minute call.