They were energetic, immersive, and meticulously designed: participants laughed, learned, and left with binders full of tools. Coaches consistently told us these were the best workshops they had ever attended, better than anything else available in the field. And yet…we kept running into the same problem.
Staff left workshops inspired but only partially prepared. Coaching became a cycle of reteaching basics. Change often didn’t last. And the more we observed, the clearer it became: coaching is a difficult, nuanced craft, and producing high-fidelity outcomes requires coaches who are deeply skilled, reflective, and supported.
We’ve written before about why 4-day workshops don’t work for direct care staff, and the lessons are the same: exposure alone doesn’t produce lasting understanding or change. Even when workshops were excellent, they couldn’t replace the sustained practice and reflection that coaching mastery requires.
That realization led us to rethink how we prepare coaches. We designed a 12-week, 12-module learning experience combining self-paced eLearning, structured activities, and small-cohort debriefs. Each module includes:
This isn’t about efficiency, it’s about effectiveness. Each module guides learners from understanding to application, giving coaches the opportunity to see exactly who understands, who is emerging, and where support is needed.
Our first beta cohort of our new Coach Training Model included both veteran and new coaches, testing the system side by side. Their feedback was striking: the workshop model, even when excellent, had left gaps in understanding that even the best trainers couldn’t fully address.
One coach reflected:
“I have thought a lot about how much our learning and supervisory processes and my perception of my role is tied to trying to hold people accountable. This often leads to a focus on sharing information and being directive. I’d like to shift my coaching to have more time focused on the individualized needs of the staff, with them leading the process through self-reflection.”
Another said:
“I now have a clear process for coaching staff. I’ve learned I don’t need to have all the answers, and it’s okay to sit with the pause instead of jumping in to correct or direct. That space allows staff to reflect, explore, and take ownership of their learning.”
And another:
“Participating in the coaching workshop gave me valuable insight into how I can better support my coaches. It helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, reinforced the importance of showing up for new leaders, and highlighted opportunities for growth in becoming a more effective, supportive coach.”
The common thread: coaches are learning to step back, create space for reflection, and prioritize individualized growth over one-size-fits-all instruction.
Across the cohort, one theme stood out: the live debriefs were transformative. Coaches described them as spaces where reflection, conversation, and shared experience accelerated learning:
“As a social learner, I gain the deepest insights through reflective conversations with colleagues. Sharing both successes and challenges not only enhances my learning but strengthens our collective growth as a group.”
These insights underscore a fundamental truth: coaching isn’t just knowledge transfer. It’s relational, reflective, and iterative work that demands structured support.
All beta coaches who responded said they were very likely to recommend the course to new coaches, and described it as extremely valuable to their own practice. They didn’t just acquire tools, they changed how they think, act, and reflect as coaches.
For agencies, this matters. The quality of coaching directly affects staff retention, fidelity to evidence-based practices, and outcomes for the people you serve. Good coaches aren’t born, they’re cultivated through thoughtful, sustained learning.
The workshop model wasn’t “wrong.” It was highly effective and well-regarded for decades. It just couldn’t produce the depth of understanding, reflection, and mastery coaches need. Real coaching mastery demands more than exposure to information: it requires practice, reflection, feedback, and peer learning repeated over time.
The good news is that today we have options that simply didn’t exist when we ran our first coach workshops. Technology has opened doors to learning experiences that are more interactive, reflective, and data-informed. We can now design systems that allow coaches to practice skills, receive feedback in real time, and engage with peers in meaningful ways—creating learning that actually sticks. It’s up to those of us who train coaches to embrace these possibilities, to keep iterating, and to commit to growing alongside the people we teach.
If agencies want staff who consistently implement high-fidelity services, they need to recognize that coaches themselves deserve better learning experiences, more support, and opportunities to reflect and grow.
“The continued practice and learning has deepened my knowledge and practice. I can see that in my debriefs.”
Investing in coaching mastery isn’t optional, it’s essential. The real work happens when coaches are supported to reflect, practice, and integrate learning over time. That’s how lasting change occurs: for coaches, staff, and the families they serve.
I’ve heard it hundreds of times. Most agency leaders have said it. Most supervisors have said it. Most front-line staff have said it: “If my...
They were energetic, immersive, and meticulously designed: participants laughed, learned, and left with binders full of tools. Coaches consistently told us these were the best...
Across human services, we keep seeing the same frustrating pattern: families and individuals engage briefly, participate in a few appointments, and then drift away. Staff...
Not long ago, I spoke with an agency that wanted to improve outcomes for their most complex cases. They were struggling to reach their hardest-to-engage...
Most agencies genuinely want to grow. They invest in training, assign coaches or supervisors, and talk about “continuous improvement.”...
You’ve probably been here before: You bring in a new training that sounds exactly like what your team needs. For a few days, there’s a...
