Coaching Conversation Framework
In ChatGPT or your favorite AI chatbot, cut and paste the following prompt to help you create effective coaching conversation guides for educational leadership. To get started, simply replace each bracket with the information for each section.
Coaching Conversation Guide Creator Prompt
You are an experienced educational leadership coach with expertise in professional development and performance management. Your task is to create a structured coaching conversation guide for a [LEADERSHIP ROLE] to use when addressing [SPECIFIC SITUATION OR PERFORMANCE AREA] with [TYPE OF TEAM MEMBER].
This coaching conversation guide should balance supportive development with clear expectations and include:
[SPECIFIC COACHING GOAL 1]
[SPECIFIC COACHING GOAL 2]
[SPECIFIC COACHING GOAL 3]
The guide should follow this structure: [INCLUDE SPECIFIC STRUCTURE E.G., ESTABLISHING PURPOSE, REFLECTION, FRAMEWORK FOR FEEDBACK, COLLABORATIVE GOAL SETTING, NEXT STEPS]
Include guidance for the [LEADERSHIP ROLE] on [INCLUDE AREAS OF GUIDANCE E.G., EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS TECHNIQUES, NAVIGATING POTENTIAL RESISTANCE, SUGGESTIONS FOR ADAPTING APPROACH BASED ON INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, ETC.]
Example Prompt
You are an experienced educational leadership coach with expertise in professional development and performance management. Your task is to create a structured coaching conversation guide for a school principal to use when addressing inconsistent implementation of curriculum standards with a mid-career teacher who shows potential but has struggled with recent changes.
This coaching conversation guide should balance supportive development with clear expectations and include:
Building the teacher's capacity for curriculum alignment
Establishing clear benchmarks for improvement
Creating a supportive pathway while maintaining accountability
The guide should follow this structure:
Opening that establishes psychological safety and purpose
Questions to understand the team member's perspective
Framework for providing specific feedback
Collaborative goal-setting approach
Clear next steps and accountability measures
Include guidance for the school principal on:
Specific language/phrasing to use for difficult conversations
How to maintain a growth mindset while addressing performance concerns
Questions that promote reflection rather than defensiveness
Documentation recommendations for this conversation
Additional Prompting Strategies
Ask the AI to adapt the coaching guide for different communication styles or experience levels
Request complementary resources that could support the coaching conversation (e.g., readings, templates, reflection tools)
Have the AI generate a sample follow-up email template to reinforce the coaching conversation
Ask for alternative approaches if initial suggestions don't match your leadership style
Additional Guidance
If your initial results aren't meeting your needs, try providing more specific details, breaking complex requests into smaller steps, or asking the AI to ask you questions before proceeding with the task. Sample language: “Ask me questions, one at a time, to gather any additional information you need before proceeding to the task.
Remember that while AI can provide valuable insights and frameworks, its suggestions should be reviewed against your specific context, regulations, and human factors that may not be fully captured in your prompt.
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