Establishes Agreements5 min
Session Opening & Contracting
Practice establishing clear focus and success measures at the start of a session.
Example
Beginning of session
✓Effective
'What would you like to focus on today, and how will you know this session was valuable?'
✗Less Effective
'So tell me what's been going on.'
Why? Clear contracting gives direction and lets you check progress during the session.
Tips for This Exercise
- 1Ask what they want to focus on AND what success looks like
- 2Get specific: 'What would be different after this session?'
- 3Check back mid-session: 'Are we on track with what you wanted?'
- 4Manage time: 'We have 10 minutes left — what's most important?'
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