Anatomy of a Coach Call

Anatomy of a Coach Call

As an MBA Prep Fellow, you are required to complete one coach call each month.

Purpose of the Coach Call

The goal of each coach call is to review your monthly assignment with your coach in an open and productive way. The emphasis of your call will change each month in accordance with the month’s assignment. It is important to think of the coach call as two team members working together towards one of your goals – your admission to business school next year. Staying focused on this goal will ensure that your calls are productive for you and your coach.

Outline of a Coach Call

After submitting your monthly assignment on the last Monday of the month, your coach will provide you with comments, areas of improvement, and/or action items.
You and your coach will start the call by reviewing your list of action items from your previous call or seminar, assessing your progress in each area.
During the call, you will review your assignment, discuss your overall profile for business school admission, including any outstanding issues or concerns you may have about your experience or performance, and determine the action items for the following month.
To assess your progress, your coach will inquire about your progress in five main areas of the MBA Prep curriculum:
GMAT Preparation (if applicable) – the frequency and outcome of practice exams
Career Path – understanding its requisite skills, researching possible avenues for pursuing it and articulating it to admissions officers
School Research – how the schools you research meet your needs
Application Essays – focusing on strategies to deconstruct essay questions, appropriateness of subject matter and content, and areas of improvement
Relationship Management – networking with coworkers, cohort members, recommenders, industry professionals, etc.

Preparing for the Coach Call

Review your list of action items, and prepare to give a progress report on each item. Your coach will determine if you are on target with timelines, submission of materials, and studies so that s/he can make appropriate recommendations.
Have your submitted assignment on-hand during the call.

Time:

Recognize the time differences that may exist in time zones and your own body clock (e.g., morning person, late person).
Be sensitive to the agreed upon call length and the other commitments of your coach.
If you need to reschedule or cancel a coach call, you must contact your coach and follow the instructions they provided you at the beginning of the program for rescheduling your call.

Place:

Be in a setting with minimal distractions. Whenever possible, take your calls on land lines rather than cell phones.
If you are using the computer to take notes, let your coach know because this is likely to affect your verbal responses (e.g., halting delays).
Arrange for incoming telephone calls to be diverted during the conversation.