peer-coaching-guide

name	peer-coaching-guide
description	Structures a coaching conversation between CSMs for peer review of an account situation, strategy brainstorm, or skill development. Provides a framework that makes peer coaching sessions productive and focused rather than unstructured venting. Use when asked to structure a peer coaching session, facilitate an account review between colleagues, build a coaching framework, organise a peer brainstorm, or when two CSMs want to help each other think through a problem. Also triggers for questions about peer coaching, account review sessions, CSM mentoring structures, brainstorm facilitation, or how to make peer conversations more productive.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"Stephen Rogan","version":"1.0.0","standalone":true}

Peer Coaching Guide

Structures coaching conversations between CSMs so they are productive, focused, and developmental -- not just venting sessions or status updates. The most underused development tool in CS is the expertise of the person sitting next to you.

How to Use

Provide:

• What the coaching session is about (account review, strategy brainstorm, skill development, objection preparation)
• Who is the "coachee" (the person bringing the topic) and who is the "coach" (the person helping)
• Time available (20, 30, or 45 minutes)
• Specific question or challenge (what does the coachee want to walk away with?)

Session Types

Type 1: Account Review (20-30 min)

One CSM presents an account situation. The other helps them see what they might be missing.

Phase	Duration	Role of Coachee	Role of Coach
Situation	5 min	Present the account situation: what is happening, what you have tried, where you are stuck	Listen. Do not problem-solve yet. Understand first
Questions	5 min	Answer honestly. If you do not know, say "I do not know"	Ask questions that surface assumptions: "What does the customer actually say about this?" "Have you asked X directly?" "What would happen if you did nothing?"
Perspectives	10 min	Listen. Take notes. Do not defend -- absorb	Offer observations and alternative approaches. "Have you considered..." "In my experience with a similar account..." "What if the issue is actually..."
Commitment	5 min	State one specific action you will take based on the conversation	Confirm the action is specific and achievable. Offer to follow up

Coach's rules:

• Ask before advising. The coachee may have already tried your suggestion
• Offer perspectives, not instructions. "Have you considered..." not "You should..."
• Challenge assumptions gently. "What evidence do you have that the champion is disengaged?" is more useful than "Your champion is probably fine"

Type 2: Strategy Brainstorm (30-45 min)

Both CSMs explore a strategic question together. Less structured, more creative.

Phase	Duration	Content
Define the question	5 min	What are we trying to solve? Make it specific. "How do I get the CFO engaged at Acme?" not "How do I improve the account?"
Explore options	15 min	Generate as many approaches as possible without evaluating. Quantity over quality in this phase
Evaluate	10 min	Assess the options: which are realistic, which have the highest probability of success, which can be executed this week
Commit	5 min	Choose one approach and define the first action

Type 3: Skill Development (30 min)

One CSM coaches the other on a specific skill (executive engagement, difficult conversations, commercial acumen, etc.).

Phase	Duration	Content
Identify the gap	5 min	What skill is the coachee working on? Where are they now vs. where they want to be?
Demonstrate	10 min	Coach demonstrates the skill using a real or realistic scenario. "Here is how I would approach that executive conversation..."
Practice	10 min	Coachee practises the skill. Coach observes and provides real-time feedback
Debrief	5 min	What worked? What to adjust? One thing to practise before the next session

The Coaching Conversation Rules

These apply regardless of session type:

Rule	Why
The coachee owns the outcome. The coach does not solve the problem -- they help the coachee think through it	Dependency on the coach does not build capability. The coachee needs to own the insight
Start with questions, not answers. Even if you think you know the solution, ask before telling	The coachee may have context that changes the answer. And questions build understanding faster than advice
One specific commitment at the end. Not "I will think about it" but "I will email the CFO by Thursday using the framing we discussed"	Without a commitment, the session was a conversation, not coaching
Follow up. The coach checks in 1 week later: "Did you send that email? How did it go?"	Accountability transforms a good conversation into actual behaviour change
What is said in the session stays in the session (unless both agree otherwise)	Psychological safety is the foundation. If the coachee worries their vulnerabilities will be shared, they will not be honest about where they are stuck

Output Format

## Peer Coaching Session
**Date:** [date] | **Type:** [account review / strategy brainstorm / skill development]
**Coachee:** [name] | **Coach:** [name]
**Topic:** [specific question or challenge]
**Duration:** [minutes]

### Key Insights
[2-3 insights from the conversation]

### Commitment
[Specific action the coachee will take, with deadline]

### Follow-Up
Coach will check in: [date]

Quality Gates

• Does the session have a specific question to answer? "Let me tell you about my accounts" is a status update, not a coaching session. "How should I handle the competitive signal at Acme given the champion's departure?" is a coachable question
• Is the coach asking more than telling? A session where the coach talks 80% of the time is advice-giving, not coaching
• Is there a specific commitment at the end? If the coachee leaves without a clear next action, the session was enjoyable but not productive
• Is follow-up scheduled? Without accountability, even the best coaching insight fades within a week

Principles

• Peer coaching is the highest-ROI development activity available to CSMs. It costs nothing, requires no management approval, and produces immediately applicable insights. The only cost is 30 minutes of time
• The coach benefits as much as the coachee. Articulating how you approach a problem develops your own understanding. Teaching is learning
• Vulnerability is the prerequisite. If the coachee cannot say "I do not know how to handle this" or "I think I messed up," the coaching will stay surface-level. Create the safety for honesty
• Regular cadence compounds. A one-time session is useful. A weekly 20-minute peer coaching habit transforms both CSMs' capabilities over a quarter. Schedule it. Protect it