The problem
The coaching session itself is where the magic happens: the insight, the breakthrough, the moment of clarity. The challenge is what comes next. Research consistently shows that clients who have a clear, written action plan after a coaching session make significantly more progress than those who rely on their memory of the conversation. But creating that action plan takes time the coach often does not have immediately after a session, particularly when running a full day of back-to-back clients.
Many coaches take rough notes during sessions, either handwritten or typed, capturing key themes, commitments, and insights. Those notes are accurate but disorganised. Turning them into something clean and usable for the client means rewriting, reformatting, and making editorial decisions about what to emphasise. On a day with four sessions, that post-session work easily adds 30 to 45 minutes per client, which amounts to two to three hours of administrative work that has to happen on top of the coaching itself.
There is also a quality and consistency problem. Notes written in a hurry at the end of a long day are not the same quality as those written when you are fresh. Some clients get a detailed action plan; others get a brief list of bullet points. That inconsistency in output does not reflect the consistently high quality of the coaching itself, and it makes it harder to review progress systematically at later sessions.
The system
Step 1: Record and transcribe the session (Otter.ai)
The most efficient approach is to record sessions with the client's consent and use Otter.ai to generate a transcript. This eliminates the note-taking burden entirely and gives you a complete record of the conversation to work from.
Set up Otter.ai before the session and get explicit permission from the client. Most clients are comfortable with this once you explain it will be used solely to produce their action plan and will not be shared with anyone.
After the session, Otter.ai will produce a timestamped transcript with speaker identification. Review it briefly to correct any misheard words or technical terms. You do not need to read the full transcript carefully at this stage.
If you prefer not to record sessions, take brief bullet notes during the conversation focusing specifically on: insights the client expressed, commitments they made, themes they returned to, and any obstacles or resistance they named.
Step 2: Extract key themes and commitments (Claude)
Paste the transcript or your bullet notes into Claude and ask it to extract the key elements you need for the action plan.
Prompt example: "I have just completed a coaching session and the following is the session transcript [or notes]. Please identify and summarise: (1) the key insights or realisations the client expressed during the session, (2) any specific commitments or actions the client stated they would take before the next session, (3) any recurring themes or patterns that came up, (4) any obstacles or concerns the client raised, and (5) suggested focus areas for the next session based on where this session ended. Please be specific and quote directly from the transcript where possible."
Review the extraction and correct anything that misrepresents the session. Add any important elements that Claude has missed.
Step 3: Draft the action plan (Claude)
With the key elements identified, ask Claude to draft the formatted action plan for the client.
Prompt example: "Based on the session summary above, please draft a structured post-session action plan for the client. Format it as follows: (1) Session highlights: 3 to 4 bullet points capturing the most important insights from the session, (2) Commitments: a numbered list of the specific actions the client has committed to before the next session, with each action stated clearly and in first person (e.g. 'I will...'), (3) Reflection prompt: one or two questions for the client to sit with before the next session, (4) Reminder: a brief statement of the overall focus for this phase of the programme and how today's session connects to it. Tone: warm, encouraging, clear. The client's name is [name]."
Step 4: Personalise and send (Claude)
Add a brief personal opening line that references something specific from the session, and a closing that reinforces the coaching relationship.
Prompt example: "Please add a two-sentence opening to this action plan that references [specific moment or insight from the session] in a warm and personal way. Also add a brief closing sentence that expresses genuine confidence in the client's ability to take the actions they committed to."
Send the action plan within 24 hours of the session. Clients who receive it quickly while the session is still fresh are more likely to engage with it.
The results
Before: Post-session documentation took 20 to 30 minutes per client, was inconsistent in quality, and often got delayed when coaches had a full day. Some clients received action plans days later or not at all.
After: With Otter.ai transcription and Claude-assisted drafting, a complete personalised action plan is produced in five to ten minutes per session. Clients receive it the same day, consistently, regardless of how busy the day was. One coach reported that client-stated satisfaction with between-session support jumped significantly after implementing this system, and that clients came to subsequent sessions better prepared because they had a clear reference document from the previous session. The consistency across the client experience is something coaches often underestimate as a differentiator.