Value My Skills Cards

I am kind of old fashioned and enjoy working with tactile cards. However, this can also be done online Value My Skills | unionlearn

 

Coaching Session Plan: “Discovering My Transferable Skills”

Purpose

To help the client identify and build on their transferable skills using a strengths-based, Solution Focused Approach.

Duration

60 minutes

Materials

  • “Value My Skills” transferable skills cards

  • Paper or digital notes for reflections

  • Pens/markers and space to sort cards

1. Opening the Conversation (10 mins)

Goal: Establish purpose and build a positive frame.

Coach Questions (Solution Focused style):

  • “What would you like to get out of this session today?”

  • “When you leave this session, what will tell you it’s been useful?”

  • “What’s been going well lately that shows you already have valuable skills?”


2. Exploring Current Strengths (15 mins)

Activity:
Lay out the 56 cards (People, Ideas, Data, Things).
Ask the client to sort them into four columns:

  • Very Competent

  • Competent

  • Adequate

  • Undeveloped

Coach Prompts:

  • “Which of these skills are you proudest of?”

  • “Where have you used this skill recently?”

  • “What tells you that you’re very competent at this?”

  • “What difference does it make to you — or others — when you use this skill well?”

Scaling Question:

  • “On a scale of 0 to 10, where 10 means you are using your strengths as much as you’d like to, where are you now?”

  • “What makes you that number and not lower?”

  • “What would tell you you’d moved one point higher?”

3. Identifying Transferable Skills and Enjoyment (10 mins)

Activity:
From the “Very Competent” and “Competent” groups, ask the client to select the skills they most enjoy using or would like to use more often.

Coach Prompts:

  • “Which of these skills would you most like to use in a new role or project?”

  • “When you’re using that skill at your best, what’s happening around you?”

  • “Who notices, and what do they notice?”

4. Developing Growth Goals (15 mins)

Activity:
Look at the “Adequate” and “Undeveloped” groups.
Identify skills the client would like to develop further.

Coach Questions:

  • “Which of these would make the biggest difference if it improved a little?”

  • “What’s the first small sign that you’re getting better at that?”

  • “Who could help you or give feedback as you develop it?”

Scaling:

  • “On a scale of 0 to 10, where are you now in developing that skill?”

  • “What would one point higher look like in practice?”

5. Connecting to the Future (5 mins)

Goal: Link skills to possible roles, goals, or next steps.

Coach Prompts:

  • “If your ideal future job or situation made full use of your favourite skills, what would that look like?”

  • “What’s one small step you can take this week toward that future?”

6. Closing the Session (5 mins)

Summarise and reinforce progress.

Coach Summary Prompts:

  • “What stands out for you from today’s conversation?”

  • “What’s one thing you’ll do as a result of this?”

  • “How will you notice that things are moving in the right direction?”

🗂 Optional Follow-Up

Encourage the client to record:

  • Their top transferable skills they enjoy using

  • Skills to develop over time

  • Action plan — one step at a time