If you're a coach, consultant, or client-facing professional, you've probably wrestled with agendas.

Your client expects one. You feel like you should write one. But deep down, you know: it’s admin. It’s a chore. It doesn’t always serve the session. And most of the time, it ends up holding you back.

This newsletter is for anyone who feels trapped in the cycle of writing custom agendas, taking minutes, chasing follow-ups, and managing expectations that don’t quite match the coaching container.

In this article (and the video podcast if you’d rather watch or listen), I’m sharing the philosophy, mindset shift, and practical tools you need to finally ditch the admin—without compromising client results.

You’ll learn:

• Why a detailed agenda can actually work against you
• How to set the conditions for success in every client session
• The exact standard agenda template I use
• And how AI has completely changed the game

Let’s get into it.

​Head over to the website to 🎥 watch or 🎙️ listen to Say What You See episode 15​

The real problem with agendas

Here’s the big idea: you're not an employee. You're not there to run team meetings. You're not a note-taker or an admin assistant.

You’re a coach. A guide. A problem-solver.

When clients expect rigid agendas, it creates the wrong dynamic—one where they set the tone, and you’re left trying to keep up.

The problem isn’t the agenda itself. It’s what a traditional agenda represents.

Meetings are about control, predictability, and getting through a checklist.

Coaching is about progress, reflection, decision-making, and growth. That’s a different game.

What to do instead: Set the conditions for success

So what do you do if you don’t write detailed agendas?

You create a repeatable structure that gives your sessions clarity, direction, and momentum—without boxing you in.

Here’s a version of the standard agenda I use:

It’s not fancy. But it works.

And it shifts the responsibility back to the client. You’re not doing all the thinking for them. You’re creating a container they can step into, fully prepared to contribute.

How AI changes the game

A few years ago, you’d need a VA or an account manager to sit in on every call to take notes and send follow-ups.

Not anymore.

Here’s my current workflow:

• Record your sessions (I use Fathom with Zoom)
• Get the transcript, summary, and action items automatically
• Drop the transcript into my custom GPT: CoachPrep Pro​
• It pulls out deadlines, open loops, promises—everything
• You get a one-sheet prep doc and a client-facing summary
• Send that before the next session to set expectations
• The result? Better prep. Better follow-up. And zero admin headaches.

The mindset shift you need to make

Here’s what it all comes down to:

• You’re not there to run their meetings. You’re there to lead a transformation.
• When your client walks into a session, they’re entering your world. You set the standard. You set the tempo. You decide how the work happens.

So stop trying to meet their internal expectations for how meetings should run.

Create your own rules.

Over to you

Here’s what I want you to do next:

Challenge your current approach.

Are you writing agendas just because it feels expected? What would it look like to stop?

Try the standard template.

Copy mine. Use it for your next session. See how it changes the dynamic.

Set up the AI stack.

​Get Fathom (or a similar call recorder) and try out CoachPrep Pro. Record, summarise, prep—it’s a game-changer.

Drop into the comments:

1. How do you handle agendas in your client sessions?
2. What’s one admin task you wish you could stop doing entirely?

If this helped you think differently about how you run sessions, please share it with someone else who needs to hear it.

🗣️ 👀

Chris.

PS. Don't forget that you can 🎥 watch or 🎙️ listen to Say What You See episode 15 over on the TAC website.