What Sticky Notes Have Taught Me About Coaching.

I shared an important coaching practice recently in a Mentor Coaching session…it is a practice that I personally have benefited from as a Coach and wanted to share, especially as we discussed the International Coaching Federation’s competency of maintaining presence.

This tip isn’t flashy, tech-enabled, or trending on TikTok, yet it quietly supports the kind of presence our clients feel immediately. It was one of those quiet, practical things that often matter the most.

What is it?

Sticky notes.

They sit quietly next to me during coaching sessions. No apps. No templates.

Just a small square of paper that helps me do one of the most important things in coaching:

Staying present.

Because when I’m really listening, the kind of listening our clients deserve, my mind can wander. No matter how much I have coached over the last 18 years, I am human, and my brain still does what brains do.

It offers reminders, ideas, connections, and occasional mental nudges that have nothing to do with the human in front of me. Or something that is happening for the client, might bring up thoughts for me.

If I try to hold those thoughts, I lose something. My body leaves the moment before my words do. I’m nodding, but part of me is managing a to-do list in my head.

So I don’t.

I write it down.

Sticky notes give my mind somewhere safe to put a thought so my attention can return to the client…fully. Their words. Their pauses. The meaning underneath what they’re saying.

And I’ll add this, because it matters. Years ago, after an illness, I experienced a brain injury that challenged my memory in ways I hadn’t known before. It challenged me to get even more intentional about how I stayed present. Sticky notes weren’t a workaround…they became a practice. A way to respect my brain, care for myself, and still show up fully for my clients.

What kind of questions might I jot down on my sticky notes?

Questions I may ask the client that land in my own chest with the realization of, “This one’s for you to answer as well, Amy.”

Questions like:

• Am I staying in wonder, or am I trying to fix something inside me?

• Did I notice a pattern for them, or a pattern for me?

• What am I taking away from this moment that I need to process later, for me?

• Where am I holding back in a situation, like the situation the client just shared?

• What is happening in a relationship for me that is similar to the one the client described?

• What step am I willing to take next in my own life?

  
  

I don’t chase these questions in the moment. I honor them, capture them, and stay right where the coaching is alive. Because these questions are important…not just for the client, but also for me. And they deserve to be considered...just not right at the moment they pop up for me. I put them in my 'thought garden' so I can take the time to consider them, AFTER THE COACHING SESSION!

This tiny practice helps me trust the process. It reminds me that I don’t have to grab every insight the second it appears (for the client or me). For Mentor Coaches, especially, this is everything. We’re holding space, tracking patterns, listening for competencies, and still, the most powerful thing we offer is ourselves, regulated and available.

Sticky notes help me self-manage so I can stay present for my clients.

Or truly, anyone I may be listening to.

So, if you ever notice your attention drifting because your mind thinks it is being helpful (and let’s be honest…it almost always is drifting), try keeping a sticky note nearby.

Give your thoughts a place to rest so you can come back to the conversation.

Right here.

Right now.

With the person who trusted you enough to show up.

Simple tools for staying present.

-Amy Magyar, International Coaching Federation Mentor Coach, PCC, M.Ed., and Sticky Note Connoisseur