Table 2

Themes, subthemes and categories of coaching goals with descriptions and examples

ThemeSubthemeCategoryDescriptionExample goal
Career and futureMake career choice and set career goals (11.1%)Make career choiceChoose career and specialisation, learn how to make these choices and conclude which job or career aspect is particularly valuable.‘I want to make a good choice about my follow-up specialization.’
Plan careerUse coaching to plan careers, set career goals, and discuss how to reach these goals.‘Form and concretize own thoughts about next career step(s).’
Facilitate career transitions (2.5%)Explore and prepare for job marketExplore possibilities on the job market, get information about the field, and prepare for applications.‘Get a better idea of what the medical profession (and the path to it) really entails.’
Prepare for retirementDiscuss how to leave departments in good hands, anticipate transition to pension and make pension plans.‘Reach my retirement in a pleasant way.’
Create general future goals and plans (8.2%)Set general goals and plansCreate general future goals and plans.‘Gain clarity about my future.’
Attain general goalsDiscuss future path, plans, vision or ambitions, and ways to reach goals.‘Make it clearer where my goals for the future lie.’
CoachingGet support from the coach (3.5%)Get new perspectiveTalk to someone with more experience or to get a new perspective from a coach.‘I am especially curious about how others view my plans for the future.’
Get advice and guidanceGet a coach’s guidance during studies or career, and advice on making choices.‘Get advice based on my choice and the further process.’
Discover coaching (0.7%)Get to know the coaching programmeDiscover coaching and explore openly how one could benefit from this programme.‘Find out whether coaching can contribute to dealing with work and private circumstances’.
Current job and tasksDo and deal with my job position and demands (2.6%)Analyse my current positionAnalyse job positions, find ways how to feel more comfortable in the current or a new job position.‘Feel more at home in the academic world and other (work) settings.’
Deal with job demandsDeal with workload and emotional demands, or job uncertainty.‘Reduce uncertainties/stress about critically ill patients.’
Improve task management and performance (5.6%)Improve and keep job autonomyImprove or maintain job autonomy.‘Preserving freedom and autonomy.’
Organise my workBetter organise work and harmonise different tasks and roles, reduce procrastination, and improve time management.‘I want to make more effective use of my time in the hospital.’
Optimise performanceImprove efficiency, professionalism, teaching skills and the healthcare one provides.‘To be able to work more efficiently in chaotic (working) conditions.’
Enhance job attitudes (3.9%)Improve and keep job motivationStay motivated and keep enthusiasm in work.‘Continue working with passion.’
Find and keep job satisfactionIncrease or maintain job satisfaction.‘How to continue enjoying my work?’
Find meaning in workFind meaning in job and work.‘Meaning in medical care.’
Interpersonal work relationsBetter influence others (2.4%)Improve leadership skillsImprove leadership and delegating skills.‘Enhance leadership skills.’
Improve feedback skillsImprove skills related to giving and receiving feedback.‘Give constructive feedback without judgement.’
Improve teamwork (4.4%)Connect with teamOptimise collaboration with teammates, be more connected, and affect the team climate.‘Develop a sustainable working climate.’
Profiling in a teamBetter present and position oneself within a department, better contribute to teams and make those contributions visible.‘Strengthen my position in the team and contribute to the general tasks as best as possible.’
Better communicationImprove communication skills, such as negotiation and assertiveness.‘Improve my use of different communication styles.’
Cope better with interpersonal challenges (1.9%)Deal with organisational climateCope better with hierarchy, competition and injustice.‘Deal professionally with the feeling that you are being treated unjustly within the organization.’
Deal with othersDeal better with other individuals, better manage their conflicts or handle difficult characters.‘How to properly deal with the attitude/characteristics of supervisors?’
Health and well-beingCultivate health-promoting qualities (2.0%)Build resilient qualitiesBuild resilient qualities such as self-compassion and mindfulness.‘Routinize self-compassion.’
Curb perfectionismCurb perfectionism, reduce self-criticism and deal better with one’s and others’ expectations.‘Become less perfectionistic or learn to deal with this in a better way.’
Improve personal adaptabilityImprove personal adaptability, and ability to cope with challenges.‘Deal with the changes in the profession.’
Vitality and mood (6.6%)Health and vitalityReduce burnout, stress, and fatigue, manage energy better and stay healthy.‘I want to monitor my mental and physical health despite busyness and hectic and emotional moments at work.’
Better moodImprove mood, be happier, calmer, more positive and find peace.‘Learn to keep calm during busy periods.’
Cope with negative emotionsBetter cope with negative emotions, such as guilt or worry.‘Worrying about both work and private things.’
Deal with negative eventsLearn how to better deal with disappointing or frustrating events.‘Become less frustrated with things that do not go well.’
Self-insight and developmentDiscover myself (15.6%)Discover my talents and flawsGet insight into own talents, capacities, strengths, weaknesses and flaws.‘Get more insight into my own strengths and limitations.’
Understand my prioritiesConsider different sacrifices that medical jobs might require or generally make choices.‘Get it clear what I want to give up privately in order to excel in my work.’
Uncover professional identityIdentify what kind of doctor one would like to be, what one likes, and what suits one best.‘Gain insight into what suits me and what does not.’
Get to know myselfGain insight into own emotions, behaviour, and personal values.‘Get a better idea of who I am.’
Develop myself (13.3%)Enhance self-developmentFacilitate self-development, professional development, and personal growth.‘Create concrete ideas for professional development.’
Improve confidenceGain a stronger feeling of self-worth, stop doubting oneself, care less about what others think, be less afraid of failure, and feel less insecure or like an imposter.‘I want to gain more confidence in my abilities.’
Utilise qualities and flawsBetter use personal qualities, handle personal flaws, and stay true to oneself.‘How do I get the best out of myself in the workplace but stay who I am?’
NonworkFoster balance and boundaries (14.4%)Create work-nonwork balanceReflect on, improve, and maintain current work-nonwork balance, and find ways to prevent future work-nonwork imbalance.‘I have a great desire to have children and find it difficult to think of how I can achieve this in my career as a doctor.’
Find and maintain balanceFind and maintain more general balance and harmony in life.‘Balance between ambition and energy.’
Set boundariesLearn to say ‘no’ when needed and set boundaries.‘Learn to say no sometimes and find out why saying no is hard for me.’
Attention for nonwork activities (1.3%)Care for family and leisureGive more attention to family and private problems and find time for relaxation and hobbies.‘Make room for relationships and activities other than work.’
Detach from workDetach from work and let go of things or feelings after work.‘Be able to let things go.’

  • The number in brackets next to each subtheme shows the percentage of all text units related to the subtheme.