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Blended coaching: smartly combining sessions and contact in between

Blended coaching: smartly combining sessions and contact in between

Coach and coachee agree on how they stay in touch between sessions

Blended coaching is coaching in which you combine in-person sessions with contact between sessions: a short check-in, a written assignment, a video call or a message. The session remains the heart of the programme. The work in between ensures that insights stick and that your coachee takes action. In this article you will read what blended coaching is, what research says about it, how to set up a programme and how to organise group coaching in the same way.

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In short

  • Blended coaching mixes face-to-face or video sessions with written and online contact between sessions.
  • It has become commonplace in the Netherlands: in 2025, 36% of coaches worked with a blended format.
  • Research found no difference in effect between face-to-face coaching only and blended coaching.
  • It works best with clear agreements: when you have contact, how quickly you respond and what stays confidential.
  • For groups, the same structure works: a fixed rhythm of meetings, assignments and check-ins.

Table of contents

What is blended coaching?

The word blended means mixed. You mix different ways of making contact within one programme. Coach Belia van der Laan describes blended coaching as a mix of face-to-face conversations with online written dialogue, video or phone calls, and chat. According to her, more frequent contact between sessions increases engagement and speeds up the process.

So the difference from ordinary coaching does not lie in the session itself. It lies in what happens between two sessions. With classic coaching, you might see your coachee once every three weeks. In between, it is quiet. With blended coaching, the conversation keeps going, at a slower pace and often in writing.

A few terms tend to get mixed up:

  • Online coaching: all contact takes place online, often via video.
  • E-coaching: coaching via written messages, such as email or chat.
  • Blended coaching: a deliberate mix of both with in-person contact.
  • Hybrid coaching: another word for roughly the same thing, used mainly in research.

Blended coaching is no longer a niche. The NOBCO study of the professional coaching market 2025, with 1,705 respondents, shows that 36% of Dutch coaches used a blended working format. The word, incidentally, also comes from education. There it is called blended learning: classroom lessons combined with online learning.

Does blended coaching work just as well?

Many coaches wonder whether they lose something if part of the contact takes place remotely. The research gives a reassuring answer. A meta-analysis of workplace coaching compared face-to-face coaching with blended coaching, in which in-person conversations are supplemented with e-coaching. There was no difference in effect.

What does matter is the relationship. Research at the University of Amsterdam showed that a good match between coach and coachee was associated with greater satisfaction through the working relationship, and with better goal achievement. Blended coaching, then, is not about the technology. It is about whether the mix suits what your coachee needs.

German researchers echo this. For hybrid coaching in the digital world of work, Hasenbein and Kraiss advise choosing, for each format, the method that works best there. They call collaborating with the coachee on the design of the programme crucial. So you determine the mix together, and you adjust it as the programme changes.

Does blended coaching work just as well?

Which forms of contact can you combine?

The Fontys guide to online coaching names video calling, phone calls and written coaching via email or chat as forms you can combine. You can use the contact between sessions to track progress, share information and offer encouragement. This overview helps you choose:

Form What it is good for Watch out for
In-person session Building trust, difficult themes, the start of a programme Takes travel time and is less flexible to schedule
Video session Depth without travel, even with full agendas Less body language visible, so check more often what you see
Phone call A quick catch-up, a moment of support No visuals, so listen extra carefully
Written check-in Reflection, measuring progress, keeping rhythm Keep questions short and concrete
Assignment or exercise Trying out new behaviour between sessions Discuss the outcome in the next session
Assessment A starting point or measuring moment, for example a Wheel of Life Explain what you do with the outcome
Chat message A quick question, encouragement Agree when you will respond

A big advantage of written contact: it is preserved. According to the Fontys guide, this helps the coachee to track progress and read back. A coachee who, after three months, sees where they started also sees their own growth. That often works more powerfully than any compliment from the coach.

Setting up a blended programme in six steps

1. Start in person

The Fontys guide advises starting offline for coaching on personal learning goals. A good relationship and trust are a prerequisite. With in-person contact, you build that bond more quickly. If a physical start is not possible, schedule a longer first video session.

2. Make the intake and the goals concrete

Use an intake form for the first session. Then you already know where your coachee stands before you speak. An assessment can help to establish a starting point. After that, formulate two or three goals together. Without clear goals, no one knows what a check-in is supposed to measure.

3. Agree on the rhythm

Set out how often you meet and what happens between sessions. An example for a six-session career programme:

  • A one-hour session every three weeks.
  • After each session, a short summary with the action points.
  • A week later, a written check-in with three questions.
  • Before the next session, a brief preparation by the coachee.

4. Make agreements about response time and privacy

The Fontys guide advises agreements about response times, privacy and ground rules. For example, say: “I respond within 24 hours on working days. In a crisis, call your GP, not me.” That way you prevent the coachee from becoming impatient, or yourself from always being on.

5. Write briefly and let the coachee write

For written coaching, the guide advises an active writing style. Above all, let the coachee write. Respond briefly and encouragingly, and be concrete in assignments. A good check-in question, for instance, is: “What action did you take this week, and what did you notice?” That works better than: “How are things going?”

6. Plan evaluation moments

Blended programmes are used in healthcare too. In the Dutch PARASOL programme, care providers noticed that participants felt more responsible and did more themselves. They also reported technical problems and wanted to evaluate more often, to know whether information stuck. The lesson for coaches: choose tools that work smoothly and build in fixed moments to look back together.

You can read more about the structure of a programme in our guide on managing coaching programmes.

Organising group coaching with a blended setup

A blended approach suits groups well. A group comes together only occasionally. The work between meetings determines whether participants really change. Here is how to approach it.

Choose a fixed structure per week or per two weeks. For example: a group meeting, an assignment to practise with at home and a short check-in. Many group programmes run for several weeks to a few months. Choose a duration that suits the goal, and keep the rhythm consistent. Participants then know what to expect.

Rhythm of meeting, exercise and check-in

Devote the first meeting to group agreements. What stays within the group? How do we give each other feedback? What do you do if you cannot make it one time? The Fontys guide advises explicitly agreeing on confidentiality in online group conversations. Say it out loud and put it in writing. You can also have participants sign a short statement.

Take more control online. In a video call with eight people, no one speaks up at the right moments by themselves. The guide recommends taking more control online and working in fixed subgroups. Fixed pairs or trios also help between meetings. Participants hold each other accountable for their actions. We call that accountability: that someone feels responsible for what they have committed to, because someone else is watching.

Follow each participant individually. A group is not an average. One runs ahead, another quietly drops out. Have everyone fill in their own check-in between meetings. Then you see in time who needs extra attention. A short personal message can bring someone back on board.

Keep group information and personal information separate. What someone writes in a personal check-in is not meant for the group. Make sure your tool actually makes that distinction.

Confidentiality and the GDPR

With blended coaching, more information is put in writing. Think of reflections, check-ins and notes on sensitive themes. That calls for care. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the European law that governs how you handle personal data. As a coach, you are responsible for your coachees' data.

Do you use software that stores data for you? Then you conclude a data processing agreement with the supplier. That is a contract setting out what the supplier may do with your data and how they protect it. The Dutch Data Protection Authority provides recommendations for a strong data processing agreement and advises, among other things, to make agreements as concrete as possible.

Practical questions to ask yourself:

  • Are conversations with coachees currently scattered across email, chat apps and separate files?
  • Where is the data stored, inside or outside the EU?
  • Who can access it, and is there an extra login step?
  • Can you find everything if a coachee asks what you have recorded about them?

Software helps, but it does not automatically make your practice GDPR-proof. Your own agreements, such as what you record and how long you keep it, remain your responsibility. If you are unsure about your situation, for example with coaching that touches on health, ask a privacy lawyer to take a look.

Our perspective: the work between sessions deserves a fixed place

We see coaches who deliver excellent sessions and then lose the overview. The action points are in a notebook. The check-in went via WhatsApp. The worksheet is in an email from three weeks ago. The coachee does their best, but no one sees the whole.

That is why we built Exantur around the coaching relationship itself, not as a generic CRM (a system for managing customer contacts). Blended coaching calls for a place where the session and the time in between come together. A note becomes an action point. The action point returns in a check-in. The check-in shows whether a goal is getting closer.

We believe the coachee should be able to look in there too. Someone who sees their own goals and progress takes more ownership. And because more is put in writing, confidentiality is part of it from the start, with hosting in the EU and a data processing agreement.

Martijn

Blended coaching in Exantur

Exantur brings the components of a blended programme together in one workspace. You record session notes in a structured way as observations, insights, breakthroughs and action points. You send check-ins between sessions and track goals and progress. Intake forms, assessments such as DISC and Wheel of Life, assignments and documents stay linked to the right coachee.

Your coachee gets their own portal to view goals, fill in check-ins and prepare for sessions. Online booking, reminders, integration with Google Calendar, Outlook and Zoom, and invoices via your own Stripe account (without commission) are all included. The data is stored in Frankfurt, and you log in with MFA: an extra login step, for example a code on your phone.

The Mini plan costs €19 per month or €190 per year, Starter €49 per month. View all plans and prices and start with a free trial period.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between blended coaching and online coaching?

With online coaching, all contact takes place online, usually via video. With blended coaching, you deliberately combine different formats, such as in-person sessions, video calls and written check-ins. The emphasis is on the contact between sessions.

Is blended coaching less effective than face-to-face coaching?

No, research does not suggest that. A meta-analysis of workplace coaching found no difference in effect between face-to-face coaching and blended coaching. A good working relationship and a mix that suits the coachee matter more than the format.

How often do you have contact between sessions?

You agree that per programme. A written check-in halfway between two sessions is a good start for many programmes. Also agree how quickly you respond, so the contact stays calm and predictable.

What does blended coaching cost for a coachee?

Every coach decides that for themselves. With blended coaching, a price per programme often fits better than a price per hour, because the contact between sessions also takes time. Factor that time into your price so you do not do the work in between for free.

Sources

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