The Coaching Habit

moments. Finish on a high note and you make everything that
went before it look better.
People have tested this theory in a number of ways, the most
visceral being via colonoscopy. In one study, some patients
received traditional colonoscopies, while others received
modified procedures. Patients whose colonoscopies were
extended by approximately one minute but who experienced less
pain in the final moments report remembering 10 percent less
pain overall and rank the procedure as less unpleasant compared
with a list of other aversive experiences. These patients were also
10 percent more likely to return for a follow-up procedure.
“What was most useful here for you?” is a strong and positive
way to finish a conversation. Not only do you help people to see
and then embed the learning from the conversation, but by your
finishing on a “this was useful” note, people are going to
remember the experience more favourably than they otherwise
might.