I recently had an introductory chat with M.D. He offers coaching and mentoring by the month, and we talked about a price of around $3,000 a month. That's a lot for me. I get why a leader might want coaching, but the price alone doesn't tell me whether it's right for my situation. I floated a different setup: I could help with some tasks, and get coaching in return. It wasn't what he was looking for, so we didn't end up working together. No hard feelings—we had a good conversation.

MENTORSHIP / VIDEO NOTEA short video update about the mentorship conversation

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First, what would I actually get out of it?

If I pay for coaching, I want to know what we're signing up for. What would I bring to the sessions? How often would we meet? Would I get feedback between sessions? And after a month, what might be clearer or easier? The right kind of help depends on the problem. Someone trying to become a better manager may need something different from someone stuck on one product decision. Sometimes a specialist, a teammate, or one focused conversation is a better fit than a long coaching arrangement. I'd also want a simple way to check whether the arrangement is working. Does the communication feel right? Are we clear about the goal? Do the time and cost make sense for what I'm trying to solve? I don't expect everything to fit neatly into a number, but I do want us to know what we're working toward.

A work-for-coaching swap needs a plan too

My idea sounded simple: I do some work, and I get coaching. But we'd still need to agree on how much work, what it's worth, when sessions happen, and what to do if priorities change. If we leave those fuzzy, a swap can get harder to manage than just paying for coaching. This chat didn't prove that coaching is worth $3,000 a month, and it didn't prove the opposite either. What I took away is simpler: a good collaboration needs a clear goal and terms that work for both people. My idea wasn't right for this one. I left with a better question for next time: what am I trying to change, and is this kind of help likely to move me forward? That made the conversation useful either way.