Who this plan is for
This plan is for managers, executives, faculty leaders and business owners in Missoula who feel stretched past what is sustainable and want a structured way to change it. Coaching here is non-clinical. If you are having trouble keeping yourself safe or functioning day to day, reach out to the resources listed on this page before anything else.
Step 1: Write down a normal week
For one week, jot down when you start work, when you stop, and what you did in the hours in between. Include email at night and weekend messages. Many people discover that the problem is less one big project than dozens of small requests. If you work at or alongside the University of Montana, which its graduate school describes as the region's largest employer, note how the semester calendar affects your load.
Step 2: Name what you want to change
Pick two or three changes you would notice. Examples: leaving the office by six on most days, one evening a week without email, delegating a standing meeting, or taking a full weekend away each month. Keep them specific enough that you would know whether they happened.
Step 3: Decide on format and budget
Choose whether you want video sessions, in-person meetings in Missoula, or a mix. Decide how often you can realistically meet, perhaps every week or every other week. Check whether your organization has a professional development budget, and ask about it before you contact coaches.
Step 4: Shortlist coaches
Use the listings on this page to choose two or three coaches who work with leaders. The directory does not review coaches' backgrounds, so read each profile closely and note who they say they usually work with.
Step 5: Interview each one
A short call with each coach is worth the time. Ask:
- How do you structure the first month?
- What do you expect from me between sessions?
- How do you keep my information private if my employer pays?
- What happens if we are not a good fit?
Take notes during the calls so you can compare answers afterward. Pay attention to whether the coach asks about your actual week or moves straight to a standard package. A coach who listens to the details you collected in Step 1 is easier to judge than one who does not.
Step 6: Plan rest before you need it
Put recovery time on the calendar the same way you would a board meeting. Close to town, the Missoula Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest lists the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness, about 61,000 acres with nearly 73 miles of system trails. Block a morning for a walk there and protect it as firmly as any meeting. The ranger district office at 24 Fort Missoula Road is the place to ask about current trail access.
For a longer break, the Forest Service puts the Rock Creek Recreation Area about thirty miles east of Missoula, with developed camping, fishing and wildlife viewing. Drive times are approximate; plan for roughly an hour each way and more in poor weather. Check current Forest Service conditions before you leave.
Step 7: Arrange coverage
Rest only helps if work stops reaching you. Before a planned day off or a weekend at Rock Creek, name a colleague who will handle decisions, set an out-of-office message, and tell your team when you will be back. A coach can help you rehearse that conversation.
Step 8: Start, and review after a month
Begin your sessions and keep the notes from Step 1 handy. After about four weeks, compare your current week with the one you recorded. Look at the specific changes you named in Step 2. If little has shifted, talk with your coach about why, and adjust.
Step 9: Build a seasonal rhythm
Missoula's year has clear seasons, and so does a university-linked workload. Mark the weeks that usually run heaviest and plan lighter commitments or a day outdoors right after them. Repeat the review from Step 8 each season rather than only once. Winter in western Montana can shorten daylight and make longer trips harder, so a winter plan may lean on shorter breaks close to home, while summer may allow a full weekend away.
Step 10: Decide what comes next
After a set number of sessions, decide with your coach whether to continue, taper to monthly check-ins, or stop. Ending coaching on purpose, with a plan in place, is a sound result in itself.