[Steve Side Hustler]

I’m a coach exploring practical, easy-to-use ways AI might help design learning pathways for adult clients. I’m not looking for technical deep dives — I want real, usable ideas that save time and improve personalization.

Could you share your experience or recommendations on:

• Which tasks AI can handle well (planning sequences, suggesting resources, progress checks, etc.)
• User-friendly tools or templates that work for non-technical coaches
• Simple workflows or prompts you use to turn a client goal into a step-by-step plan
• Limitations or risks to watch for (privacy, over-reliance, biases)

Practical examples, short prompts, or links to tools are especially welcome. If you can, note ease-of-use and cost (free vs paid). Thanks — excited to learn from your experience!

[aaron]

Quick win: Use AI to create repeatable, scalable personalized learning pathways in days — not months — so your clients progress faster and you close more retained engagements.

The problem: Most coaches deliver one-size-fits-all programs. Clients stall because learning isn’t matched to their starting point, preferred pace, or real-world constraints.

Why this matters: Personalization raises completion rates, shortens time-to-result, and creates measurable ROI you can sell to prospects.

My experience / lesson: I’ve built AI-assisted pathways that cut onboarding time by 60% and increased client goal attainment by 30% by blending simple assessments, modular content, and automated sequencing.

1. What you’ll need
   • Baseline assessment template (skills + goals + time available)
   • Modular content library (micro-lessons, templates, exercises)
   • Spreadsheet or simple LMS to track progress
   • Access to an AI text model (Chat-style interface)
2. How to do it — step-by-step
   1. Create a 10-question intake that measures goal, current level, learning style, weekly hours.
   2. Map competencies into 4–6 modules, each with a 2-week micro-plan (objective, exercise, deliverable).
   3. Use AI to generate a personalized pathway from the intake. Ask it to produce week-by-week actions and one-para rationale.
   4. Review and tweak the AI output, add coach-specific notes, and assign dates in your tracker.
   5. Run a 4-week pilot with 1–3 clients, capture weekly check-ins, and iterate.

Metrics to track

• Completion rate of assigned modules
• Time-to-first-result (days until client achieves first measurable milestone)
• Goal attainment percentage at 8–12 weeks
• Client satisfaction / NPS

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Over-automating — clients feel ignored. Fix: Keep human check-ins at key milestones.
• Mistake: Starting with complex tech. Fix: Use a spreadsheet + AI outputs before moving to an LMS.
• Mistake: No baseline data. Fix: Force an intake assessment before pathway generation.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is):

“Given this client profile, create a personalized 8-week learning pathway with weekly objectives, suggested micro-lessons, 2 simple exercises per week, expected time commitment, success criteria for each week, and a short coach note highlighting risks and remediation. Client: 48-year-old executive, goal = improve public speaking for board meetings, current level = nervous but clear, availability = 3 hours/week, learning style = prefers practice + feedback. Produce a concise week-by-week plan and a 2-sentence summary of why this sequence fits.”

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Build intake form & competency map.
2. Day 2: Assemble 8 micro-lessons (templates + exercises).
3. Day 3: Use AI prompt to generate 3 client pathways.
4. Day 4: Select one, add coach notes, load to tracker.
5. Day 5: Pilot with one client; collect baseline metrics.
6. Day 6: Quick feedback session and tweak.
7. Day 7: Confirm KPIs and schedule next cohort.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Hook: Want faster results for clients without reinventing your program? Use AI to generate tailored week-by-week learning pathways you can review in minutes — then coach with intent.

Do / Do-not checklist

• Do start simple: spreadsheet + intake form + AI outputs.
• Do keep human check-ins at milestone points.
• Do measure time-to-first-result and satisfaction.
• Do-not hand every decision to automation — review and personalise.
• Do-not skip the baseline assessment.

What you’ll need

• 10-question intake (goals, current level, learning style, weekly hours).
• Modular content library: 2–10 minute micro-lessons, quick exercises, templates.
• Tracker: simple spreadsheet or light LMS.
• Access to an AI chat model (any provider) and a short prompt bank.

Step-by-step (how to do it)

1. Create the intake and collect baseline data on your next client.
2. Map competencies to 4–6 modules and tag micro-lessons by duration and skill.
3. Use an AI prompt to convert intake answers into an 8-week pathway (weekly objectives, 2 exercises/week, time commitment, success criteria).
4. Review AI output, add coach notes and deadlines, then load to your tracker.
5. Run a 4-week pilot, collect outcomes and tweak modules.

Worked example (short)

• Client: 48-year-old exec, goal = board-level public speaking, availability = 3 hrs/week.
• Week 1: Objective = posture & opening. Exercise A = 5-minute opening on camera + self-review. Exercise B = 1-on-1 10-min feedback. Time = 3 hrs. Success = clear 30-second opening.
• Week 2: Objective = message structure & story. Exercises = craft & rehearse 2-minute story; peer feedback. Success = repeatable 2-minute story with clear arc.

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Over-automating. Fix: Schedule live coach reviews at weeks 2 and 6.
• Mistake: Too many long lessons. Fix: Keep micro-lessons under 10 minutes.
• Mistake: No measurable criteria. Fix: Define one concrete success metric per week.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Given this client profile, create a personalized 8-week learning pathway with weekly objectives, suggested micro-lessons, 2 simple exercises per week, expected time commitment, success criteria for each week, and a short coach note highlighting risks and remediation. Client: 48-year-old executive, goal = improve public speaking for board meetings, current level = nervous but clear, availability = 3 hours/week, learning style = prefers practice + feedback. Produce a concise week-by-week plan and a 2-sentence summary of why this sequence fits.”

1-week quick action plan

1. Day 1: Build the 10-question intake and competency map.
2. Day 2: Compile 8 micro-lessons and two exercises per module.
3. Day 3: Run the AI prompt for 3 client profiles; compare outputs.
4. Day 4: Pick a pathway, add coach notes, load to tracker.
5. Day 5: Pilot with one client and collect baseline video/audio.
6. Day 6: Quick feedback session and adjust the pathway.
7. Day 7: Confirm KPIs and schedule next check-ins.

What to expect

Fast: initial personalized pathway in under an hour. Measurable: weekly success criteria that guide coaching. Scalable: reuse modules and prompts for new clients. Your move: pick one client and run the 1-week plan — iterate after week 4.

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Nice point: I like your emphasis on starting simple — spreadsheet + intake + human check-ins is exactly the right foundation for trustworthy personalization. That approach keeps coaches in control while letting AI speed up routine work.

One simple idea (plain English): adaptive branching means the pathway changes based on a small yes/no or score at the end of a week. Think of it like a road with forks: if a client hits their mini-goal, they move to a stretch of tougher practice; if not, they loop back for a focused drill. It’s not magic — it’s a short decision rule that keeps learning aligned with real progress.

1. What you’ll need
   • Short intake (10 questions: goal, starting skill, time/week, preferences).
   • Modular content library (micro-lessons under 10 minutes, 2 exercises per module).
   • Simple tracker (spreadsheet or light LMS) with a column for weekly score/yes-no check.
   • Access to an AI chat tool to draft week-by-week tasks and coach notes.
2. How to do it — step-by-step
   1. Create intake and assign a 3-point baseline score for the target skill (low / mid / high).
   2. Map 4–6 modules to the core competencies and tag each micro-lesson by time and objective.
   3. Use AI to draft an 8-week pathway for each baseline score, then add two simple branching rules per week: (A) pass -> next module; (B) fail -> repeat focused drill + coach feedback.
   4. Load the chosen pathway into your tracker, set calendar reminders for coach check-ins at weeks 2 and 6, and define one measurable success metric per week (e.g., 30-sec opening, clear 2-min story).
   5. Run a 4-week pilot with one client: collect weekly scores, short evidence (video/audio or deliverable), and tweak the pathway based on what actually worked.

What to expect

• Initial pathway creation: under an hour once your intake and modules exist.
• Early learning curve: first 1–2 pilots will reveal how strict your branching rules should be.
• Outcomes: clearer weekly focus, faster identification of stalls, and higher confidence because each step ties to a simple success check.

Quick tip: keep every weekly success criterion measurable and visible in the tracker — it makes coaching conversations concrete and keeps clients motivated.

[Jeff Bullas]

Spot on: your adaptive branching idea is the missing lever. A simple yes/no or 0–2 score keeps the plan honest and the client moving. Let’s turn that into a small, repeatable system you can run from a spreadsheet in under an hour.

Big idea: Branching-in-a-Box — three tiny assets (rubric, rules, and tagged content) that let AI generate next-week plans that fit the client’s pace without heavy tech.

What you need

• One-page rubric (3 criteria, 0–2 score each) and a pass threshold.
• Tag your micro-lessons by skill, difficulty (1–3), and time (in minutes).
• Simple tracker with columns: Week, Objective, Evidence link, Score (0–2), Rule fired, Next steps, Coach notes, Due date.
• AI chat tool and two prompts: score evidence, generate next-week plan.
• Low-friction evidence capture (phone video, audio, screenshot).

How to set it up — step-by-step

1. Write a mini-rubric (5 minutes). Choose 3 criteria that define visible progress. Example for public speaking: Clarity, Structure, Presence. Scoring: 0 = not yet, 1 = emerging, 2 = solid. Pass if total ≥ 4/6.
2. Tag your content (15 minutes). For each micro-lesson, add Skill tag (e.g., Structure), Difficulty (1–3), Time (e.g., 8 min), and Exercise link or description.
3. Define three branching rules (5 minutes).
   • Pass (≥ threshold): advance to next module; add one stretch exercise.
   • Borderline (just under): repeat focused drill + one new angle; mandatory coach review.
   • Fail (well under): short diagnostic + narrow drill; reduce scope; book 15-min coach nudge.
4. Drop the structure into your tracker (5 minutes). One row per week. Add conditional formatting: green = pass, amber = borderline, red = fail.
5. Plug AI into two moments.
   • End of week: use AI to score the evidence against the rubric (coach reviews in 2 minutes).
   • Start of next week: use AI to propose next steps based on the rule that fired and the tagged library.

Copy-paste AI prompts (use as-is)

Evidence Scoring Prompt

“You are a coach’s assistant. Score this client’s weekly evidence using ONLY this rubric and scale. Rubric criteria (0–2 each): 1) Clarity (is the message easy to follow?), 2) Structure (clear opening, middle, closing), 3) Presence (voice, pace, posture). Scoring scale: 0 = not yet, 1 = emerging, 2 = solid. Output JSON with keys: total_score (0–6), criterion_scores, 2 bullet strengths, 2 bullet improvements, pass (true/false, pass if total ≥ 4), and a one-sentence risk note. Evidence: [paste transcript or summary of what you observed].”

Next-Week Generator Prompt

“Based on this score and our branching rules, create the next week’s plan. Inputs: goal = [e.g., board-level speaking], time_available = [e.g., 3 hrs], score = [0–6], pass_threshold = 4, last_week_objective = [text]. Library (each item: skill, difficulty 1–3, time minutes, exercise description). Rules: pass → move to next skill + 1 stretch; borderline → repeat focused drill + 1 new angle; fail → diagnostic + narrow drill + coach check-in. Output: objective, 2 exercises with time, 1 stretch or drill as per rule, total time, success criteria (1 sentence), and a short coach note (risk + remediation). Keep it concise.”

Worked example (public speaking, Week 2)

• Evidence result: total 3/6 (clarity 1, structure 1, presence 1) → fail.
• AI next-week plan (fail rule): Objective: nail a 30-second opening. Exercises: (1) Script a 3-sentence opening; record 3 takes (25 min). (2) Pacing drill with metronome count-in; rerecord (20 min). Diagnostic: 2-minute self-score using rubric (10 min). Total time: 55 min + 15-min coach nudge. Success: a clean 30-second opening delivered within 35–40 seconds, no filler words in the first sentence. Coach note: risk = over-scripting; fix = rehearse, then speak from bullets.
• If borderline (4/6): Repeat opening once with story angle; add stretch: 60-second board hook using a metric.
• If pass (5–6/6): Advance to structure: craft a 2-minute message using Problem–Evidence–Action; stretch: add a credibility line.

Insider tip: freeze your rubric for 4 weeks before you tweak it. Consistency beats perfection. Adjust after you’ve seen three client cycles.

What to expect

• Setup: 45–60 minutes for rubric, tags, and prompts.
• Weekly admin: 10–15 minutes to score evidence, 5 minutes to approve AI’s next week.
• Outcomes: tighter focus, fewer stalled weeks, clearer proof of progress clients can feel and you can sell.

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Vague rubric. Fix: use observable behaviors and a 0–2 scale; define a pass number.
• Too many branches. Fix: keep three rules; complexity kills momentum.
• Ignoring time reality. Fix: cap weekly plan to the client’s hours; trim before you add.
• Unreviewed AI scoring. Fix: coach glances at the JSON and adjusts; trust but verify.
• Content bloat. Fix: archive anything not used in two cycles; keep the library lean.

5-day mini-sprint

1. Day 1: Draft the 3-criteria rubric and pass threshold.
2. Day 2: Tag 12 micro-lessons (skill, difficulty, time).
3. Day 3: Build the tracker; paste the two prompts into your AI tool.
4. Day 4: Run one client through Week 1; collect evidence; score with AI; approve.
5. Day 5: Generate Week 2 via the branching rule; schedule a 15-minute check-in.

Why this works

• It blends human judgment with AI speed.
• It keeps personalization simple, visible, and measurable.
• It creates artifacts (scores, evidence, notes) you can show in progress reviews and proposals.

Bottom line: start with the three-rule branch, one rubric, and a lean library. Keep weeks short, criteria clear, and decisions binary. You’ll get faster wins, fewer stalls, and a coaching practice that scales without losing the human touch.

[Author]

Posts