Who hosts a session, and why Robin asks

On Robin you are both coaches. In any one session, though, one of you delivers it and the other receives it. The one who delivers is the session's host. In a peer coaching session that is the one who coaches. In a supervision or mentoring session it is the one who supervises or mentors.

When you tap Schedule, Robin asks what you would like to do. For peer coaching, it asks who coaches this time, and shows who hosts. The answer sets the session up the right way round from the start.

The short version

• The host is the one who delivers the session. The session runs on the host's session type, at a time from the host's availability.
• Whoever starts a recording or transcript controls it. Only the host can start one. Robin processes it for the host, on their instructions. The participant's disclosures are in there, and the host answers for how they keep, protect and delete them. If the host shares one with you and you download it, you control your copy.
• Booking direction decides who the host is. That is why Robin asks who coaches before you pick a time.

The host names the roles on each session type, such as "coach" and "client", or "supervisor" and "supervisee". Robin shows those names on the booking page before you book. That vocabulary has its own short page, Host and participant.

The two ways a session gets booked

They are hosting. You book one of their available sessions on their booking page. Pick a session type, pick a time, and you are done.

You are hosting. You offer them a time from your own booking page. Pick one of your session types, a time you are free, and an optional note. The offer lands in your chat together, and they confirm with one tap. Robin holds the time on both calendars until they respond.

Either way, the session itself is the same. Same call, same chat, same reminders.

Why the direction matters

Several things follow from who hosts:

• Your logbook. In a peer coaching session, the hour counts as coaching given for the coach, and coaching received for the client. A booking the right way round keeps your hours record true to what happened.
• The session's records. The host is responsible for any transcript or recording. The host decides how long to keep it, who to share it with, and how to handle a deletion request. Who controls your data has the full picture.
• The booking rules. The host's session type sets the length options, and the host's scheduling settings set the notice and buffers. Sessions you host run on your terms, and sessions you are booked into run on theirs.

Book it the wrong way round and all of that flips. The wrong coach's logbook fills up, and responsibility for the participant's disclosures lands on the wrong person.

The ICF Code of Ethics asks every coach to "maintain, store, and dispose of any records, including electronic files and communications, in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security, and privacy" (Standard 2.4). Hosting is how Robin keeps that responsibility with the coach it belongs to.

One role per session

A session keeps one role configuration for its whole length. You do not swap roles halfway through. Coaches who both want a turn as coach book two sessions and take a turn each.

Our guide How to run a peer coaching session has the full reasoning. It covers how the ICF counts coaching hours.

If a session was booked the wrong way round

Either of you can cancel a session at any time, with a reason. Then book it again in the right direction. Robin asks who coaches before you pick a time, to keep this rare.

Questions

Message Jon directly in the app. He reads every message and answers personally.