We've all done it. Yes, even me! We've all identified something that we want to achieve and set a vague goal for when we would have done so. You know what I mean: "I'm going to start a vegetable patch ... next year"; "I'm going to run a marathon ... before I'm 30"; "I'm going to start my own business ... one day".
But all of the best intentions in the world will come to nothing without action. And sometimes ...
But all of the best intentions in the world will come to nothing without action. And sometimes ...
... because we are social animals, the best way to ensure action is if we create a social pressure for ourselves by telling someone (especially if it is someone whose opinion of us we value) about what we are going to do. That way, if we are not moving forward with our goals, and we have to explain 'why not' to them, we don't like it. So we end up taking action and, what do you know ... our goals move closer to becoming a reality!
In coaching terms, it's what we call Being Accountable.
It's a very simple process: at the end of a coaching session, as my coachee and I clarify the goals they are going to work on for the next session, I invite them to let me know when they have taken action on the goals they have just set. It may be that they can let me know that they have accomplished them, or simply that they have taken action that moves them closer to achieving their target. But either way, it is a process through which they come to understand that someone (me) is waiting to hear how they are getting on with the work they have committed to undertaking, and is interested in supporting them and cheering them on as they achieve their goals!
And knowing that they are going to be held accountable for the action they take also serves as a great motivator for taking that action :D
As I say, a simple process, but also a very powerful one, where you (the coachee) are supported in keeping focused and proactive in achieving what you are setting out to achieve through your coaching.
Using my online coaching resource*, I have looked to make this process a regular part of the coaching experience for my clients. My clients are invited to register online for my "Be Accountable" coaching package (a free bonus for them for working with me), where they will find just 5 questions for them to answer. I ask them then to visit the module each week and update me with details of how they are getting on in addressing their identified goals. This way, they can see how they are making progress over time, as they can see what responses they have given over previous weeks. And I can interact with them here, giving them feedback and encouragement as they work to achieve their goals between formal (usually monthly) face-to-face coaching sessions.
It is a simple and very effective method of working and when a client sees how the weekly discipline of completing the "Be Accountable" package is working for them, it soon becomes an invaluable part of our work together.
And the 5 questions? They are quite simple, but designed to get you thinking about what you're working on and where you are in the process ...
1. What has been your biggest success in the past 7 days?
2. What has been your biggest challenge?
3. Please reflect on the last week and summarise your thoughts in 3-4 lines.
4. What are you committing to achieving in the next 7 days?
and
5. What help do you need from me?
How useful would you find it to have this process to complete every week, to help you keep your goals in focus?
If you think it might help you, drop me a line and we can see how we might work it into your schedule.
Cheers for now,
Author: Colin Clerkin
*If you want to know more about my Online Coaching Resource, please feel free to get in touch.
By the way, about the goals mentioned at the top of this piece ... my wife and I started our veggie patch this year and have been enjoying our home-grown produce these past few months; I ran that marathon I aspired to, at 24 years old (well before my target age, but a long time ago now!); and ... I started my own business 11 years ago, and went full-time in it 8 years ago (October 2004). So my message to you is this: set and stay focused on your goals, and you can achieve them :D
In coaching terms, it's what we call Being Accountable.
It's a very simple process: at the end of a coaching session, as my coachee and I clarify the goals they are going to work on for the next session, I invite them to let me know when they have taken action on the goals they have just set. It may be that they can let me know that they have accomplished them, or simply that they have taken action that moves them closer to achieving their target. But either way, it is a process through which they come to understand that someone (me) is waiting to hear how they are getting on with the work they have committed to undertaking, and is interested in supporting them and cheering them on as they achieve their goals!
And knowing that they are going to be held accountable for the action they take also serves as a great motivator for taking that action :D
As I say, a simple process, but also a very powerful one, where you (the coachee) are supported in keeping focused and proactive in achieving what you are setting out to achieve through your coaching.
Using my online coaching resource*, I have looked to make this process a regular part of the coaching experience for my clients. My clients are invited to register online for my "Be Accountable" coaching package (a free bonus for them for working with me), where they will find just 5 questions for them to answer. I ask them then to visit the module each week and update me with details of how they are getting on in addressing their identified goals. This way, they can see how they are making progress over time, as they can see what responses they have given over previous weeks. And I can interact with them here, giving them feedback and encouragement as they work to achieve their goals between formal (usually monthly) face-to-face coaching sessions.
It is a simple and very effective method of working and when a client sees how the weekly discipline of completing the "Be Accountable" package is working for them, it soon becomes an invaluable part of our work together.
And the 5 questions? They are quite simple, but designed to get you thinking about what you're working on and where you are in the process ...
1. What has been your biggest success in the past 7 days?
2. What has been your biggest challenge?
3. Please reflect on the last week and summarise your thoughts in 3-4 lines.
4. What are you committing to achieving in the next 7 days?
and
5. What help do you need from me?
How useful would you find it to have this process to complete every week, to help you keep your goals in focus?
If you think it might help you, drop me a line and we can see how we might work it into your schedule.
Cheers for now,
Author: Colin Clerkin
*If you want to know more about my Online Coaching Resource, please feel free to get in touch.
By the way, about the goals mentioned at the top of this piece ... my wife and I started our veggie patch this year and have been enjoying our home-grown produce these past few months; I ran that marathon I aspired to, at 24 years old (well before my target age, but a long time ago now!); and ... I started my own business 11 years ago, and went full-time in it 8 years ago (October 2004). So my message to you is this: set and stay focused on your goals, and you can achieve them :D
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