HOW CAREER COACHES HELP THEIR CLIENTS ACHIEVE PROGRESS (PART II)
6. Ensure Clients Have Learning Partners At Work
Ensure the client has formed learning partnerships at work. Once a client determines their coaching goals, they can invite trusted colleagues to support their learning. These partners are invited to share real-time feedback and observations related to the goal, increasing awareness and learning opportunities. These partnerships create accountability and a sustainable learning environment.
7. Ask Clients To Commit To Taking The Next Step
Wrap up coaching sessions by requesting clients state their commitment to taking action or the next step. During the next coaching conversation, create space for their insights and learn how they managed when things got in the way of them doing what they said they would do. Without judgment, stay curious with them. People like to know that you heard them and you remembered. This is the accountability process.
8. Set SMART Goals
One tried-and-true tip for holding clients accountable is to set SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This process ensures clarity and provides a concrete framework for tracking progress. Regular check-ins and progress reviews help clients maintain focus while celebrating milestones. This increases motivation, fosters accountability and sustains improvement.
9. Celebrate Small Wins
I remind clients of their “why” by anchoring their progress in their original vision and goals. Together, we review the progress they’ve made and reflect on the impact of their efforts. Celebrating small wins and understanding the consequences of not following through helps keep them motivated and accountable. I also remind them that if they stop now, all their hard work will go to waste.
10. Set Clear Expectations
Acknowledge clients’ efforts and progress with positive feedback. Use open-ended questions to foster reflection. Show empathy for their feelings and perspectives. Create a supportive environment that motivates accountability and growth.
11. Create A ‘Goal Achievement Bingo’ Game
One fun and effective tip for tracking their progress as a Bingo” game. Design a bingo card with various milestones and actions related to their goals. Each time a client completes a task, they mark off a square. They offer themselves small rewards for completing rows or the entire card. Goal tracking becomes a game, progress is visible and clients stay on track.
12. Use A ‘Future Gratitude Letter’
In a “future gratitude letter,” have clients describe in detail how they will feel and what they will have achieved six months to a year from now, expressing gratitude as if those goals have already been accomplished. This exercise not only creates a powerful vision of their desired future, but also instills a sense of responsibility and emotional commitment.
13. Develop A Highly Visible Dashboard
With top-tier clients, my go-to approach for creating accountability involves developing a progress dashboard that is visible to their team and C-level personnel. Placing this dashboard in a high-traffic area ensures transparency. By setting challenging, bite-size deliverables tied to cash savings, C-level executives can see the potential benefits and provide the necessary resources and empowerment to help clients achieve goals.
14. Reflect On Lessons Learned And Set New Goals
Creating an environment for productive accountability happens from the beginning, differentiating the coaching experience from therapy, venting or getting advice. Our time together is goal-oriented and focused, which will require some investment of time between sessions. Once sessions begin, my role isn’t to scold, but to allow space for reflection on the lessons learned, setting new goals as they progress.
15. Gamify Clients’ Progress Through Milestones
Establish clear and measurable milestones or benchmarks in collaboration with your client to hold them accountable—but this has to be fun too. I use game boards that allow my clients to consciously connect to their success by moving a chess piece toward each goal. We celebrate each step closer to the bigger goal through experiences of their choice to embed the feeling of their win!
16. Have Clients Set Aside Specific Time To Work On Goals
For me, a successful practice has been having clients allot specific time on their calendars for reviewing progress on their goals. Having them reflect on the benefits and what they will gain when they achieve their goals is another powerful tool to motivate, encourage and propel clients to action.
17. Integrate Check-Ins With Reflective Practices
In a coaching context, you could integrate check-ins with reflective practices. During each session, you might ask the client to visualize their progress and the steps they have taken, reinforcing positive behaviors and identifying areas that need more focus. This combines a structured accountability approach with reflective and experiential elements, enhancing overall effectiveness.
18. Position Accountability As A Reward
Position accountability as a reward rather than a punishment for individuals. When they view accountability as a way to make progress toward the goals they want to achieve, they have a greater sense of ownership and are more attentive to their outcomes. Plus, when they make progress and celebrate, they get hits of dopamine—the feel-good hormone—which makes them want to continue to grow and develop.
