It’s the beginning of a new year so goals, commitments, and resolutions are top of mind. I don’t have to tell you that too often goals are set and immediately forgotten. Other reasons people may not meet their goals is a lack of accountability or a lack of prioritization. We asked our expert coaching community for their suggestions on how coaching can help. No surprise, a few themes rose to the top:
- Set realistic and specific goals to avoid disappointment
- Share your goal with at least one person to increase your chances of success
- Make working toward goals a habit vs. a one time event
- And one that I love – dream a little!
As Janet Livingstone says below:
Beat your inner troll to achieve your goal…with the help of a coach.
Hear from the experts in their own words.
Leang Chung | Pelora Stack
Coaching creates a psychologically-safe and supportive space to have an honest conversation about your ambitions and goals. The starting point to setting the right goals and having accountability to reach those goals is an understanding of your “why” and the career/life you envision for yourself. A coach provides this space. Free of judgment and risk of a potential conflict of interest.
Sara Fenn | Empwr.me
Coaching helps create a safe place for clients to engage in exploration of ideas and aspirations, then provides structure for narrowing focus, gaining clarity, and moving from thought to action. The process includes gauging commitment to the plan and builds accountability checks in the roadmaps. The solutions and goals come from within the client – the process just helps raise those to the surface.
Janet Williams Hepler | Highline Coaching and Consulting
Coaching offers a safe space to dream a little. I like to start with vision–even looking out a year or two and inviting my client to envision where they would like to be. We think about what strengths they bring to this vision, and what they might need to learn and to make this vision a reality. The right goals help test possibilities and create momentum toward that vision in attainable steps.
Janet Livingstone | Boeing, ORCA HR Solutions
Goals can be scary sometimes, especially if they don’t feel realistic. Coaching is a relationship where client accountability for goals is supported by the trust and empowerment that relationship brings. Good coaching brings growth and clients often feel more able to set realistic goals and hold themselves accountable with less stress/anxiety and self-criticism. Beat your inner troll to achieve your goal…with the help of a coach.
Brian Mark | The Organizational Health Collective, State of Washington, HR, Coaching, and Operational head: Trader Joes
For me it’s all about my support system. A coach helps me be consistent with pausing and reflecting. Is my goal still relevant, does it need adjustment, and how far have I come? I think a coach helps with making executing on my goals a habit and tangible versus just words on paper.
Christine McHugh | Author of From Barista to Boardroom, Christine McHugh Coaching and Consulting
I find with my clients that we often spend time up front really honing their goals so they are realistic yet stretching. People often come to me with a long list which can be overwhelming for them. A coach can help them focus and feel success sooner as a result.
Mike Normant | The Unlimit Group
A coach can be a great thought partner for identifying challenging yet realistic goals. A challenging goal that is not realistic can set one up for disappointment. A realistic goal that is not challenging, may not be all that satisfying to achieve. And studies show that people are more likely to hold themselves accountable for achieving their goals when they’ve shared them with one or more others. A coach is one person that can play that role of helping one hold themselves accountable. My .02 🙂
Desiree Briel Rodi | Desiree Briel Rodi Consulting & Coaching
The first thing that comes to mind is the space coaching creates on our calendars to actually think, connect dots, be intentional and that is HUGE! I think about how coaching works – a coach is an equal who explores with and empowers the client to set goals, partnering with them to determine what accountability looks like – empowerment and buy-in are essential aspects. Studies show when a coaching client sets the direction, the goals and approach are positive, long-term growth is more likely.
Miryam Chavarría Romero | Reverb
Often a leader comes to coaching to create a desired change; what worked for them before is no longer effective or sustainable in their current environment/context. To create meaningful change that endures past the initial reaction to the pain point, I have found we need 3 key elements: (1) vision, where we are going and why is that important to you; (2) practices, we are what we practice after all, and (3) support, a balance of encouragement and challenge that holds us accountable to our vision and the practices that will take us there.
Marriot Winquist | Reverb
Coaches help clients find the “achievable stretch” which is the sweet spot when it comes to goal setting and accountability. By creating a psychologically safe and forward-thinking space, coaches can help clients think big, while at the same time explore and overcome struggles and barriers that have kept them from moving forward. It’s one of the most impactful things we can do to help clients create meaningful changes.
Learn more about Reverb’s approach to coaching here.
