For those of you looking to hire a coach, I’ve got to tell you coaching is so much more than holding you accountable. In fact, accountability is only one piece of the coaching pie.
If you want accountability, go out and tell your mailbox what you’ll do this week. (Don’t worry, your neighbors will think you’re on your Bluetooth.) Seven days later, go tell the inanimate object if you did what you said you would do. There’s your accountability and you’ll save thousands of dollars in coaching fees.
Accountability is a diminutive slice of the coaching relationship. I mean, how long will you pay a professional coach just to hold you accountable? Not long.
You’ll eventually quit and be disgruntled on at least two counts. One, you’ll blame the so called “coach” for delivering zero value. Second, you’ll wonder why you forked over your credit card digits and wasted bank on coaching when you could have been in Cancun with your feet buried in warm sand sipping drinks with fancy cocktail umbrellas.
Please please please! I implore you! Perform due diligence in hiring a professional certified coach as you would when hiring any other professional i.e. doctor, dentist, accountant, or attorney.
Which takes me to the story of a man who wanted more than accountability. He wanted a new life.
This time last year I partnered with a client named Barry. He was in personal transition. At a point in life where he was fed up with the status quo. He was on a boat without a rudder and no clear direction.
Before arriving on my doorstep, Barry had been through more than his share of life events. He was desperate for answers and wanted them yesterday. Sound familiar?
Based on where he was and where he wanted to go, I suggested Barry consider a program I facilitate called “Now What – 90 Days To A New Life Direction.” It’s based on the book by the same name written by Laura Berman Fortgang. I studied under Laura and I’m a licensed “Now What” facilitator.
We hopped in the coaching boat. I put Barry at the helm, tossed him the keys and asked each week, “Where are we going today?”
Somewhere around week six of the 12 week program, Barry had what we call in the coaching world an AHA moment. Organically, without any agenda on my part, being he’s a songwriter and musician, I was curious about Barry’s love and talent for writing.
A well trained certified coach is able to see and unlock the dormant potential within the client and bring this potential to the surface and hold it up to a mirror and ask , “What do you see?”
Long story short, one of the golden nuggets that came out of our phone coaching conversations was Barry’s new book, “No Easy Answers, A Book of Life Changing Questions.” If you know someone looking to make a change, Barry’s journey and the questions he asked might be their ticket out of dodge.
Barry also kicked off a podcast to share his story with the masses. I was honored to be his first guest. You can listen to the interview and other episodes here.
I’m telling you from experience, and Barry would tell you the same after hiring me as his coach, if accountability is all you’re hoping to get from a coach, you won’t get what you’re really looking for.
Coaching is about discovery, awareness, and putting what you’ve learned into action to uplevel your life and create sustainable change.
In 90 days, Barry discovered who he wanted to be.
During the entire coaching engagement, this dude was in charge of his own destiny. The moment I shined the light on what was possible and raised his awareness, Barry shifted into full throttle, established a high def new direction, and was resolute that not a single obstacle was going to get in his way of achieving his new endgame.
I could hear it in his voice, see it in his weekly actions, and feel his energy enveloped in the zone during our weekly convos.
More importantly, Barry experienced sustainable change.
Once we designed an alliance, created a partnership between client and coach, established trust with one another, uncovered for him what was really important, there was no longer a reason for Barry to be accountable to me. He was accountable to himself.
What about you? What’s your endgame? Let’s talk about it to see if I’m a good partner for you.
Photo by Ross Elliott.
I’m going to have to try that mailbox trick. Great idea 😉 Coaches are a great way to get your brain exploring areas you may not have considered before and to go deeper than you may have other wise dared.
🙂
A light pole works as well.
Coach’s are great. The reason I have one.