Cathy Liska How many people do you know that now skip creating New Year’s resolutions because they are forgetting them within weeks? As a coach, what are the secrets to empowering your clients to experience results based on their resolutions? In this three-part blog series, tips for coaching to define effective goals, empower long-term motivation, and proactively plan with accountability provide keys to achieving results.
Consider what you do know about effective goal setting: goals that focus on what you do want are more effective than goals defined by what you don’t want. For example, a goal of losing 30 pounds is focused on what you don’t want – the thirty pounds. Instead, focus on what you do want – whether it is a specific weight or clothing size.
Ask your client what they do want in the coming year. If your coaching client defines their goals in terms of what they don’t want, rephrase your question and ask again. Examples of follow-up questions to create focus on what the client does want include:
* If it isn’t (whatever the client stated) what is it?
* When you successfully do (whatever the client stated) where are you at?
* After you (whatever the client stated) what have you achieved?
When your coaching client defines their goals based on what they are moving toward, their success is enhanced because their focus is specific. Coach to the next level and have them describe their results in terms of what they see, feel, and hear after achieving the results.
What is your experience with goal-setting based on what you do want?
