Breathrough To Coaching Clients Into Action

09/03/2007

Arnold Glasgow put it down very well when he said, “An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” That has been my experience at least - with myself and with my clients.

Life is always changing. That is one thing we can be sure of. Decisions about our lives, our family, our work, our spirituality, our relationships and our personal growth have to be made daily. By procrastinating and putting off these decisions we put off short-term urgencies which ultimately become long-term matters of concern and goals become very distant longings. It would serve our best interests to take action before we get to that point.

There are many ways we can help our clients turn their dreams and goals into reality. Firstly, it is important to note that to achieve goals, it is vital to determine ones values and desires first. If goals are not aligned with ones values, the chances of them materializing are not very high. Even if the goals are reached, it leaves a sense of emptiness and continued despair. When goals have been determined the coach can then help the client make his or her goals specific, measurable and reachable. There are many useful tools which can be used to help clients reach their goals such as writing them down on paper, visualization, setting time frames, quantifying the goal, breaking it down into smaller chunks, doing research, drawing it, making collages and so on. BUT if the client does not take action it is not possible to move forward. Powerful questions support us in taking the appropriate action at the right time. Without taking action a goal is just a pipe dream and nothing more. These are but a few of the powerful questions that the coach may use to help get their client into action; What’s your first step?, What’s your next step?, By when will you achieve this goal?, How could you make this goal more specific or measurable?, What are three actions you could take that would make sense this week?

A quality question will result in a quality answer and action.

Click on 450 Powerful Questions to support you in being an extraordinary coach, manager and leader.