Many traditional
coaches are reluctant to embrace the concept of “Coaching for RESULTS”. They
have conflicting views on the role of a coach and they are skeptical about any
coaching process that is designed to deliver RESULTS for their client!
Much of this “coaching
anxiety” stems from a lack of awareness of the incremental process that takes
place between the moment you connect with your client and the time your client
arrives at the end of your “Coaching Trajectory” that I wrote about in a
previous article.
Today, I want to talk
about the transformation that take place when a client achieves a Desired
Outcome. The seven incremental steps to “Coach for RESULTS”!
If you use the word “RESULTS”
as an acronym for these seven steps, you will be able to deliver the results for
which your clients will pay you high-end coaching fees. And when you implement
these steps, you will create a replicable system to lead your clients to their
Desired Outcome!
Step 1 – “R” stands for “REASON”
You cannot deliver results
if your client does not have a compelling REASON for wanting to achieve a
Desired Outcome. You are a coach and not
a “dream weaver”! Your client’s reason
for wanting to achieve a result must therefore be absolute and unequivocal! And
your personal reason for delivering these results must be equally unambiguous!
You must be clear on the
result your client is after! But no matter what that result may be, the first thing
a coach needs to ascertain is the WHY
behind the result! What will truly compel your client to the make the commitment
to follow through on all the action steps of your coaching program? What is the
VALUE to the client for achieving the result? How is this value measured, determined and calculated? Is it an emotional or
spiritual value? Or can this value be expressed in monetary terms? And what
would be the COST to the client for NOT achieving the result? Again, is this cost emotional, spiritual or financial?
The correlation between
reason and result is a very powerful one! Yet I’ve seen many traditional
coaching remaining blissfully ignorant on both these elements, even though the duelling
forces of “cause & effect” are major determinants in the effectiveness of
your coaching programs. So why do so many coaches skip this first step? It’s
because they are conflicted about their role as coaches to get involved in this
process.
And there is another compelling
reason to skip “Step 1”. It requires . . . . .
Step 2 – “E” stands for “EFFORT”
Coaching for RESULTS
takes effort! While the traditional coaching mandate evolves around “listening, empathizing, asking questions,
inspiring and motivating”, coaching for results requires determination and effort.
You may “listen” to your client’s
challenges, but it takes effort to resolve issues! You may “empathize” with your client’s situation, but it requires effort to
bring about change! Ask all the questions you like, but it requires effort to
find the right answers! Inspiring and motivating makes for great “sound bites”,
but taking action requires effort!
Step 3 – “S” stands for “STRUGGLE”
If you cannot relate
to the struggles that your clients are experiencing, of what value are you to them as a coach? The
ONLY reason that clients will want to work with you, is because your life
followed a similar trajectory to the one your clients are travelling on. They
need to know that you walked in their shoes! So give some anecdotal examples of
situations you have dealt with in the past for which you have found solutions
and that you are now ready to help them find similar outcomes!
Step 4 – “U” stands for “UNDERSTANDING”
Don’t just “listen, empathize, ask questions, inspire
and motivate”! Show your clients that you understand their struggles and
that you are the best coach to help them deal with their challenges. You must
create a unique relationship with your clients that is based on trust, respect
and a deep level of understanding. Your understanding of the clients’ situation
. . . . and their understanding of your ability to deliver desired results!
Step 5 – “L” stands for “LEADERSHIP”
Coaches that deliver
RESULTS are leaders by default! As a coach, you’re the captain of your coaching
vessel that ferries your clients to their Desired Outcome. You’re the pilot
that navigates your coaching plane trough all the turbulence along the flight
route but still lands the plane safely at the client’s destination!
Your role as a leader
is imperative in achieving the results your clients are looking for. Cloaking
your communication with indiscernible coaching jargon or confusing metaphors does
little to bring clarity to your clients’ issues. As a leader, your coaching
message must “cut to the chase” by being clear and concise!
Step 6 – “T” stands for “TRANSFORMATION”
Always remember that a
true coach is both a leader and a servant. You “lead” your clients through
their personal “transformation”, while serving your clients in their quest to achieve
a Desired Outcome! The ultimate goal for any coach is to facilitate the client’s
transformation to a desired result using leadership and foresight, but without
ever compromising the client’s ability to be in charge of their destiny!
Step 7 – “S” stands for “SUCCESS”
In the final analysis,
coaching is about delivering results for the client. It is what today’s
sophisticated clients are demanding and it behooves us all as coaches to heed this
ultimate “reality check”!
“Clients don’t pay for coaching. They pay for
RESULTS!”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
© Allan N. Mulholland
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About Allan
Allan N. Mulholland is
the founder and president of PersonaCoach (Int'l) LLC, which provides training
and certification for life & business coaches. He is the author of “Change
Your Perception, Change Yourself!” and writes on all aspects of coaching
training and development.
To get your physical
copy of Allan’s free book “Clients Don’t Pay for Coaching. They Pay for
RESULTS!” go to www.personacoach.com
