CoachAccountable, the software platform I created to make coaching better, allows both the coach and client the ability to create client action plans. Either party can type in the what, choose the by-when, and set however many reminders at whatever desired timing.
This open-endedness of who does it is intentional, and I wouldn’t have it any other way for the sake of flexibly that accommodates all manner of collaborative working styles. AND YET, without contradiction, I advocate pretty hard, to coaches, that they enroll their clients in doing that action plan setup work for themselves (rather than coach do it for them). I advocate this even when coach operates under the banner of high-touch service, service that maximizes for honoring the clients’ time and saving them effort.
Why?
Ownership.
A client who types up their own action items, and does the clicky stuff to choose their due date and set whatever timely reminders, forms a certain bond to doing those things. This is given by the nominal investment of effort. Also important is that nothing is lost in translation. Explicitly choosing the due date is unambiguously opting-in to that “by-when” promise. Even setting timely reminders is a creative act of choosing times that will be most useful. This is because doing so has a client engage with their own near-term schedule, and grapple with when they could plausibly put in the time to do the thing.
In other words: all of this effort is more than mere mechanical dictation. It is inherently creative.
Conversely, when a coach inputs these things for his clients, that creates opportunity for a certain detachment from (if not outright resistance to) the task in his client’s mind. “Did I really say I would do that?” “Did I really agree to that due date?” The client’s action plan feels more like orders coming down from on high, rather than one they were at the source of. What would otherwise be intrinsic motivation to follow through has been squeezed out when it’s handed to you.
And this sense of ownership, this relationship a client has with their action plan, is pivotally important in the realm of coaching. Because in coaching, the work is generally (1) voluntary and (2) the stuff of stretching out of the usual comfort zone. (1) and (2) broadly entail this sentiment:
“I’m only going to follow through on this if I’m truly on board. If I’m not feeling it, if I’m not genuinely enrolled in it and clear that this is right for me, I’m not gonna do it. I will simply let the deadline slide and let that commitment vanish.”
Us clients may never speak these words out loud to you. We don’t need to. If you relate to us mere mortals as holding that view, accepting that we hold it (rather than making us wrong for doing so), you can better guide us to make plans we’ll actually see through.
Guide us to really own the Action Plan; guide us to create it ourselves.
Do this as a regular part of your sessions. Either punctuating the coaching conversation itself (i.e. when you notice something come up, say “That’s great: put that in as an action item right now.”). Or as part of the wrap up ritual (teed up with something like “Okay great, let’s take a few minutes now to set up your action plan.”).
Either way, your job is to have us left with an action plan of 2-5 meaningful things to get done between now and the next session. With suitable, realistic due dates for each.
The game is to leave us with something we’ll actually do. Your access is to ensure we own it.
