December and January are always exciting times for me. It’s exciting because if not all, most clients are working on goals for the year. Reviews, reflections and strategizing take up most of the coaching sessions.
This has also made me come to the realization of the importance of a coach in working with the client to have clarity on what they want to do and achieve. I have experienced for myself, how a lack of clarity in goals, left me unable to find my way to where I want to go, or go somewhere I didn’t have any intention of going to.
As coaches, our primary role is to unearth the path to clarity for our clients. This process begins with understanding the unique challenges and aspirations of each individual. We listen, not just to respond, but to truly hear what our clients are saying – and sometimes, what they’re also not saying.
Digging into the desire deep down. Often, clients have a surface-level idea of what they want. It is our job to dig and probe deeper, helping them uncover the true essence of their goals and dreams. . This might involve challenging preconceived ideas or exploring fears that are holding them back.
Outlining specific goals. Vague goals like “I want to make more money” or “I want to have more sales” are too broad to be actionable. We guide our clients in breaking down these broad desires into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. Not necessarily that it has to be this framework, but keeping this as a guide helps to clarify. This helps to zoom in and narrow down to the exact goals to work on.
All of these steps in gaining clarity, then helps the client in creating a pathway/roadmap to get to their goals. This also includes identifying obstacles, resources needed and milestones set to track progress. It is about taking a goal and chunking it down to byte-size actions.
And of course, we also set accountability in place to keep them committed to their goals. One option could be them having regular check-ins, reminders of their ‘why’, and constructive feedback are all part of this process with an accountability buddy.
As coaches, we don’t set goals; we unlock the potential within each client to see beyond their current horizon. We get them to not only dream bigger but to actualize those dreams into tangible achievements. In the pursuit of clarity in goal setting, we are here to be their thinking partner, urging them on to stretch their possibilities.
