How do you hold your coaching clients accountable? It happens: a client shows up without having fulfilled their commitment from the last coaching session. What do you do?
What CAN you do?
Hold your coaching clients accountable sooner rather than later!
Address it Now
For starters, address it right away. Ask some probing questions such as: 1) What happened that caused them to not be able to complete the assignments, 2) What got in the way of your moving forward, 3) Has anything else changed that we should talk about? By identifying the underlying problem and determining what needs to be done to overcome a unique situation is important so that they can move forward.
Habit
Is this a habit? You can tell by their track record. Are they struggling maintaining commitments in other areas of their life or career? Ask probing questions to uncover the reality, then gain their recommitment to the program. Back it up in writing.
Raising Concerns
Don’t wait for your client’s lack of commitment to themselves and to your program get out of hand. Be prepared to address your concerns. Refer back to the expectations set in your contract with your client. Let them know that meeting their goals is in jeopardy. You might need to reset their expectations of what can be accomplished.
This conversation needs to take place before things get worse. It might be time to pause until they are able to recommit and engage with your coaching program.
Holding your coaching clients accountable may include decision time.
Decision Time
There may come a time for you to make a difficult decision. If your client continues to show up late , fails to follow through with their commitments, or even frequently cancels, then it might be time to end the coaching relationship. NOT holding your clients accountable serves no one and can really hurt your business. Spending time with someone unwilling to do the work likely means they will not meet their goals. Having a client fail to accomplish their objectives can mean negative reviews for you.
It’s important to have a termination clause in your contract that stipulates the terms and any refund you will provide.
Honor Your Business!
Firing a client is never easy! Not all client relationships are successful and that you need to be prepared to address these challenging situations head on. It is honoring yourself and your coaching business.
Check out The Coach Business Guide: The Path to Launch and Grow your Coaching Practice for more information and help.
