3 key prep steps to hire an accountability coach
You’re feeling pulled in a million directions – working weekends and getting marginal sleep, drinking way too much coffee and grabbing food when you can. Your friends and family time is nil and your exercise routine even… niller. It may feel counterintuitive to add one more thing to your maxed out plate, but this is precisely the time for an accountability coach! A professional ally to help assess your priorities and alter your path to better align with them, and then provide the tools and motivation to get you back on a course that feels more balanced and sane. This, in a nutshell, is why you hire an accountability coach.
WHY HIRE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY?
At Upways Accountability Coaching, we work mostly with successful execs, but if you’re ready for change in any area of life and need some help with your plan, consider hiring an accountability coach.
Most people seem to hire us when they’re about to take a major next step or have gone slightly off the rails in one area – say their physical fitness - due to excessive focus and hard work in another key space – say their career. They want to reset their balance and reset their focus - and have some encouraging, professional support to help them get there.
Unlike a parent or teacher or your boss, an accountability coach is your ally and your equal; they’re not there to teach you, direct you, or lead the way. Instead, they show up to listen to your needs, encourage your forward motion, and share well-proven habits and tools to help you stay the course until you start to see concrete results. And even then, they remain by your side to cheer you on.
“My accountability coach is the front seat passenger for my most important life road trips,” says Ali, whose been an Upways Coaching client since 2019. “I do most of the driving and we collaborate on the best routes, but she is right there beside me with the map - sharing insights and wisdom and suggesting alternate routes when she thinks it will make my trip more enjoyable and less stressful.”
BEFORE YOU HIRE: THREE KEY PREP STEPS:
When you’re ready to chart a new path or meet a new challenge, here are a few essential steps our very own clients recommend, to help you find your “best fit” coach.
Prep Step One: Get clear on your goals. Before you hire a coach, give careful thought and get clear on the goals you want to accomplish. Where do you struggle the most when you start something new? Are you easily distracted? Do you struggle with time management or saying no when there’s work to be done? Decide where you’ll make room for weekly coaching sessions on your schedule, and keep in mind that consistency – i.e. showing up for your sessions – is the first key to success. Your coach will be there to support you, but you have to show up.
Prep Step Two: Find a coach who aligns with your goals. Once you’re clear on your goals and are ready to get started, it’s time to get a feel for how the coaching process works; what to expect and what’s expected of you. Go online and book a few intro calls with accountability coaches. Review their sites and get a feel for their program “personality”. Do they lean formal or more informal? Does their messaging resonate with your own needs and wants? These intro sessions should be free and are your opportunity to be clear about your needs and ask the necessary questions to help you find the coach who meshes best with your goals, your personality and your lifestyle.
At Upways Coaching, for example, we start by asking how you found us and what led you to book an intro call with us. The most common responses we hear are Google searches, LinkedIn searches, and referrals from friends or colleagues. Search keywords and phrases that are specific to your needs and then ask questions during your call that will help narrow your choices. And be direct in these intro calls - share your thoughts in full detail and observe how the coaches respond. Do they offer helpful tools or suggest creative steps you could take together? Like a job interview, you want to hire the person who “gets” you; the professional ally you feel most comfortable with. Open communication and specific questions are the surest ways to find your best fit coach.
Prep Step Three: Decide you are worth it. As we’ve mentioned before, the coaching business has expanded exponentially in recent years. More and more people are enjoying the support of a professional ally and reaping the rewards of weekly accountability sessions and new accomplishments in their lives. You’ve gotten this far in the blog, so maybe you’re ready to move ahead on one of your own big goals - or at least learn what it would take to get started. Those who work with a professional coach right now have decided they’re worth the time and the investment to move ahead on a few of their greater life goals. Most haven’t overhauled their lives, they’ve simply rearranged their schedules a bit. Removed a few less productive or unhealthy activities and replaced them with a few new habits that better align with their new goal. And every week when they meet with their coach for a check-in or focus session, they know they’re moving ahead – on the good days and the bad ones – and that their accountability coach is going to be there to keep them moving forward with success. They’ve made the decision they are worth it. And now it’s your turn!
