The purpose of this article is to explore the virtue of accountability in coaching, why being accountable to a coach is beneficial, and steps you can take to be accountable to yourself and your coach. Accountability is one of the keys to success in your life and career.
Coaches are so critical to your development as a child and I will argue are also critical to your development as an adult too. A coach provides a level of accountability that you cannot get by just being accountable to yourself. Continuous learning is so critical today so having a coach to guide you to the right resources and to help you to learn to get to your goals and dreams.
The Karate Kid follows the story of a kid who trains in Karate in an unusual way. He doesn’t realize he’s learning, but Mr. Miyagi is watching and guiding him to achieve his goals – and it works! Here is a clip of the training montage in this movie. The good news here is that Daniel listened to his coach and was accountable to his training and to Mr. Miyagi. When he started questioning all the work he was doing Mr. Miyagi showed him that he was actually training.
The reason to have a coach is so that you are accountable to someone in achieving your goals. Not everyone needs a coach but I have found more than half of us do. Coach’s teach, guide, help, and hold you accountable. The more a coach knows you the better your chance of success. But, the first step you must make is you have to be accountable to yourself and then you can be accountable to a coach. You must take ownership of your life, career, and your goals.
What is Accountability?
Accountability, or being answerable to someone in this case a coach, translates to a healthy relationship of mutual trust and respect. The key to a coach/client relationship is you need to be accountable to your coach so they can help you reach your goals. There is lots of research on positive behavioral change that shows better success with the change when you have someone to be accountable to than not having someone. A coach can also help accelerate you to your goals.
What are the Benefits of Having Accountability to your Coach?
Accountability is the key to success in any endeavor. When you are accountable to a coach you are more likely to follow through and achieve your goals. This is because you have a higher chance of being held responsible for your actions and it also forces you to be honest with yourself about what you are doing.
By having accountability, it is easier to monitor progress and make sure that goals are being met. It also helps people stay on track when they might otherwise get distracted by other things that come up in life. Accountability can be achieved in many ways, but the most common way is by having a coach or mentor who can guide and provide feedback on how well the individual is doing with their goals. Your coach can also make adjustments along the way to make sure you are on track to reach your goals.
Also, a coach is also accountable to the client. When you have a coach accountable to a client, it means that they are partially responsible to guide you to your success. Accountability is a two way street.
Accountability can also lead to decreased stress, increased productivity, better time management, increased satisfaction and happiness in your life, career, and relationships.
Why Accountability is so Important?
Accountability is so important in our complex world today. There is so much noise to sift through and you need to stay focused on the signals to guide you to your goals. Here are some reasons that accountability is important:
- Develop a clear purpose in your life to focus on signal, not noise
- Demonstrate your progress to your coach
- Develop a solid reputation
- Receive helpful counsel from your coach
- Build better relationships
How is a Coach Accountable to his Client?
Coaches are accountable to their clients for a variety of reasons. There are different types of coaching relationships, including career coaching, appreciative coaching, business coaching, executive coaching, and life coaching.
Coaches have to be able to motivate their clients, act as a mentor, and teach the client how they can achieve their goals. One of the best qualities a coach can have is to be non-judgmental. This means we try not to judge or criticize the other person and instead are curious about their thoughts & experience.
5 Steps to Practice being Accountable to your Coach
There are five steps to build accountability with your coach.
- The first step is to take responsibility for your actions and be accountable for what you do. Also, you need to commit yourself to the process.
- Second, you need to have integrity with your coach. Being truthful goes a long way in developing trust with your coach. The more your coach knows the better guidance and assistance he can provide to you.
- Third, you need to have the humility to face your mistakes and not point fingers at other people for not reaching your goals.
- Fourth, you need to set goals and have a plan of action on how you will achieve them, and let your coach guide you.
- The last step is to have a coach that will keep you accountable when you fall off track or lose focus on your goals.
Conclusion
Accountability is so critical to your success and happiness. Clear and trusted communication with your coach will give you the best path to success in your life and career.
Do you want to reach your goals and your dreams? What are your short-term and long-term goals? The best way to achieve your goals and dreams in through accountability with your coach.
Thank you for reading my post on accountability. If you have any questions or comments please let me know.
I am DrM, founder of http://techninjamasters.com. I have been working, learning, teaching, coaching, consulting, writing in technology for over 40 years.
