What if the client fails to follow through?
When a client fails to follow through, the first step is to ask what held them back. If outside events, competing priorities, or changes occurred, then the coaching conversation may be as simple as reevaluating the goal and the plan. If the client chose not to take the action, ask about their thinking and ideas. Sometimes it was because the action was not their idea. Alternatively it may because they are afraid of failure or of success. In other cases they changed their mind. The coaching conversation then focuses on what they do want and how they want to do it.
Foundational Information:
- The client chooses the focus and the plan.
- The coach supports the client as a whole, capable person.
Questions:
- How are you doing with your action steps?
- What has helped?
- What has held you back?
- How do you want to move forward now?
- What are the obstacles?
- How will you move past the obstacles?
- What is your best possible scenario?
- What is your worst possible scenario?
- What is most likely?
- What happens if you do nothing?
- What do you want to have happen?
- What are your resources?
- What is your strategy?
- What are your action steps now?
Coaching is a process to empower clients so they make meaningful change. If a client chooses not to change, that is their choice. It is the coach’s responsibility to explore whether coaching is beneficial and whether they are the right coach. If a client does want change then it is the coach’s responsibility to support that through the coaching process if it benefits them, or by helping them find the right coach or other professional
