How do you help clients adjust their goals when they are not making progress?

Some of my clients create goals based on what they think they “should” do. I feel that the most important and powerful question we can ask as coaches is, “Why is that important to you?” Sometimes that brings about the awareness that their goal needs to be adjusted. And I also love it when I’m wrong! When I share an insight and ask their opinion on it, when I am wrong, they find more clarity. So being wrong can be a great thing!

It can be very frustrating for clients when they do not achieve their goals in the time they initially expected. I find it can be helpful to use multiple metrics to show progress so that when one stalls my clients have other metrics to celebrate wins. I also find it helpful to set expectations at the beginning to a realistic timeframe so clients can avoid frustration and disappointment. By combining this with checkpoints along the way and setting them up with small wins on their journey I am able to keep them motivated and excited to achieve their overall objective.

Adjusting goals can sometimes feel like a failure. Often it is necessary though to start a new path. I like to call it 'pivoting' as it describes a rather active and positive momentum, while 'adjusting goals' usually has a rather negative connotation.

In my experience,One effective method is the GROW framework - Goal, Reality, Options, and Way forward. 01.It's crucial to comprehend the nuances of goals A and B, as new information may have altered the goal's essence and quality. 02.Following this, a realistic assessment of achievability is essential. Conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis provides a clear understanding. At this juncture, you may need to modify or realign the goal based on your current circumstances. 03.Exploring viable options is the subsequent step. This involves a thorough examination of the strategies you plan to employ to attain the goal. 04.Lastly, establishing a follow-up mechanism is imperative to maintain the goal's achievability and realism over time.

If the clients goals are too big or overwhelming, I help them break them down into smaller more manageable steps which in turn will increase their sense of achievement and motivation as they make progress towards their overall goal

One thing I love about coaching is that it focuses on the present moment. When the client walks in my door, we talk about what is the challenge today – right now? What is their most problematic situation? And we get right to work on a goal to help that. By focusing on the one situation that is top of mind, often the rest of the stressors seem to melt away. In addition, the methods of journaling and checking in with ourselves throughout the day helps us stay on track: How are we doing first thing in the morning, driving to work, midday, afternoon, dinner, and bedtime? And how is our goal progressing throughout the day?

As business owners it's often easy to get lost in the details. Monitoring progress is best when approached from a big picture perspective. This means: Zoom out, see the full year, how is it going? The best way to monitor progress and feedback is automated. Have a system in place that measures progress, have a feedback loop built into your product. Then all you need to do is look at a dashboard or the data you've gotten. Clients are smart, so as their coach I often need to only highlight the fact that this can be automated - they usually find a way themselves, and quickly.

My clients and I don’t dwell in the past, but I do check in with their progress by asking how their goals are helping their life (or not)? I don’t keep many notes, but I do keep track of what their goals are for the week. Often times I join in with them on a certain goal, because they feel supported and teamwork is a powerful thing. Checking in on their progress helps them to realize that they are learning to live their most fulfilling life, and also they are learning how to adjust when certain goals do not meet their needs.

The OKR goal setting framework has been really helpful here. OKR stands for Objectives & Key Results. The evaluation works as follows: - What % of your goal did you hit? If less than 50%, your goal was too hard for you. If between 50%-80% then you've picked perfectly. If you scored higher than 80%, it was too easy. We then create new goals that are either more realistic, similar or bolder depending on the previous outcome.

The most effective way I've seen for clients to change is when they choose that change themselves. I usually would ask: - What's your decision? What are you going to do? Then I'd reflect back on what they've decided. There's nothing better than a commitment you've chosen yourself and a coach who is excited to support you with it.

One thing I found helpful is to listen deeply and reflect back my client’s emotions, tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. This deeper level of communication helps my clients feel strong and supported as they navigate difficulties and use resilience to adjust.

Common pitfalls are adjusting too often. Adjusting too rarely. Also evaluating a goal with a black or white perspective saying 'this was good' or 'this was bad' doesn't help anyone. There's something to learn in each journey. A goal sends you on a path. When you reflect on how the path went, simply reflect on what worked, what didn't work and what you've learned.

How they feel about the process is EVERYTHING. This will tell you not only if the process works, but if it's sustainable. Sure, getting the desired result is important- but especially when it comes to the intangibles of wanting to feel free, peaceful, successful, happy, loved, etc. you can't just tie it to the result of a specific $, weight, relationship status, or how many days a week you meditated. My clients know they've grown when they can see that the way they perceive THEMSELVES have changed. Their inner dialogue is kinder. The journey to achieve the result actually made them stronger rather than burning them out. They feel more authentic & grounded in their truth which allows them to increase their capacity to tackle the next goal.

My clients and I sometimes need an instant attitude adjustment: How would 90-year-old me view my situation and myself at this moment? What is she saying? What does she look like? Make some notes or journal about it. 90-year-old me is smiling- she is so proud of me and is amazed by my energy and the work I am doing. She wishes I would really take in every moment, appreciate the small things, and chill out. And she thinks I look sooooo young! ??