We are happy to share an article from our friend Betska K-Burr, Co-President at Coaching and Leadership International Inc. where she has developed 80+ award-winning coaching methodologies which enrich a Leader’s competencies and bring peace into their life, titled A Definitive Measurement Structure Greatly Helps us Manage Client Progress and Accountability.
A Definitive Measurement Structure Greatly Helps us Manage Client Progress and Accountability
“To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail.”
~ Giorgio Armani.
Mr. Armani, an elegant man and famous Italian clothing designer, made his clothing brand very famous because he paid a lot of attention to the smallest detail. 
To know that Coaching works, my knowing is that Coaches must also pay attention to the smallest details in a Client’s portfolio.
It is our experience that the “smallest details” reside in a measurement structure that starts at the beginning of the relationship. The following structure supports the key competency of “Manages Progress and Accountability” espoused by most governing bodies.
This 5-step structure is one that we have used since the late 1990’s and it has proven to be extremely valuable for both the Coach and Coachee in terms of measuring Client results.
When a Coach can prove their worth through consistently high results, they should add those results to their portfolio for the world to see. Clients will trust you more if they see these high-level results.
Step 1: The Coach absolutely must have a coaching system that changes behavior, that measures permanent positive change for the Client.
As a former International Head of Accreditation for a governing body, it was my job to oversee the accreditation of Coaches world-wide. Hence, I would listen to the recording after recording and was shocked at the prevalence of very poor-quality coaching. From a measurement point of view, unless they were lucky it would have been very difficult for these Coaches to show permanent positive change for the Client simply because they didn’t have the skills and the coaching methodologies to do so. The future success of our industry lies in the ability of Coaches to prove exceptional change. If you do not have training in a scientific coaching system that can give a Client up to 100 – 1000% change in behaviour, then stop the train and go and find that type of system.
Research says that 90% of Coaches consistently make less than $50,000 USD per year. It is up to the Coaches to put pressure on their governing bodies and on the coach training companies to give them tools that will make them heroes in the eyes of the Client. More importantly, high-level results will elevate the respect that Clients have for our industry.
Step 2: Client conducts Profile Assessments at the beginning of the relationship to establish their challenges and goals. There could be dozens of challenges and goals!
Step 3: Creation of a Learning and Development Plan or what we call The Coaching Roadmap. The Coach and Client study the reports from their Profile Assessments with the Client proceeding to create a list of personal and professional challenges and goals in their lives. Next, they prioritize the list and identify their top 10 challenges and goals to be worked on with their Coach. These are clearly articulated in their L & D Plan.
In the same L & D Plan they identify the challenges and goals they will be working on via Self-Coaching using free self-coaching tools like The Brain Walk. This free self-coaching process creates massive accountability because they are not just relying on their Coach for progress – they are expected to self-coach in between sessions with their coach and identify solutions and action steps from their self-coaching activities.
Of important note is that we encourage our Clients to sign up for at least 10 sessions at 1.5 hours per session. Our research indicates that at the 15-hour mark all of the Subconscious mind work starts to coalesce, and magical life transformation happens in a big way. While a minimum of 15 hours is required, my executive coaching clients usually sign up for 25-30 hours which takes about a year to complete.
Step 4: Progress and accountability in every coaching session
- Coach and Client takes notes during every session. Using a template form, the Coachee also records everything from the Real Issue or Real Goal they wish to work on, the results they are seeking and their SMART goals to be acted up after the session.
- Before the Coach and Coachee explore what the Client would like to work on this session, the Coach summarizes the work the client did last session and then asks:
“What results have you noticed from the last session?”
“What additional support, if any, do you need from me?”
“Describe your daily results from The Brain Walk.” Here the Coachee is providing their results from their self-coaching activities.
Both Coach and Coachee record these results for future reference. - Next, in a three step process the client is asked to be very clear on the Real Issue OR Real Goal they would like to work on this session and the Results they would like to see from the session.
- Client identifies where this Real Issue/Real Goal is in their L & D Plan so that both Coach and Coachee can keep track of their progress with respect to previously stated challenges and goals.
- Closer to the end of the session, the Client identifies action steps to be taken from the session and records them in their session notes.
- The Client is also asked about their commitment from this session – once again to manage progress and accountability.
Step 5: Determining that the Coaching has worked!
We love to invite the Client to determine their ROI both quantitatively and qualitatively using these 4 charts. While in actual fact each chart fills one entire page, we are simply providing some samples for your perusal.
Chart #1: Client identifies ways in which they measured their results.
- My own perception of what I have accomplished
- Verbal feedback from others
- I redid some of the Profile Assessments
- I studied the results I noted in my Coaching Journal
- I conducted an Employee Satisfaction Survey
- We conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey
- More Staff Retention
- Less absenteeism
- Fewer accidents …
Chart #2: Client identifies competency shift and rates their % change for a quantitative measurement.
Client is invited to go back and study their notes in their Learning and Development Plan as well as the notes in their Session Notes and reports from before and after Profile Assessments. They rate their success from the coaching in the before and after columns with 10 being high achievement.
Chart #3: Coach takes Client into Subconscious Mind to determine the quantitative shift in results.
CLI has discovered that while a Client is working on specific challenges/goals, they will often experience great change in other competencies. This happens because many challenges/goals are related in some way in the Subconscious Mind. We provide them with a list of 20 general competencies a handful of which are listed below. The Coach takes the Client into Subconscious Mind to determine the deeper shift. 10 = high achievement.
Chart #4: Client articulates their conscious key learnings/key results for a qualitative ROI
Client takes into consideration all of the great work they have done with their Coach. Next, they type in their Key Learnings/Results from their coaching experience and state which leadership tools were of the greatest value to them. Once again, we are just providing some samples for you below.
At the end of the coaching engagement, the Coach provides an ROI report for the Client. If the coaching was for a government or corporate client, the Client is invited to present the ROI report to their direct supervisor.
“Structure allows me to move freely and productively because I can monitor everything.”
~ Giorgio Armani
How does it apply to you in your life?
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