One of the things many developing coaches struggle with is accountability.  (So if you struggle, you are not alone!).  Accountability is tricky because as coaches we want to balance two truths: a) the client owns the issue, and b) the clients often benefits from accountability.  Clients own the issue and ultimately they are the party who bears responsibility for taking action.  When the coach tries to cajole certain actions or commitments, ownership begins to shift away from the client and onto the coach – not a good thing!  On the other hand, clients often need structures and systems for keeping on track with the commitments they make.  Even the best of us benefit from ongoing attention to what we said we would do.  So how do we coaches find the right mix of client ownership and coach-generated accountability?

1. Practice accountability without the word. Let’s face it, the word “accountability” is mostly off-putting.  It brings to mind blame, shame, and just a bit of threat.  While accountability belongs in every coaching relationship and coaching conversation, the actual word need not be spoken all that often.  Find new ways to explore and practice accountability.  For example, instead of asking, “What kind of accountability do you need?” try something like, “What will help keep you on track?” or, “How can you increase the odds you’ll follow through?”
2. Ask with curiosity, not judgment. Good coaches demonstrate follow-through by asking clients about agreed-upon actions from the previous session.  But it’s important to do this without coming across as the parent or judge.  A tone of curiosity allows the client to be transparent and vulnerable about successes and struggles, which in turn invites the coaching relationship to touch deep aspects of client motivation, values, and self-talk.  A posture of curiosity is essential for great accountability.
3. Go beyond the coach. Let’s say this plainly: the client is not accountable to the coach.  It is the coach’s role to bring up accountability, but very often the coach helps the client identify someone other than the coach who can provide needed accountability.  When the client agrees to tell someone else of their plan or invite someone to provide accountability, the client is tailoring accountability to best fit who they are and their particular needs.
4. Interpersonal isn’t the only option. Accountability doesn’t have to include another person.  Many clients truly want to hold themselves accountable.  In place of the coach or some other person, these clients benefit from structures and/or systems that will help ensure they follow through.  Practices such as setting reminders, calendaring, or wagers can keep the client focused and motivated.
5. Keep the big picture in view. Probably the most important aspect of accountability is keeping the client focused on his or her long-term goals and progress toward those goals.  For example, while the client is free to leverage the coaching relationship for whatever is most pressing, the coach doesn’t enable client-induced flightiness by darting from one topic to another.  Instead, the coach reminds the client about the client’s stated big agenda and invites the client to make intentional choices about how best to leverage a particular coaching conversation.

There are plenty of other pointers for accountability, but these are five that will get you started in the right direction and avoid the twin extremes of either swiping ownership away from the client in the name of accountability or dialing accountability down way too much in order to keep the client fully in charge.

Let’s conclude with some questions for engagement (give your responses in the comment section):

• How’s your coaching going in terms of accountability?
• What do you find is important to keep in mind?
• What additional advice would you give coaches?