Coaches know their job is to find the right motivator for each of their clients. For a variety of reasons, they may find it difficult to have a positive impact when certain clients aren’t putting in the work necessary to accomplish their goals.
If clients are struggling to make progress toward the objectives that their coaches agreed to help them reach, the approach taken to motivate them must be thoughtful and deliberate. Gently but firmly encouraging clients to continue on their journey and move forward without pushing them away is a balancing act that the best coaches know how to manage.
Below, 15 Forbes Coaches Council members give their best tips to help struggling clients get back on track and progressing toward their goals again.
Forbes Coaches Council members offer advice to help clients keep moving toward reaching their goals.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Remind Them Of Their Original Intention
For clients who aren’t doing the work required, I remind them of their original intention when they enrolled in their coaching program. It’s easy to forget the desire for change and the commitment level they entered the program with. Bringing them back to where they started from is a gentle way to help clients reconnect to their commitment. - Courtney Baker, Courtney Baker LLC
2. Ask For Permission To Be Radically Honest
Asking the client for permission to be radically honest is always the nudge that they need to take action on their goals. Frankly, they know that they are not doing the work, and it is guaranteed that they are in a shame/blame cycle, which is a power leak. Once light is brought to this struggle, and the context has shifted, the client catapults into action. - Jennifer Helene, Purposeful Ventures, LLC
3. Inspire Them To Reach Higher
Invite them to dream big! You can’t force clients to do the work, but you can inspire them to reach higher than their current aspirations. Rather than start with what they can do, ask them who they aspire to be. Help them see a life beyond their imagination. By understanding those wonderful, exciting and aspirational dreams, a coach can help them overcome inaction and take small steps toward the life they imagined. - Paul Ward, The Global Centre for Conscious Leadership
4. Help Them Explore What’s Holding Them Back
Create a safe environment to explore what’s holding them back. When clients aren’t doing the work to create the change they said they wanted, there can be shame or embarrassment associated with it. The coach should create a safe space to explore what is preventing them from taking action. Sharing an example from another client who had to overcome a similar challenge can help too. - Kirsten Meneghello, Illumination Coaching LLC
5. Show Them What They Will Be Letting Go Of
Before focusing on new goals, explore what they will give up if they make the change. If someone is not doing the work, by definition, they are stuck and need help examining what will happen if they achieve the goals. Shift from “where they want to go” to “what they will be leaving behind” or letting go of. Once they figure that out, they will either want to redefine goals or be ready to do the work. - Julie Kantor, JP Kantor Consulting
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6. Have A Conversation About Trust
This is really a conversation about trust and a cornerstone of the coaching relationship. I would focus on where else in their life people are having issues trusting them. To reinforce the example, I would offer up our work and the lack of accountability demonstrated. End with, “Can I trust you to do the work necessary to accomplish your goals?” - Brad Cousins, Ingage Human Capital Strategies
7. Clearly Communicate Structure And Expectations
Before concluding the coaching contract, the coach must clearly communicate what the structure looks like and what the coachee can expect. What time, energy and work do they have to invest for the coaching to be successful? This can then be requested in a friendly manner on an ongoing basis. - Michael Thiemann, Strategy-Lab™
8. Ask What Will Motivate Them To Move Forward
Before I even begin working with a client, I ask them how they want me to approach situations such as this and let them tell me what will motivate them to move forward when they’re facing stagnation. By learning this information up front, I’m able to support them in exactly the way they need to be supported without inferring my perception of what they need. - Bri Seeley, The Unapologetic Entrepreneur
9. Lean Into Difficult Conversations
While no one wants to push clients away, effective executive coaches know how to lean into difficult conversations. If I assess this approach to be counterproductive, I might suggest revisiting and/or resetting goals as a way to open dialogue. Finally, I sometimes share that I am “confused” by the discrepancies I am seeing. This usually leads to reflection and a productive conversation. - Eugene Dilan, DILAN Consulting Group
10. Acknowledge That You Can’t Help Until They Do The Work
I always say that coaching is a two-way process, and if clients aren’t doing the work that is required, I will politely acknowledge that I’m unable to help them push forward until they do the tasks required. I always believe that being open and honest is critical. Being gentle and not getting to the point can be more harmful long-term. - Rebecca Patterson, Rebecca Patterson
11. Address The Issue At The Start
Addressing this issue actually begins at the start of the coaching relationship, prior to the first coaching session. It’s then that you will establish the ground rules for communication. Get buy-in that you will address any issues that come up directly and openly. If something isn’t working, you will call it out, and they have permission to do the same. - Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC
12. Celebrate The Strides They Have Made
Identify how the client makes significant strides when they do half of what they’re capable of doing. An example is a client who has a goal of exercising five days a week for thirty minutes a day, but only keeps the commitment two or three days of the week on average. Ask them, “What did you do to get to the gym on the days you went?” Celebrate that they achieved their goal 50% of the time. - D Ivan Young, Dr. D Ivan Young
13. Suggest A Reflection On Why They’re Not Advancing
Use an invitational approach, gently suggesting they consider reflecting on why they’re not advancing with their stated aspirations. You also can ask what they feel they need to achieve progress. Yet, per the adage “you can take a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink,” there also comes a time for you to seriously consider whether you want to continue the engagement, as it is helping neither them nor you. - Nadine Hack, beCause Global Consulting
14. Quantify Their Results Thus Far
If I have a client struggling to follow the plan we’ve established for their growth, the easiest way to encourage them to buy in is by quantifying the results. Show them the black-and-white number of how much their omissions are costing them, even breaking it down day-by-day if necessary. Then, show them what they can achieve by following the plan. Facts and figures don’t lie and can speak volumes. - Jon Dwoskin, The Jon Dwoskin Experience
15. Break It Down Into Smaller Tasks
Give them smaller bites. My coaches and I can get so excited to work with people we think are ready to ingest our ideas and strategies. Use the small steps first, the “baby food,” even with your tough and capable clients. Let them enjoy the process and don’t hit fast-forward on that too much, especially early on, so that they can pace up to where you know they need to be with your coaching. - John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.
