Accountability

Colin Brett and Philip Brew at Coaching Development write:

“As a coach, you can offer your coachee the opportunity to be accountable.  This means that s/he uses you as a kind of witness that they have done something.  They decide on a course of action in their session with you, plan the steps they will take, by when, and let you know that they have done it.  They are making a commitment to themselves, and using you as the checking post.  They are accountable for their own commitment.

This reporting back needs to be handled carefully.  There must be not even a hint o blame or judgment. It is your coachee’s choice to take up your offer of accountability, and they are in charge of following that through.  As a coach you need to be careful to steer clear of the role of a monitor who is “checking up” on them.  Coaching is not policing, but about helping someone to learn to become more effective.

It’s important to approach any absence of action from an ego state other than your Controlling Parent.  If the coachee has not done something they said they would do, then this is maybe a goldmine.  What can your coachee learn about herself through this non-action?”