What are the key points of coaching to get someone to "take action"?
In this post, I would like to summarize the key points of "coaching to get someone to take action" that I consider important, which I wrote about in the following articles.
By the way, the following articles also contain quotes from reference books for each point as well as my own opinions, so I would appreciate it if you could read them if you want to know the details.
[vol.1] What should I do to acquire "execution ability"? (Decision Phase)
[vol.2] What should I do to acquire "execution ability"? (Execution Phase)
[vol.3] What should I do to acquire "execution ability"? (Maintenance Phase)
[vol.1-3] What should I do to acquire "execution ability"?
I have greatly relied on the following book in writing this.
If you are interested, I highly recommend reading it.
The Art of Not Procrastinating (Author: Lee Min-kyu)
[Major Premise] Execution ability is a "skill"
🌟Coaching Point🌟
The value of coaching lies in having the person "take action" to solve a problem after organizing their thoughts, and because "taking action" is a reproducible skill rather than a matter of motivation or feelings, it can be mastered by anyone; in other words, it is something that can be learned.
Decision Phase
[vol.1] What should I do to acquire "execution ability"? (Decision Phase)
① Specifically examine the execution process
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Rather than just having them visualize the goal, specifically examine the execution process.
② Explore ways to continue execution (habituation)
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Help them find processes (means) to execute, and have the learner acquire that mindset.
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Use long-term goals (= ultimate purpose) as a reference point, and have them set short-term goals (= intermediate goals) as small, concrete actions (things to do) to achieve them.
Example) Long-term goal: Pass ○○ University
Short-term goal ①: Get □□ points on the △ month mock exam
Short-term goal ②: Memorize ×× by 2 weeks from now
③ "Ask" correctly and "answer" specifically
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Do not let problems end in abstract discussions; have them recognize them concretely, think of concrete solutions, and execute them.
④ Schedule by working backward
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Be conscious of deadlines for goals, and think about the schedule by working backward from those deadlines.
⑤ Always think of alternatives
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Have them consider alternative actions for when things do not go as planned.
⑥ Considering alternatives leads to self-control
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Have them develop the habit of always thinking of alternatives as a way for the learner to control themselves.
⑦ Make the plan public
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Make your plan public to people you don't want to know about your failure.
The coach should encourage the client to make it public, in a sense, forcibly.
⑧ Consider the cost of failure
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Set a consequence for failure that is 'worse than failing itself'.
Ensure this is not something that only involves yourself, but something that involves others (= something you must do).
⑨ Dig deep into 'why you must do it'
🌟Coaching Points🌟
The reason you cannot take action is that the purpose (the reason you should do it) is not urgent.
Instead of 'let's try it,' ask questions that dig deeper into the purpose by focusing on 'why it must be done.' Focus especially on 'what problems will arise if you don't do it.'
Execution Section
[vol.2] What should I do to acquire 'execution ability'? (Execution Section)
① Procrastination means 'not doing it'
🌟Coaching Points🌟
A declaration to 'do it' that is procrastinated is the same as saying 'I will not do it'.
Re-examine the urgency of the action once more.
② 'I'll do it later' is the worst
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Make the client strongly aware that a method only has meaning once it is executed, and have them start the method they thought of today, no matter what.
③ Lower the hurdle to start
🌟Coaching Points🌟
The hurdle to start is the highest.
Organize tasks and the environment to find actions that allow you to 'start first' as a habit.
④ An environment where you can do it even if you don't want to
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Whether you are motivated or not is irrelevant; it is more important to ensure you don't rely on it.
Have them set up an environment where they can get started even if they don't want to.
⑤ Use a load you can sustain
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Do not make a high-load (long-time) plan at the beginning.
To make it a habit, think of actions that can be reliably performed, even if they take only a short time.
⑥ Set a deadline for 'starting'
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Set deadlines not only for completion (the end) but also for starting.
Have a sense of a 'deadline' for starting as well.
⑦ Maximum efficiency is just before the deadline
🌟Coaching Points🌟
By setting a slightly tighter schedule for actions, there is a possibility that the learner can act efficiently with a sense of urgency before the deadline.
However, this should be a theme for when the learner has already established basic habits and is looking to improve the quality of their actions.
8. Everything is an 'experiment'
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Have the learner approach their tasks thinking of every action as an experiment using themselves.
The coach examines the actions concretely with the learner and reviews what was achieved and what was not as the results of the experiment.
9. Confirm actions quantitatively
🌟Coaching Points🌟
When making a plan, confirm the schedule and actual results using quantitative values such as time.
Make them recognize these as facts, not just feelings.
10. Identify obstructive behaviors
🌟Coaching Points🌟
When execution is not going well, have the learner specifically list the behaviors that are obstructing them right before the action.
Then, first consider an action as an experiment that makes that obstructive behavior itself impossible to perform.
11. An environment for self-discipline
This is almost the same as the previous point, but in short, it is about making environmental adjustments so that you do not need time for a warm-up.
The example here is relatively easy to implement, but it is effective as a way to prompt yourself to take action through self-questioning when you find yourself looking at your smartphone.
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Make environmental adjustments that eliminate the need for unnecessary warm-up time before an action.
Change your smartphone wallpaper to something that prompts self-questioning, helping the learner stop unnecessary behaviors on their own.
Maintenance Phase
[vol.3] What should I do to acquire 'execution ability'? (Maintenance Phase)
1. Believe in the learner's 'I can definitely do it'
🌟Coaching Points🌟
It is important for the learner to define for themselves that 'I can do it'.
However, since it is difficult for a coach to change a learner's consciousness, at the very least, the coach should maintain the stance of believing that they can do it.
2. Do not rely on willpower
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Execution is achieved not by willpower, but by an environment that allows for habituation.
3. Make them push themselves
🌟Coaching Points🌟
If you push yourself into an environment where you will suffer a disadvantage if you do not act, you will inevitably be able to execute.
Since it is difficult to push yourself, the coach should provide that extra push.
4. Reconfirm the purpose for stagnation
🌟Coaching Points🌟
Have them clarify the significance of achieving the goal and the means to do so, even to the point of being persistent.
Learners may seem to understand, but their awareness fades over time, so help them regain a strong sense of purpose every time you talk to them.
5. Immerse yourself in information related to your goal
🌟Coaching Point🌟
Set up the environment or provide encouragement to increase opportunities to encounter information related to the goal.
6. Do not take your eyes off the goal
🌟Coaching Point🌟
To maintain action, devise ways to ensure that stimuli that remind the learner of the goal are present around them.
Example)
Linguistic/Common-sense triggering stimuli: Set your smartphone wallpaper to your goal (such as your target school) to remind yourself of the goal when you feel unable to act.
Situational triggering stimuli: Go to the library to study, etc., to use the surrounding situation to prompt action toward the goal.
Social triggering stimuli: By aiming for the goal together with people who have the same goal, you will become more strongly aware of the goal.