Tips for Setting and Achieving Coaching Goals

Coaching was one of the hardest parts of leadership for me when I first started leading teams. When I first moved from an IC to a leader, I genuinely thought coaching meant carrying my team. I believed my value was in having every answer, jumping in, solving every problem, and of course, doing it all faster and better, or at least that’s what I told myself. All I actually did was burn myself out and send a very loud signal to my team that I did not trust them. You can imagine how effective I was back then. I still remember a CSM a few companies ago bringing me an issue with one of their accounts. The customer was not using the product because they were juggling competing priorities and limited resources. We knew that if they did not prioritize us, they were going to churn. So what did I do? I jumped right into rattling off a full list of next steps. What a rookie mistake. Over the years I realized that if I wanted to be a real leader, I needed to coach my team, not rescue them. But coaching was not natural for me. I needed something concrete to guide the conversation so I wasn’t just jumping in to give them all the answers. At that point I had come across the GROW Coaching Method: Goal Reality Options Will Here is what that actually looks like in action. Goal What outcome are you trying to achieve? Example: “I want this customer to re-engage with onboarding so we can get them live before renewal.” Reality What is happening right now that is getting in the way? Example: “They are not responding to emails. They say they are understaffed and juggling other priorities. I have not spoken directly with the decision maker yet.” Options What paths could you take? Explore the full menu, not just the first idea. Example: “I could escalate internally and align with our exec sponsor.” “I could schedule a reset call with their leadership team.” “I could design a lighter onboarding plan to reduce friction.” “I could connect them with a similar customer who succeeded despite limited resources.” Will What will you actually commit to doing and by when? Example: “I will draft an executive alignment email and get it to my VP today. I will reach out to their champion to schedule a 20 minute leadership reset call this week.” This simple tool helped me get out of my own way and actually coach. It helped my team think through the problem, explore choices, make decisions, and build confidence, and it helped me stop being the fixer and start being the leader. I recently shared this in my Pavilion leadership course and heard from a few folks who said it was a clear tool they felt they could easily start using. If you are a leader looking for a better frame of reference when coaching your team, try this one. It works. And if you have another coaching framework you love, drop it in the comments. I am always collecting new tools so I can keep getting better too.

I've coached over 100 pro athletes in the last 10+ years. What helps them rise to the top of their game is how they set their goals. 7 tactics to set goals like a pro: Goals are simply targets we give ourselves to hit. Goals improve motivation, enhance our consistency, and give us the chance to experience meaning and progress. The best athletes use goals to push themselves to greater and greater heights. Here's how. 1. Write it down Don't just leave the goal in your head. Write it down, and put it somewhere you can see it often. Review it regularly. 2. Work backwards Begin with the end in mind. Start with figuring out where you want to end up, and then reverse engineer the steps to get there. Then shift your focus from the long-term outcome to the daily steps. 3. Don't just start, make a plan Goals are like like your destination in a GPS. You know where you want to go. Now you need a step-by-step guide to get there. Make a plan for what you want to do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to make your progress real. 4. Balance hard with realistic If you set a goal that's too easy, it won't be motivating. If you set a goal that's too hard, you'll give up at the first sign of no progress. Find what's just outside your current range, and aim to get there. 5. Don't do it alone The best athletes in the world have coaches for a reason. These coaches provide feedback, outside insights, and direction for bringing the goal to life. Use someone just a bit further in their journey to help you and hold you accountable. 6. Monitor daily, not all at once The best athletes check in on their progress every single day. This lets them know where they are, how far they've come, and where they need to go. It also lets them refine on a daily basis. Reflect on them often. 7. Celebrate along the way Working on anything meaningful is hard. Find ways to celebrate your small wins and where you've made progress. This "winner effect" will keep you going over the long-term, build confidence, and inspire setting more goals in the future.

Throughout my career, I've relied on this goal-setting method that has consistently proven its worth. It has helped me achieve significant milestones, and I believe it can do the same for you. The GPS framework. 1. Goal: Start by defining your objective. Ask yourself: What is the goal? And back it up with 3Fs. Facts: What measurable outcomes will indicate success? Feelings: How do I expect to feel upon achieving it? Functionality: Why does this goal matter to me? Clear goals provide direction and purpose. According to a study by Dr. Gail Matthews, setting specific goals can increase your chances of success by 42%. 2. Plan: Next, develop a strategy that will guide you towards your goal. Break it down with: Broad Steps: What are the major actions I need to take? Details: What specific tasks need to be accomplished? A well-structured plan can help navigate the complexities of your goal, making it more manageable and achievable. 3. System: Finally, establish a routine to maintain your progress. Consider: Daily/Weekly Actions: What do I need to do regularly to stay on track? Consistency: How can I ensure I follow through? Systems create consistency, and consistency leads to success. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, highlights that incremental daily improvements lead to substantial long-term gains. Goal: Where you’re headed. Plan: How you’ll get there. System: How you’ll stay on track. This method has been very helpful for me to transform ambitious goals into actionable steps and sustained progress. Which framework has helped you achieve your recent goals? #gps #framework #goalsetting

A manager came to a 1:1 with me last year with about fifteen goals...and a thumping headache. Actually, he originally told me he had no "set" goals but in our discussions, he named a long list of things he wanted to achieve. We spent the first session helping him to get a lot clearer. I asked him to set just one goal for each of the following areas: 1️⃣ Leader growth (you): your behaviour- how you show up. 2️⃣ Team development: the way your people work together 3️⃣ Lean/Operational performance: improving flow in and between processes 4️⃣ Strategy-aligned impact: what matters most to the business this quarter. Then we gave each goal three lenses: 💠 Behaviours/Practices (what you will do consistently) 💠 Measures (one leading + one lagging) 💠 Enablers (skills/tools/time/stakeholders). And so.... His action plan became: 🔸 Measure the number of issues solved with/without escalation. 🔸 Measure the rework time and associated costs 🔸 Lead a daily 10-min huddle- train and train/rotate facilitators 🔸 Lead a weekly improvement meeting (Send recurring invites to key people) 🔸 Introduce two-way feedback in every 1:1. (Change 1:1 template) 🔸 Track improvements, not just problems. 🔸 Practice ‘ask-and-listen’ every single day. Record examples. We are now well into Q4 of this year and after 10 coaching sessions with a strong emphasis on PDCA (Plan Do Check Adjust), my client has a lot less headaches, a lot more focus and a list of achievements as well as goals. 🙋♀️ Reach out if you want to know more about my work. I combine Lean mentoring, leadership coaching, and team development to help teams gain clarity, work smarter, and continuously improve.

We tell our sales reps to be gritty, to work smarter, not harder, to smash their quota but don't always do the best job pairing those inspirational calls to action with tools and techniques that allow them to do the things we ask. For years, I’ve loved the GROW Goal Setting Model. It is a great model, but I found myself tweaking it to reflect the things I think are fascinating and that actually work for revenue teams. 🧠 Ideas like: - Neuroplasticity - Harms of moonshot thinking - Value of gratitude and meditation - The frustration reps feel when they work tirelessly and still miss quota. That’s why I developed the PATH. 👉 Steal this framework to help your team not only set goals but achieve them. The PATH framework is a four-step process that helps you and your team set actionable goals, anticipate challenges, and ensure every step aligns with your aspirations. 1. Plan: Setting a Focused Goal Everything starts with a solid foundation. The first step is setting a focused goal. SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—work well here. This ensures you’re working toward a well-defined target, making it easier to stay focused and track progress. 2. Anticipate: Backcasting Once your goal is in place, it’s time to imagine your desired future state. I love writing goals as if they've already happened and writing out the details of what it took me to get there. This process ensures that you have realistic micro-actions that you can be accountable to on the PATH to achieving your goal. 3. Test: Pre-Mortem Next, you stress-test your plan with a pre-mortem (inspo credit: Annie Duke, Thinking in Bets) This exercise allows you to identify risks before they arise, so you can adjust your plan and stay on track. It also encourages you to uncover opportunities to leapfrog your progress by brainstorming creative solutions. 4. Harmonize: Alignment to Aspirations The final step ensures that your micro-actions align with your larger aspirations. It's a final sense check to ensure you've set a goal you care enough about that you'll put in the hard work required to achieve it. That work will be supported by a clear PATH to success. The PATH framework ensures you don’t just set goals—you achieve them. 💸 Want me to guide your sales or leadership team through this process as part of your year-end planning or SKO? Drop "PATH" in the comments to learn more.

It's 2025 goal-setting time! 🗓️ In my coaching and mentoring conversations, I've found one framework that consistently helps professionals unlock their next level of growth. Here's what I share with every team member and mentee… 🧗♀️ The Climbing Wall Approach: Your Guide to Professional Growth in 2025! 🎯 Assess Your Career Path 🤔 Visualize your career as a climbing wall - offering multiple paths upward AND across. This mindset opens up countless opportunities for growth, whether you're deepening expertise, broadening your horizons, or reaching toward the next level in your field. The Resume Challenge 📝 Here's a powerful question to ask yourself this week: "What 3 new achievements, experiences or skills do I want on my resume by December 2025?" This simple exercise transforms vague aspirations into concrete goals. Break these down into monthly milestones and track your progress in regular one-on-ones. Align & Shine ⭐ Your growth journey starts with clear intentions. Partner with your manager to validate the skills and experience you need, and identify opportunities that align with your aspirations. Being explicit about your goals is the first step to achieving them. Also, share them in skip-level meetings. Monthly Check-In Template 📊 1. Review your 3 key goals 2. Share specific examples of progress 3. Discuss blockers and needed support 4. Align on next month's focus areas 🤝 I'm curious: What are the goal-setting tips that you've used for yourself or your team? #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Goals2025 #ProfessionalDevelopment #Marketing #MarketingLeadership

Are you set on winning battles or planning to win the war? Setting and achieving goals is table stakes for leadership.🚨 With business goals this is usually done in the context of strategy, mission, and vision. But what about your leadership development goals? How do you align your development goals with your vision to build a bigger future? Many leaders I coach aren’t just focused on short-term wins; they’re building a legacy, something that aligns with their values. It’s so easy to get caught up in urgent items, distracted by shiny objects, or lost in the noise of the day-to-day. Here’s the process I use myself and for clients to ensure I’m not just chasing accomplishments but building a bigger future: 1️⃣ 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 ↳ Create a picture of my future self in 5 years- what I’m spending my time doing, what my spiritual and human relationships look like, what my life feels like and what impact I’m having on others. 2️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 ↳ I set annual goals in 4 dimensions - Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Professional. These goals align with my future self target. ↳I ask myself what I need to stop doing or change drastically to get there. Incremental thinking is the enemy here….being bold and leaning into resistance is how to make breakthroughs. 3️⃣ 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 ↳ I don’t just set goals to stay busy. I challenge myself to set goals that force me to grow into the person I need to be for the next phase of my journey. 4️⃣ 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 ↳ Each week, month, and quarter I review my growth by looking back at my wins and how I’ve grown. ↳ This is the secret to staying encouraged…..don’t look at what you didn’t accomplish yet, rather at what you have accomplished. 𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. What are you doing to grow toward your future self? ♻️ Repost this to help someone in your network. ➕ Follow Jon Spiesman for more leadership tips that work! #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #Management #Business

As leaders, we must set goals for ourselves and our teams, here is a frame work that has helped me knock every goal into the goalpost. I call it the “DGSP” framework. Fact: We are all driven by dreams and desires. For some, it's freedom of time; for others, it might be materialistic needs, financial freedom, traveling, career change, entrepreneurial goals or even authoring a book. Achieving these desires is a way to reward ourselves for our work and dedication. Approach: 1. Identify Your Desire: Clearly define what you want. Write it down and be specific. 2. Set a Goal: Establish a professional or business goal that, once achieved, will fulfill your desire. 3. Create a Strategy: Develop a strategic approach to achieve your goal. 4. Prepare a Plan: Outline a detailed plan to execute your strategy effectively. It sounds simple, but aligning your desires and goals, supported by a strong strategy and executable plan, is incredibly powerful. You can use this framework for your own goal setting and for your teams. Start by understanding the desires of your teammates to help map out professional goals that, when achieved, will fulfill their desires.