Accountability Coaching: FAQs, Examples & How to Hire
For those wanting to reach their goals, there’s nothing more important than commitment and follow-through. It’s easier said than done, and for many, the missing piece is accountability. Enter accountability coaching—the increasingly popular resource helping people reach their aspirations with a key layer of support.
What Is an Accountability Coach?
An accountability coach is a professional who partners with individuals to help them remain responsible and committed to their goals. In today’s world of distractions, it’s common to sideline personal and professional aspirations. Accountability coaching offers a solution to this pattern, supporting individuals with a consistent push to ensure they stay the course.
Through regular check-ins, goal-setting, and constructive feedback, an accountability coach ensures that their clients are not just daydreaming but actively pursuing their objectives. Coaches in this category lean on a mix of time-tested methods and bespoke support for their clients, understanding that everyone's journey is unique.
Accountability coaching amplifies commitment and fosters a sense of responsibility, helping make your path to success more attainable. There’s nothing quite as impactful as having someone dedicated to keeping you on track. Whether you’re just beginning to set some new goals or wanting to refine your ability to remain accountable, this may be the perfect type of coaching for you.
What Does an Accountability Coach Do?
So what does an accountability coach do? Most fundamentally, they serve as your personal ally in your journey to achieve your goals. Here’s a bit more detail around what you can expect from accountability coaching.
Guidance on Goal Setting:
Goal-setting is a bedrock for most coaching engagements. Defining your goals (both big and small) is a process in itself. In your work to develop clear, achievable goals, an accountability coach helps you:
Define what you truly want.
Set realistic and measurable targets.
Prioritize which goals need immediate attention.
Separate near-term vs. long-term goals and expectations.
Regular Check-ins
Consistency is key. Your coach will serve as a consistent figure in your life, whether it be through weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions. You can expect your accountability coach to:
Set up regular meetings, calls, or in-person sessions.
Use these sessions to discuss progress, hurdles, and next steps.
Ensure you're not veering off course.
Feedback and Advice
Feedback is a critical part of accountability. A great coach is there to lift you up, but that doesn’t mean they’ll let you cut corners or continue to make avoidable mistakes. As such, your coach is there to:
Offer constructive feedback, even when it’s difficult.
Suggest strategies or tools to overcome challenges.
Celebrate your successes, big or small.
Accountability
An accountability coach does exactly as the title suggests. Through your consistent check-ins and discussions, your coach will:
Help you stay motivated and committed.
Gently push you if you start to slack.
Remind you of the bigger picture.
Remind you of intentions and ambitions you’ve previously stated.
In sum, think of your accountability coach like a compass for your goals. They ensure you're heading in the right direction. When you stray, they help you find your way back. Holding you accountable to your own dreams and aspirations is their top priority.
5 Examples of Who Might Hire One
So who exactly might hire an accountability coach? The fact is that anyone with life or career goals can benefit. To help shed light on some specific use cases, here are five examples and the specific benefits for each.
1. Startup Founders
Founding a startup is a whirlwind. Between fundraising, product development, and team management, founders often carry a heavy load. It can be easy to lose sight of top priorities, vision, and mission.
Benefits: An accountability coach helps keep founders anchored to both near-term tasks and long-term vision. They help ensure that amidst the chaos, they're consistently working on whatever is highest and best use of their time.
2. Creatives
Creatives often live “non-traditional” lives, working and creating when inspiration hits. While rewarding, creative work comes with its challenges—from writer's block to self-doubt to making ends meet.
Benefits: Through coaching, creatives receive regular motivation, structure, and a go-to resource to manage periods of stagnation. As a result, they optimize their lives and careers for the better.
3. Fitness Enthusiasts
Fitness represents one of the most likely focuses to benefit from a boost of accountability. Whether training for a marathon or embarking on a weight loss journey, staying consistent in fitness is a highly relatable challenge.
Benefits: For someone with fitness goals, a coach ensures they stick to their workout routines, overcome plateaus, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. When the client is challenged by their fitness goals, a coach may help diagnose what exactly is holding them back.
4. Career Changers
Changing careers or jobs brings predictable challenges. People in this situation often face uncertainty and the need to focus on their search for their next role. Making a successful shift often requires one to manage emotions while tackling a game plan.
Benefits: A coach provides structure to any career-shifting process. They may be leaned on to help manage the emotional ups and downs. Just as importantly, they may serve as a key resource to help you work through the less emotional side (to-do lists, tasks, and goals).
5. Students
For university newbies and graduate students alike, staying focused from month-to-month (and year-to-year) is critical for success. Many students benefit from having a dedicated resource to help them stay the course while maintaining a healthy school-life balance.
Benefits: An accountability coach helps students manage their time effectively, prioritize tasks, and maintain a balance between academic and personal life. This level of accountability may be a key driver ensuring the timely completion of the degree.
Accountability Coaching: Common FAQs
Looking for some quick answers to your coaching questions? Here are some of the most common questions coaching clients ask before getting started.
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In 2022, the average coach in the US charged $244 per hour of coaching. However, this statistic should be taken with a grain of salt for a couple reasons. First, coaches charge a wide range of rates in the industry, with some charging less than $100/hour. To that end, there’s a coach for every price range if you look hard enough. Also worth noting—many coaches carry out their work via 30 minute sessions, so you may never be on the hook for a full hour of your coach’s time.
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Yes, accountability coaches frequently serve their clients via Zoom, FaceTime, or phone calls. Virtual coaching is an increasingly common method for delivering coaching. As a result, clients gain access to a huge pool of eligible coaches because they aren’t bound by service-providers in their immediate area. Clients may also save money and time by avoiding commutes to an in-person office.
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Some coaches offer packages with a finite amount of time attached (i.e. 3-months or 6-months). Other coaches view their services as an ongoing resource for their clients. Expect your coaching journey to start bearing fruit no sooner than a couple months. It takes a certain amount of repetitions around habit change and intentionality to really see results.
Hiring Tips for Finding the Right Coach
With so many coaches to choose from, selecting the perfect one can be challenging (and overwhelming!). People find the right coach in a number of ways, including:
Word-of-mouth: Ask trusted voices in your life or career if they know of any great coaches. You may be surprised just how many people have recommendations.
LinkedIn: Keep an eye on your LinkedIn network to see if anyone you know has launched a coaching practice. Having some familiarity may add a boost to your compatibility.
Coaching companies: Some of today’s most successful coaching companies offer individual coaching. Do some research to understand how these companies charge for their services, who they feature on their coaching rosters, and how the process works for getting started.
A general rule of thumb: Always make sure to meet with a coach to check for compatibility before moving forward (the first call is often free). A coach may look great on paper, but you must make sure your energy clicks. After all, this is someone you’re letting into your life in a significant manner. It’s no light decision!
Finally, scroll up to the section above covering some example use cases for accountability coaching. If any of those categories resonate with you, consider the benefits of finding a coach with experience in that area. For example, a coach who has worked with creatives may offer the specific kind of accountability you need. To that end, tweak your search as needed, understanding the value of a coach with expertise in your world.
For a deeper dive on finding the perfect coach, check out our 7-step guide on how to hire a life coach. We outline our recommendations in a chronological checklist, designed to help you keep your search in order.
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