Acknowledgement is Key

A recent coaching meeting had me realize how powerful acknowledgement can be in moving people into action. She made none of the calls we agreed she would make in our last meeting and was feeling defeated. I said, "Remember our last meeting, when you said you wanted to increase your revenue by 10% this year? Given your level of success last year, that's a big deal. You had the guts to make that personal goal and I want to acknowledge you for that." Her face lit up and her demeanor opened up a bit - giving us the room to move on and set up the next action plan with specific, measurable benchmarks.

Acknowledgement - the genuine and sincere type - may help you nudge an otherwise dormant client into action. Even if your best efforts have been less than successful, you might want to acknowledge your "coachee" for being willing to roll up their sleeves and work with you. Some of our clients' colleagues would never make the time to talk about how to grow their businesses.

Focusing on the gap - what wasn't done and what needs to be done - is obviously critical. Doing so in the context of acknowledgement may be an access to higher levels of success for you and your clients. Take on this practice and let us know about the results!