Accountability and Life Coaching Setting

Accountability and Life Coaching

Setting Up Accountability Factors

Setting up accountability factors is primarily a matter of soliciting information directly from the client for the purpose of establishing the strategic goals of therapy (Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, et al., 2007). In that regard, it might be helpful to outline the concept of accountability by contextualizing it simply as a form of awareness or purposeful consciousness on the part of the client with respect to taking note of relevant indicators of progress in therapy. Defining specific accountability factors will necessarily vary from client to client because they will be dictated by the particular reason that the client sought (or was referred for) counseling.

Incorporating Accountability Factors into a Relationship and Plan of Action

In that regard, it is essential toward the goal of actively engaging the client in accountability to communicate that, despite its literal connotations, accountability in the context of counseling does not include any aspect of measurement or judgment (Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, et al., 2007). Instead, if the client is to "buy in" to the counseling process and to the value of establishing purposeful long-term goals, the counselor or coach must effectively communicate this unique concept.

More particularly, the type of awareness or consciousness required by the client's commitment to accountability enables the client to conceptualize a strategic plan consisting of the fundamental purpose, intended direction, and hopeful benefits of the counseling relationship (Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, et al., 2007).

Measuring Accountability

In principle, measuring accountability is mainly a matter of understanding the degree to which the client maintains an awareness of what steps or mechanisms have been laid out for the purpose of achieving the intended benefits of counseling (Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, et al., 2007). This element of measurement requires coordination between the concrete expectations of both parties in the relationship.

Moreover, measuring accountability also requires a conceptualization of a schedule or series of steps through which the beneficial results of counseling are expected to be achieved. This element provides the basis of a strategic plan. Finally, measuring accountability is also a matter of establishing a mutual agreement between client and counsellor or coach with respect to how, when, and in what specific manner the client will provide an accounting of progress and/or steps taken to achieve progress. Ultimately, measuring accountability allows the client and counsellor to agree on whether or not the current direction of counseling is achieving its intended goals or whether a change in counseling strategy is required (Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, K., Kimsey-House, et al., 2007).