How Do You Approach Goal Setting as a Business Coach?
Imagine unlocking the secrets to effective goal setting from the leading minds in business coaching. In this article, Founder & CEO and Director General share their proven strategies. The first insight reveals how to describe the future to uncover true goals, while the final seventeen emphasizes turning vague goals into measurable steps. Discover a total of 17 invaluable insights that can transform the way goals are approached and achieved.
- Describe Future to Reveal True Goals
- Set Clear Measurable Goals
- Create Personalized Action Plans
- Break Down Objectives into Steps
- Use Visual Goal Mapping
- Work Backwards from Dreams to Milestones
- Align Goals with Long-Term Vision
- Collaborate to Uncover Aspirations
- Combine Numbers with Emotions
- Connect Values with Business Goals
- Analyze Data for Realistic Targets
- Balance Objectives with Human Connection
- Break Down Goals into Weekly Metrics
- Start with Bite-Sized Goals
- Use Structured Frameworks for Clarity
- Set Realistic Goals Based on Constraints
- Turn Vague Goals into Measurable Steps
Describe Future to Reveal True Goals
Let me share my perspective on goal-setting with clients, drawing from extensive coaching experience. Imagine walking into a room where someone has scattered puzzle pieces everywhere - that's often how clients first approach their goals. They have all the pieces but aren't sure how they fit together.
I take clients through a story of their desired future, but here's the twist: I ask them to describe it as if they were already living it. This reveals in a natural way what really matters to them, rather than what they want to be important. A recent client came to me convinced they needed to open three new locations within a year. As they described their "future," they kept coming back to wanting more time with family and a stable, profitable business. Those new locations? They were someone else's definition of success.
The real breakthrough comes when we flip traditional goal-setting on its head. Whereas everyone begins with SMART goals-the result-we start with "reverse engineering happiness." In the case of one client, transforming their consulting practice changed the focus from doubling in a way that was sustainable by design rather than constant and time-consuming presence. I then work backward to begin determining the systems, teams, and client base involved.
What this means for you: Goal-setting isn't about choosing arbitrary numbers or deadlines. It's about understanding what success really looks like in your context, then building a path that aligns with your values and lifestyle. Sometimes the most powerful goals aren't about growth at all - they're about optimization, balance, or even strategic downsizing. The magic happens when your goals reflect who you are, not just what you think you should achieve.
Set Clear Measurable Goals
When working with clients on goal setting, I follow a structured approach that emphasizes clarity, alignment, and accountability. I encourage them to start by defining clear, measurable goals that are both ambitious and achievable. We then break those goals down into smaller, actionable steps to create a clear roadmap. This ensures that progress is not only tracked but also motivates clients through tangible milestones.
I also emphasize the importance of aligning these goals with their core values and long-term vision. This alignment ensures that they stay focused on what truly matters, especially during challenging times.
One success story that stands out is with a client who was struggling to scale their leadership development programs. Through our coaching sessions, we identified a clear goal to expand their offerings by 30% within six months. We broke the process down into stages: refining the curriculum, enhancing marketing strategies, and targeting new audiences.
By focusing on these incremental steps, the client not only achieved their goal but exceeded it by 10%. The key to success was maintaining accountability, adapting strategies as needed, and ensuring constant alignment with their overarching business vision. This process helped them build sustainable growth while staying true to their values.
Create Personalized Action Plans
When it comes to goal setting with clients, I follow a structured yet highly personalized approach. It starts with understanding their vision, not just for the business but for their life overall. I then help them break down that vision into achievable, measurable goals using the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. From there, I work to identify potential obstacles, align the goals with their unique strengths, and create actionable strategies that are regularly reviewed and adapted as needed. My years of experience, combined with insights from coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs internationally, allow me to anticipate challenges and offer solutions that are both practical and innovative. A standout example involves a struggling hospitality business in Dubai. The client was facing mounting debt, high staff turnover, and stagnant sales. After a thorough evaluation, I guided them to set incremental goals focused on optimizing operations, refining their target market, and launching a local partnership strategy. We implemented clear weekly benchmarks for sales growth and employee retention, pairing each goal with immediate action steps and accountability checkpoints. Within eight months, the business saw an increase in revenue, stabilized its workforce, and became a community leader in its niche. My experience in finance and recruitment, honed through my MBA and years in the field, played a pivotal role in creating and executing this turnaround. This is what excites me most about coaching: helping business owners translate their aspirations into real, measurable results.
Break Down Objectives into Steps
In my role as the founder of OneStop Northwest, I focus on goal setting by breaking down objectives into actionable steps that align with a business's core vision. One of my clients, a small startup, had the goal to triple their online revenue within a year. We achieved this by setting SMART goals custom to their business model, implementing a robust digital marketing strategy, and optimizing their SEO.
Clear communication and regular updates were crucial in maintaining alignment with their evolving needs. For another client, a larger enterprise, we aimed to reduce operational costs by 20%. By streamlining their processes and identifying areas of inefficiency, not only did we meet this target, but we also enabled them to allocate savings toward further growth.
By continually refining goals and ensuring they're measurable and attainable, I help clients stay focused and agile. This approach allows for achieving substantial, sustainable growth, which I've repeatedly seen lead to remarkable business changes.
Use Visual Goal Mapping
Visual goal mapping is what's worked best with my real estate clients - we literally draw out their journey on a big whiteboard. I remember helping a first-time investor who was overwhelmed; we broke down her five-year plan into quarterly milestones, and she just closed on her third property last month. At House Buying Girls, we prioritize realistic goal-setting by starting with small, achievable wins that build confidence before tackling bigger objectives.
Work Backwards from Dreams to Milestones
I've found the most effective goal-setting starts with having clients write down their wildest dreams, then work backwards to create monthly milestones - recently helped a bakery owner go from dreaming about a second location to actually opening it within 8 months using this approach. Through my time running Goaldy and working with over 100 entrepreneurs, I've learned that the best goals aren't just SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), but also need to genuinely excite and motivate the person - that emotional connection makes all the difference in follow-through.
Align Goals with Long-Term Vision
I approach goal setting with my clients by first ensuring that their goals are specific, measurable, and aligned with their long-term vision. I believe that setting clear, realistic milestones helps to create a roadmap for success while also keeping clients motivated along the way. A key element of this process is regularly reviewing progress and adjusting strategies as needed, because flexibility is essential in today's fast-paced business environment.
One of my most memorable success stories revolves around a client who came to us with a desire to increase their wholesale nursery sales. Together, we set incremental goals: starting with refining their product offerings, expanding their online presence, and optimizing their customer outreach.
Through consistent follow-ups and focusing on key areas like product quality and timely delivery, the client was able to double their sales in just one year. It was a combination of focusing on the fundamentals and making smart adjustments that led to such a successful outcome.
Collaborate to Uncover Aspirations
I believe in a collaborative approach. It's not about me dictating what my clients should achieve; it's about working together to uncover their aspirations and create a roadmap for success. We start by exploring their values, passions, and long-term vision. What truly motivates them? What kind of impact do they want to make?
From there, we break down those big-picture goals into smaller, more manageable steps. It's like creating a series of stepping stones that lead to the ultimate destination. I had a client who dreamed of starting their own consulting business but felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. We worked together to set clear, actionable goals, starting with things like creating a business plan, building a website, and networking with potential clients.
Each time they achieved a small goal, their confidence grew, and they gained momentum. Fast forward to today, and they're running a thriving consultancy! It's incredibly rewarding to witness those transformations and see clients achieve what they once thought was impossible.
Combine Numbers with Emotions
I've found that the most successful goal-setting happens when we dig deep into both numbers and emotions, like when I worked with a business owner who struggled to balance company growth with personal retirement planning. We mapped out a 5-year strategy with quarterly checkpoints, combining profit reinvestment targets with personal savings goals, which helped them double their retirement fund while growing their business by 40%.
Connect Values with Business Goals
Through my executive coaching practice, I've discovered that getting leaders to connect their personal values with business goals makes all the difference in follow-through. I remember working with a CEO who struggled with work-life balance - we identified her core values around family time and restructured her leadership approach, resulting in both better team delegation and more quality time at home. Instead of pushing my own framework, I listen carefully to what motivates each client and build goals that align with their natural working style.
Analyze Data for Realistic Targets
I've found that setting realistic growth targets with my Shopify clients works best when we analyze their historical data first - like when we helped a skincare brand set a goal of 30% revenue growth after noticing their repeat customer rate was only 15%. By breaking down the main goal into smaller metrics like email open rates and cart abandonment reduction, we actually achieved 45% growth in six months, showing how specific, data-backed goals make all the difference.
Balance Objectives with Human Connection
I've learned that setting team-building goals requires balancing corporate objectives with genuine human connection - recently helped a tech startup improve their remote team cohesion through monthly virtual cooking classes. I'm always excited to share how we turned their initial skepticism into enthusiastic participation, with 90% reporting better cross-department communication after three months. Generally speaking, the key is making goals specific but flexible enough to adapt - like starting with 'increase team engagement' but defining it through measurable metrics like participation rates and post-event surveys.
Break Down Goals into Weekly Metrics
With my experience running ShipTheDeal.com, I've found that breaking down big goals into weekly metrics works incredibly well - like when we helped a client boost their conversion rate from 2% to 5% by setting small, achievable A/B testing targets each week. I always start by having clients track their current baseline data for 2 weeks before setting any goals, which helps make sure we're being realistic and can actually measure progress.
Start with Bite-Sized Goals
I believe in starting with bite-sized goals that build confidence, like helping one of my plastic surgeon clients increase their Instagram engagement by 25% in just two months through targeted before/after content. I'm excited to share how we broke this down into weekly posting schedules and engagement hours, which not only hit our target but also led to a 40% increase in consultation bookings.
Use Structured Frameworks for Clarity
A business coach will, when approached by a client in order to set a goal, often rely on structured frameworks like SMART and EXACT models to achieve these requirements. These are models of making the goal Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound; Explicit, Exciting, Assessable, Challenging, and Time-framed, thus not only providing the framework with clarity but also fitting in well with the client's value set and long-term vision.
A particular success story involved a client who was trying to increase their sales. Together, we set a SMART goal for boosting sales by 25% in the next six months using marketing strategies and engaging customers more appropriately. We then broke that down into action steps, including regular check-ins on a weekly basis and progress and tactics as appropriate. Not only were they finally able to achieve a 30% sales increase, but they were also able to share improved team morale and a clear understanding of direction by the period's end.
It brought out once again the importance of goals in its definition and accountability.
Set Realistic Goals Based on Constraints
Being in the Midwest real estate market, I help clients set realistic goals by first understanding their local market constraints and personal circumstances - like when I worked with a couple who wanted to sell their inherited property within 30 days. We created a simple weekly checklist tracking essential tasks like property clean-up and documentation, which helped them close the deal in just 25 days while getting $15K above their minimum target price.
Turn Vague Goals into Measurable Steps
Any goals that we set have to be SMART--Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, Time-bound. Many times, clients will approach with vague goals such as "improving business growth" or "taking the company digital." Our job is to work with them to turn these ideas into actual, measurable goals, and then break them down into smaller, measurable steps. This would ensure that grand ideas turn into reality in a way that can be assessed at each step taken.
