Why is coaching so popular?
Over the past few years, the coaching space has picked up a ton of momentum. ICF’s 2023 report estimates that coach practitioners generated $4.65B in revenue in 2022¹. This represents a 60% increase from its 2019 estimate of $2.85B². Breaking down that 60% growth yields a CAGR of 17%. So what’s fueling this kind of growth?
After reading Steve Chandler and Trevor Timbeck’s book The Power of Systems, it dawned on me: to hire a coach for yourself or your team is to create a system.
What’s a system?
A system is a process—a set of checks and balances that you create intentionally (or sometimes accidentally) to help you override the unhelpful thoughts and emotions that derail you from your goal. You already have systems. Some of them work; many don’t.
For example, hanging your keys on the same hook when you come inside is a system that helps you consistently locate them when it’s time to go out again. If you’re constantly losing your keys, you also have a system—it’s called dropping them wherever you land when you come into the house.
Working with a coach can be a system for creating space to pause and think through what you want. It can also be a system for accountability. I pay my coach good money, so you better believe I’m going to do the work I commit to before our sessions. I also know that we will focus on the most important things that ladder up to my goals.
The Power of Systems is so simple—and brilliant in its simplicity. Think about what isn’t going as you’d like, consider the system that isn’t serving you, and create one that does. Tweak the specifics of your new systems until they become muscle memory.
Some challenges might feel more complex than others. Start with something simple that reduces the chance you’ll overthink the task in front of you, building your capacity and resilience for implementing new and more complex systems over time.
Here’s a few examples:
- Lay out your gym clothes out the night before
- Put your alarm clock out of reach to get you up and out of bed
- Tackle the biggest challenges on your task list early in the day
- Book your next dentist appointment while you’re at the dentist
- Schedule a massage in advance of what you think might be a stressful week
- Hide from your kids in the bathroom when you feel like you’re going to lose your temper (I’m good at this one)
- Create a “first draft” deadline to pad time for revisions
- Build a feedback-focused culture with your team by giving three points of feedback immediately after every presentation
Play around with what systems keep you accountable and proactive until it feels easy, and don’t get mad at yourself if it doesn’t all fall into place right away. You’re not broken—you just need a different system!
Looking to build a new system? Schedule your free coaching consultation today!
