What do COACHED Goals mean and how to use them

Objectives and goals are at the forefront of what gets us forward each and every day as professionals. Without setting clear goals, you’ll feel you are stumbling in the dark, with no flashlight in your hand (spooky, as Halloween just ended…)

Most people around us do have certain goals or objectives, but not all of them know how to set themselves up for success, using those carefully created standards of life, in order to achieve the desired result. 

One way to set clear goals is the SMART way - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Well, today, we won’t be talking about SMART - we will cover the COACHED version of setting your goals!

1. COACHED is the new SMART

As already mentioned, we will be talking about a different way of setting your goals and objectives. This does not mean that SMART is not a great tool for goal-setting, but COACHED applies way better for your coaching clients and people that do know what coaching means.

If you’re a fan of SMART and can’t get over it, why not choose both ways of goal-setting for your goals? You can create your personal objectives with SMART and stick with COACHED for your professional goals. 

Ok, but what is COACHED? Let’s see!

2. What does COACHED stand for?

The following few paragraphs will explain, in short, what COACHED stands for.

1. C stands for concrete

The main point of having a concrete goal is knowing exactly what you (or your client) want and when you want it to happen. Don’t use in the near future or sometime, but state clearly that in 1 year's time, you will have achieved this.

2. O means obtainable

When you set your goal, you need it to be obtainable. Choose something that is within reach, not an impossible goal. If you have been a salesperson for your whole life, going to the Moon in 1 year isn’t really obtainable. 

3. A means accountable

Accountability is a big part of coaching, so most of the clients that choose to set goals should be held accountable. If you don’t have a coach, try to find an accountability partner - a family member or a friend - who can check in once in a while with you.

4. C goes for clear

Your goal should also be clear - easy to understand and explain to others. If you can’t put it in words, your goal is not yet clear enough.

5. H goes for holistic

When you set a goal, it should incorporate all the different factors included in it. This is why you need to set a holistic one - think about every perspective of the goal and act accordingly.

6. E means evolving

Everything is adaptable to change in this life - why should goals be any different? Any goal correctly set is evolving constantly. 

7. D stands for determined

Distractions are all around us - but that should not be the case for goals and objectives. When one is determined, the goal will reach its way without any problems.

3. How can you use scripted goals?

Let’s say your goal is to make more money. You set your goal correctly, using the COACHED method, and it would look something like this:

I will consistently make $15,000 per month with the support of my team at work to generate 20 or more leads per day. 

Do you see how every aspect of the COACHED goal is included in this goal?

Well, you can go even further in order to script your goal. 

Set it into the present.

It is November 2023 and I’m consistently making $15,000 per month with the support of my great team at work, generating 20 or more leads per day.

The best way to use those scripted goals is repeating them, as a Mantra, every day. Do it multiple times a day if it feels good to you.

4. Avoid toxic elements from goal-setting

In order to demonstrate further, we’ll take the first goal and give it a personal and tangible spin.

It is November 2023 and I feel awesome because I am consistently making $15,000 per month, with the support of my team at work, generating 20 or more leads per day, which makes me feel empowered. 

I am committed to attending all of my children’s sports and dance events, which shows them how proud I am of them.

I am consistent with these goals by working with my coach once per month and having weekly family meetings with my wife, which reduces stress and makes space for us to connect.

This whole scripted goal is great to read and repeat daily, but there is a toxic element there.

The stress factor should not be mentioned in a goal, as it is negative. We should always focus on the positives when setting a goal. Avoid these toxic elements and your goals will skyrocket.

5. Get the emotional payoff from achieving the goal

If you’ll read the scripted goal again, you’ll see how it makes you feel from the start. It makes you feel awesome. That’s an emotional payoff right there, but why do we need those?

Because that’s why we’re working for our goals so hard - so we get the emotional payoff. Just reaching a certain destination is not enough - you need to feel a certain way, once you’re done with all the hard work.

Make sure you get all the emotional payoff you deserve from achieving that goal.

6. Connect the goal with the steps needed to achieve it

Goals should be stated with the future (or present, if you’re going for a scripted version) in mind. 

In order to achieve goals, you’ll need to carefully recreate the right steps in order to reach them. Step by step, day by day, you have to know what you should do, otherwise, you just won’t make it to the end of your goal.

This was our article about COACHED goals. Let us know in the comments below if you’ve ever used this type of setting goals technique and how it worked for you!