Last week I distinguished the notion “existence systems” and their importance to people who are Up To Something.  Then I speculated on what are the underlying, defining characteristics that make them great.  Now I want to explore their role in coaching relationships, and I’ll do so looking from where we [at CoachAccountable] aim to contribute to the coaching profession.

Everyone has his or her own relationship to existence systems. For example, one can overall be empowered by them, resistant to them, or indifferent/oblivious to needing such things (I’m proud to say I’ve graduated from that third category).   Most coaches will find, among their clients, that there are relationships to existence systems that are all across the board.  A coach working with a client who is already a master of utilizing an existence system has a big leg up in the process.  During my year as a coach, it felt sometimes like one of my responsibilities was to BE the existence system for my coachees (“How did you do with those four actions you created last week?”  Pause.  “Umm… can you tell me what were they again?”).

Causing your clients to be master of their own existence systems is a huge win.  It enhances their ability to use your coaching to produce results.  When you don’t need to deal regularly with the grunt work called “managing what fell through the cracks” there is more time to do the real work.

It is precisely this insight from which CoachAccountable was conceived.  It’s designed to be an easy-to-use, enjoyable existence system for your clients, one that perfectly fits into your coaching relationship, and you get to give it to them.  Moreover, it is uniquely designed to allow your interaction and oversight as coach: it allows you to closely support them in being masterful with existence systems.  What would it be like if your clients never had any actions or appointments fall through the cracks?