Results are defined as the conclusions or ends to which any course or condition of things leads, or which are obtained by any process or operation; consequence or effect; as, the results of courses of action.

What a great definition, and one that perfectly describes the process of coaching. Coaching is a process that is focused on achieving results. Results are the benchmark of the effectiveness of coaching.

But, in order for coaching to be effective, the person being coached needs to be clear on the results he or she wants to get out of the process.

Being Clear About the Results You Want: A Story

For example, I had a client come see me recently who, I noticed, was walking with an obvious limp. I inquired as to what happened, and she couldn’t wait to share the story with me. She was experiencing a problem with one of her feet. This client believed the problem with her foot was the result of a spiritual attack, and she believed two family members were responsible.

We talked about her beliefs surrounding spiritual attacks, and why these particular family members were the suspects. Once we covered that ground, I asked what she was doing to take care of her foot. She told me she was seeing the doctor, and “speaking the Word” from the Bible. Knowing her to be a religious woman, I applauded these efforts.

But, I was led to ask about the particular passages from Scripture she was meditating on and speaking. She replied, “Romans 12:19.”

Going to my bookshelf, I pulled my Bible, and looked for the scripture, which I read aloud:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather restrain your wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will execute justice for you, said the Lord.” (Holy Bible, from the Ancient Eastern Text, George M. Lamsa Translation)

This puzzled me, so I asked the question: “What do you want for your foot?”

“Well, I want for it to be healed, of course,” was the reply.

“And do you think that meditating on and speaking this particular passage will help give you that result? That is, healing for your foot?”

She thought for a moment, and then said, “I suppose not.”

“What can you do differently that might help with the healing of your foot?”

“I can meditate on a different verse.”

“Great! Then I’m going to ask if it is possible for you to look up all the passages that relate to healing and meditate on and speak some of those. Would you be willing to do that?”

She said she would.

I share her story because it is a wonderful example of how sometimes the actions we take do not produce the results we say we want. Some things need to happen, in order to produce the result you say you want in any given situation:

3 Tips to Getting the Results You Want

• Be clear on what it is you want the end results to be

Always start off by asking yourself, “What do I want to gain out of this situation? What will this part of my life look like once I have achieved the resolution I want from this situation?”

In my client’s case, she wanted her foot healed.

• Decide what actions you want to take to achieve those end results

Once you know what the end result is, consider the actions you need to take to make it happen. Change only happens when we take some kind of decisive action.

In my client’s case, she decided to see a doctor, which was a great action step to take.

• Make sure the actions taken are the ones that will positively contribute to creating the results you want

This point is especially important, and it is a point that can trip a lot of people up. People take actions that are not in alignment with the result they say they want to achieve.

While it was good that my client was using the resource available to her (her Bible), she was not using scripture that would aid in her healing. The scripture she was focusing her attention on was only reinforcing her belief that she was under attack, and not on the result she wanted.

A Final Thought on Results

In closing, I want to leave you with both a question and a thought:

First, the question: Are the actions you are taking today in your life helping to produce the results you want?

And now, the thought: If you don’t know what you want, you won’t know when you get it.

Your partner in achieving the results you want in life,