Every manager I know agrees coaching matters. Most of us still cancel it first when the month gets busy.
The problem is rarely willingness. Coaching has no fixed place in the week, so it waits for a free day. Free days do not come.
Writing on habits describes a simple loop: a cue, a routine and a reward. I use it on myself, not only with reps.
- Fix the day.
- Double visit days go in at the start of the cycle, the same day each week. A coaching day that moves gets cancelled.
- Use a cue you already have.
- The rep's car door closes after the call. That is when the debrief starts, standing in the car park. No new reminder needed.
- Keep the routine small.
- Three questions, one skill, one line in the coaching log. Small enough to survive month end.
- Make the reward visible.
- I open every visit with what the rep changed since the last one. Seeing progress is what keeps both of us coming back.
The rhythm matters more than any single brilliant session.
“Coaching that waits for a free day never happens. Give it a fixed day.”
Lesson 23 of 23 in Step 4: Coaching, with the full guide and a checklist for this week.