Coaching Playbook
Coaching Playbook
Behaviour Change
Coaching Guide
A practical, theory-grounded flow for taking clients from where they are to where they want to be — and keeping them there.
Assess
→
Identity
→
Goals
→
SDT
→
MI
→
Habits
1
Phase One
Assess Readiness
Understand where the client is before deciding where to go.
📚 Transtheoretical Model (TTM) · Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
The 6 Stages of Change — Prochaska & Velicer (1997)
Identifies a client's "readiness to change." Use to calibrate your approach, not to gatekeep.
😶
Precontemplation
Not thinking about change. No awareness of the problem, or not ready to acknowledge it.
Typical: PT client
🤔
Contemplation
Aware of a problem, weighing pros and cons. Ambivalent — use MI here.
Typical: PT client
📋
Preparation
Intending to act soon. Starting to take small steps. Set process goals here.
Transitional
🏃
Action
Actively modifying behaviour. Focus on building habits.
Typical: Nutritionist client
🔒
Maintenance
Sustained change for 6+ months. Focus on automaticity and relapse prevention.
Goal state
✅
Termination
No temptation to relapse. 100% self-efficacy. Behaviour is automatic identity.
Ultimate goal
Theory of Planned Behaviour
Intention predicts action — shaped by three things:
🧠
Attitude
Does the client believe the behaviour is good for them?
👥
Subjective Norms
What do people they respect think about it?
💪
Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC)
Do they believe they can actually do it? (linked to self-efficacy)
💡
Coach Note: TTM in Practice
Most paying nutrition clients are already in Action or Preparation. The real value of TTM is at Contemplation — use MI there to explore and resolve ambivalence.
2
Phase Two
Build Identity
Help clients understand who they want to be — then build habits that prove it.
📚 Identity-Based Behaviour Change · James Clear · Fogg & Duhigg
The Identity-First Framework
Current behaviours are a reflection of current identity. To change behaviour, you must first change identity — and you prove a new identity through small wins.— Insights from James Clear, Atomic Habits
🎯
Start Here: The Key Question
"Who do they want to be?" Map each goal-behaviour to an identity statement. E.g. "I'm someone who eats protein at every meal." They need to prove this identity to themselves through small wins.
The Habit Loop — Fogg & Duhigg
🔔
Reminder
The cue that triggers the habit. Anchor to something that already exists.
🔄
Routine
The behaviour itself. Should be specific and simple.
🎁
Reward
The reinforcement that makes the loop worth repeating.
⚓
Habit Stacking
Use an existing habit as the reminder for a new one. "When I make my morning coffee, I'll prep my protein shake."
"Meaningful enough to make a difference, but simple enough that you can get it done."— James Clear
Motivation is fickle; identity is durable. Small wins aren't trivial — they are evidence that the identity shift is real.
3
Phase Three
Set Goals
Go beyond SMART. Structure goals so clients feel in control and can act on them.
📚 Goal Theory · Elliot & Sheldon (1997) · Gollwitzer & Sheeran (2006)
Outcome vs Process Goals
Outcome Goals
Where you want to end up
The result your client is chasing. Almost every client starts here.
⚖️Lose 10kg in 12 weeks
💪Run a sub-4h marathon
📏Drop 2 dress sizes
Process Goals
What you do repeatedly
The day-to-day behaviours that produce the outcome. ↑ PBC, autonomy & self-efficacy.
🥩Eat protein at every meal
🥦5 portions of veg per day
👟Hit 8,000 steps daily
✅
Always pair outcome goals with process goals. Process goals increase a client's sense of control — and a client who feels in control stays the course.
Approach vs Avoidance Goals
✅ Approach-Oriented
Move toward something
Linked to intrinsic motivation and greater wellbeing.
➕Eat more vegetables
➕Include protein at breakfast
➕Add a 20-min walk after lunch
⚠️ Avoidance-Oriented
Move away from something
Associated with less satisfaction and lower self-esteem.
➖Don't eat chocolate
➖Stop skipping breakfast
➖Cut out alcohol
🔄
Reframe Avoidance Goals
"Don't eat chocolate" → "Have a piece of fruit after dinner." Same outcome, fundamentally different relationship with the goal.
Implementation Intentions — "If-Then" Plans
Creates a strong mental link between a situation and a behaviour. A Plan B that is automatic — minimises decision fatigue and supports relapse prevention.
IF I'm too late to make my gym class
THEN I'll go for a 30-minute walk instead
IF there are no healthy options at the work lunch
THEN I'll have my protein bar from my bag
IF I eat cake at a birthday party
THEN I'll have a lighter, protein-focused breakfast tomorrow
IF I make my morning coffee
THEN I'll prep carrot sticks to take to work as a snack
📌
Use your Emotional Intelligence. Preparing clients for "when life gets in the way" can feel patronising. Frame it as proactive planning, not predicting failure.
4
Phase Four
Apply SDT Principles
Self-Determination Theory as the underlying ethos of your entire practice.
📚 Self-Determination Theory · Deci & Ryan (1985, 2012)
The 3 Basic Psychological Needs
Self-determined motivation consistently produces better outcomes. Design every interaction to meet all three needs.
🧠
Competence
Need to control outcomes and achieve mastery. A client who understands why will stay.
→Teach flexible dieting & energy balance — not just rules
→Empower them to not need you after the service ends
→Build habits that maintain weight loss, not just achieve it
🦋
Autonomy
Urge to be the causal agent of one's own life. Clients can be "autonomously dependent."
→Present options, let them choose
→Use could/may — not should/must
→"Just tell me what to eat" is still autonomy
🤝
Belonging
Need for relationships and community. Social support is a strong predictor of behaviour change.
→Build genuine rapport — give identity to the relationship
→Consider adding a social support community online
→Weight loss is positively related to social support
SDT in Practice — Do vs Avoid
Do This
✅Offer a clear rationale for every recommendation
✅Acknowledge internal conflict — explore barriers
✅Provide multiple options to reach the goal
✅Promote competence — celebrate growth in knowledge
✅Give genuine, specific positive feedback
Avoid This
✗External incentives — rewards, deadlines, bribes
✗Controlling or non-informative feedback
✗Imposing strategies the client didn't choose
✗Pressuring language: "should," "must"
✗Assuming what works for you works for them
📖
Evidence: SDT Works Long-Term
A 1-year programme delivered with SDT and MI principles (Silva et al., 2011) showed significant effects at 1, 2 and 3 years — on weight, physical activity, and autonomous motivation. The approach outlasted the intervention itself.
5
Phase Five
Motivational Interviewing
Your primary tool for non-adherence, ambivalence, and stages 1–3 of the TTM.
📚 MI · Rollnick, Miller & Butler (2008) · Bundy (2004)
"The focus of MI is to help people talk about and solve their ambivalence about change, using their own motivation, energy and commitment to do it."— Rollnick, Miller & Butler (2008)
Core Principles — EARS
👂
Express Empathy
Active listening, non-judgmental. Put yourself in their shoes.
🚫
Avoid Argument
Resist the urge to debate. Explore, don't fix.
🌊
Roll With Resistance
Reflect, question, clarify. Never push harder when they push back.
🔋
Support Self-Efficacy
Reinforce their belief that change is possible for them.
The 8 Steps of MI — Miller & Rollnick (1991)
1
Build Rapport & Display Professionalism
Establish trust from the first interaction. The entire MI process rests on relationship.
2
Set an Agenda (Goals)
The client sets their own goals — you help prioritise. Never impose an agenda.
3
Assess Readiness to Change
Probe for barriers. Explore the decisional balance — pros and cons of changing?
4
Sharpen the Focus
Break behaviour into smaller components. Identify specific, achievable process goals.
5
Identify Ambivalence
Avoid the "righting reflex." Help them articulate ambivalence, not fix it.
6
Elicit Self-Motivating Statements
Get clients to frame things positively. "I would like to" instead of "If only I could."
7
Handle Resistance Effectively
Reflect using the client's own words. Explore, don't fix. Question over confrontation.
8
Shift the Focus
Help the client find a path around barriers — not through them. Reframe, move forward.
Encouraging Change Talk — The 1–10 Technique
Coach Script: Eliciting Motivation
Coach:
"Out of 10, how likely are you to achieve eating protein at every meal this week?"
Client:
"Hmm, maybe a 7."
Coach:
"A 7 — interesting. Why aren't you a 6?"
↳ Forces the client to justify why they CAN do it. Internalises the process. Reveals real barriers.
🎯
The "8–10 Rule" for Goal Setting
Aim for goals the client rates 8–10 for likelihood. These create small wins that build PBC and self-efficacy. A 5 or 6 is likely to fail and erode confidence.
SDT × MI Coaching Checklist — Silva et al. (2008)
| SDT Need | Coaching Structure | MI Techniques |
|---|---|---|
| 🧠 Competence | Present clear, neutral information. Provide positive feedback. Develop appropriate goals. | Elicit and reinforce self-motivational statements. |
| 🦋 Autonomy | Present multiple options. Let client decide. Avoid deadlines or external rewards. | Develop discrepancy. Roll with resistance. |
| 🤝 Belonging | Demonstrate genuine understanding. Explore client concerns without judgment. | Express empathy. Avoid criticism. Explore concerns openly. |
6
Phase Six
Build Habits
Translate intention into automatic behaviour. The goal is automaticity, not willpower.
📚 Lally et al. (2009) · Gardner et al. (2012)
Efficacious Habits: Effective vs Overkill
"If you're going to coach someone into a new habit, make sure it's a good habit to begin with." Complexity and specificity determine whether a habit gets adopted or abandoned.
✅ Effective Habits
✅Eat protein at each meal
✅Eat a rainbow of foods
✅Consume fruit & veg (5–7 portions)
✅Drink plenty of water
✅Eat 200g vegetables with each meal
✅Eat a variety of foods
⚠️ Overkill / Ineffective
✗Don't eat until midday
✗Eat 5–6 times per day
✗Don't eat carbs after 6pm
✗Don't skip breakfast
✗Don't drink orange juice
✗Eat sauerkraut daily
How Long Does a Habit Take? — Lally et al. (2009)
Minimum
18 days
Average
66 days
Maximum
254 days
💡 Tell your clients this: there was no long-term cost to missing one day. This reduces all-or-nothing thinking and supports relapse prevention.
Monitoring Automaticity — Gardner et al. (2012)
Track two things: (1) whether the habit is being performed, and (2) how automatic it feels.
Was the habit done?
Track daily. Mark Y (done on 5+ days) or N.
W1: Y
W2: Y
W3: N
W4: Y
…
How automatic does it feel?
Rate 1 (not at all) → 10 (completely). Track weekly.
Week 1Week 10
🎯
The Automaticity Goal
If your service is a fixed length, aim for the client to leave with an appropriate level of automaticity — ingrained behaviour. Automaticity is your exit criterion.
The Coach's Role
You are the vehicle, not the driver.
Find ways to be the best vehicle for that person, at that time, in that place. Coach people to live — long-term habits where needed. Behaviour change does not equal slow.
🌱 Behaviours only need to be as sustainable as the goal
⚡ Behaviour change ≠ slow
🔑 Automaticity is imperative for goal maintenance
Quick Reference
The essentials — distilled for use in session
🗣MI — 8 Steps
1
Build rapport and display professionalism
2
Set an agenda — let the client lead
3
Assess readiness, probe for barriers
4
Sharpen the focus — break into process goals
5
Identify ambivalence — avoid righting reflex
6
Elicit self-motivating statements
7
Handle resistance — reflect, don't fix
8
Shift the focus — help them around barriers
✅SDT × MI Checklist
Competence
Present clear, neutral info. Give positive feedback. Develop goals.
Competence
Elicit and reinforce self-motivational statements.
Autonomy
Present multiple options. Let client decide. No deadlines or rewards.
Autonomy
Develop discrepancy. Roll with resistance.
Belonging
Express empathy. Avoid criticism. Explore concerns openly.
Belonging
Demonstrate understanding. Build ongoing connection.
⚡Change Talk Script
Coach: "Out of 10, how likely are you to achieve [goal]?"
Client: "Maybe a 7."
Coach: "Why aren't you a 6?" (forces positive framing)
💡
Use 8–10 likelihood for goal-setting to create achievable wins
💡
Re-frame: "I would like to" not "If only I could"
🔁Habit Essentials
⏱
18–254 days to form a habit. Average: 66 days.
❤️
Missing one day has no long-term cost. Tell your clients!
⚓
Stack habits: "When I do X, I'll do Y"
📝
Get clients to write goals down. Use monitoring sheets.
📊
Track automaticity (1–10). Aim for departure at 7–8+.
🏆
Best habits: protein at every meal · variety · veg · water