What is a Productivity Coach? (And How to Work with One)

Have you ever asked yourself, “What is a productivity coach?”

Are you considering working with a productivity coach for your business, career, or life?

Finding a coach with whom you resonate and who can help with productivity challenges is something that should be at the top of your list.

But it’s crucially important to understand what a productivity coach does and specifically how they can work with you.

Why? It’s simple, different coaches have different approaches.

For instance, in my work as productivity expert, I follow a mindset-first approach where I help people improve their relationship with productivity.

Rather than diving headfirst into productivity tools, tips, and systems, we tackle your mindset first. This helps you to understand your natural work preferences so you can find uncover the right productivity systems for yourself.

In this article, you’ll find out what a productivity coach is and how you can effectively work with one.

If you’d like a deeper walk through of how productivity coaching works and how to get started, explore my Productivity Coach Beginner’s Guide for a full overview.

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

What is a productivity coach?

A productivity coach is a professional who helps small business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals work more efficiently and effectively in their business and careers.

These professionals can help teach people and work with them on improving their relationship with productivity.

They can also help people improve their productivity mindset when it comes to getting things done, as well as teach people productivity tools, skills, and approaches.

A productivity coach can be a helpful addition to your professional life as they can help you see things you may be unable to see in your day-to-day work. They can objectively view your approach towards work and help you see things more clearly.

Who should use a productivity coach?

You should consider using a productivity coach if you are struggling to get things in your business or career.

For instance, you may find that you are:

• Procrastinating on client and customer work
• Misplacing or losing important work or materials
• Working on non-urgent and non-important tasks
• Not setting appropriate goals for yourself in your work
• Avoiding boundary setting or enforcing boundaries
• Working late hours in your business when
• Not taking regular breaks throughout the day, week, month, year
• Holding onto tasks instead of delegating them to your team or assistant

You may also wish to use a productivity coach if you have difficulty with any of the following items:

• Perfectionist tendencies when it comes to completing your work
• Difficulty delegating tasks, assignments, and projects to others
• Unsure as to how to prioritize daily, weekly, and monthly tasks
• Regularly avoiding management of assistants, team members, and contractors
• Setting work-life boundaries while managing your business
• Appropriately planning projects and assignments with adequate lead times

What are the benefits of using a productivity coach?

There are many benefits to using a productivity coach. Let’s review several key benefits that can help you in your business and career.

Guidance

A productivity coach can help guide you towards making the right decisions for yourself when it comes to productivity. For instance, I guide clients who are looking to improve their relationship with productivity.

They’re tired of the “hustle and grind” want to make a clean break from that approach Perhaps you may be looking for guidance on how to view the bigger picture when it comes to your workload and how things fit together.

A productivity coach can help you better understand where you may be falling short in your overall approach.

Support

Sometimes, it can help to have support when you’ve missed appointments or failed to successfully plan a project timeline. A productivity coach can help lend an ear and guide you through those bumpy days or weeks.

They can also give you some thoughtful perspective when things don’t always go to plan and provide reassurance.

Another great part of having ongoing support is that a coach can cheer you on and celebrate your productivity accomplishments together with you!

Accountability

Do you tend to follow through on what you’ll say you do in your work? Or do you do something different?

For example, if you say you’re going to email someone some information by Friday at 5 pm, do you sent the information the following Tuesday morning? If you tell a client you’ll attend an optional meeting, do you skip it without communicating why?

A productivity coach can provide accountability support to ensure you are successfully following through on your assignments. They can also help you stay on track when it comes improving your productivity mindset.

They can also keep you accountable by letting you know when you may be inadvertently thinking negatively about your work. This can be quite an eye-opener, indeed!

Instruction

Part of working with a productivity coach is having them show you how to appropriately use productivity approaches, tools, techniques, and skills in the most effective manner.

For example, you may be using several productivity tools or techniques right now in your schedule, but perhaps you’re not using them in most effective way for your individual situation.

Likewise, maybe you could benefit from some instruction in productivity approaches that you haven’t yet considered or were made previously aware.

Unbiased approach

Having a coach means you’ll have someone who is in your corner, ready and willing to help you succeed with getting things done. One of the best things about having a productivity coach is that they have a professional relationship with you.

They are laser focused on your particular challenges with productivity and how you’re showing up to your work every single day.

That being said, you can receive honest feedback and guidance to help you move yourself forward in your work. This is in contrast to, say, perhaps friends, family members, or others close to you, who may not be as forthcoming in their suggestions.

What does a productivity coach do?

Okay, so you’ve learned a bit more about who should work with a productivity coach and why they should work with one.

But what does a productivity coach do anyway when it comes to helping you improve your productivity?

I’ve come up with five key reasons that I think will be of interest to you. Let’s take a moment to explore them one by one.

They ask you thoughtful questions about how you work

A big part of my job as a productivity expert is to ask my clients lots of questions about how they approach their work.

Most people have a pretty good understanding as to the type of work they do. For instance, a lawyer practices law, a graphic designer designs images, and a coffee shop owner sells coffee.

But when it comes understanding to how they are doing their work? Well, that’s a different situation. An individual may not realize they’ve overbooked their calendar or have little time for breaks during their day.

Part of the reason why I ask thoughtful questions is that it helps me to properly assist people. It helps me identify the type of support they may need, whether it’s mindset help, learning a new skill, or honing an existing one.

It also begs them to consider what’s actually going on in their professional and personal life. I’m not quite sure why this is the case, but having someone shine a light on the raw truth of their situation can help them better understand their next steps.

Gaining insight into your work can be part of your daily routine. My Productivity Mindset Planner™ is designed as a daily check-in to help you shift out of overwhelm and into intentional action.

They teach you about different tools and techniques

A key aspect of my work is giving people a variety of different techniques and tools to help them do their work.

Most likely you tend to think of your work as work that needs to get done. But there may not be any consideration when it comes to getting the work done efficiently or effectively.

When I work with people I often ask them to walk me through previous techniques or tools they’ve used.

Sometimes, the technique or tool is not well suited to their personality, temperament, or profession. We may need to find a different suitable solution.

Other times techniques and tools need to be used differently in their work. You may use a tool for say, helping you meet with clients, when the tool might be more effective to use during administrative work.

And sometimes techniques or tools aren’t quite being used at their most optimal levels. You may need some assistance with honing or upgrading your skills with that particular technique or tool.

They offer different ways of thinking about your work

How do you think about your work in your business or career? Do you only think about finishing your work for the day? Do you consider how you’ll serve clients and customers?

Or do you carefully observe and reflect upon how you actually completed your work? If you currently do (or don’t), that’s where a coach can help you see things differently.

For instance, I enjoy helping people understand the seasonality of their work. Pretty much every business, profession, or career has some sort of yearly regularity to it.

Now, you may not have thought about this consciously, and even if you have, you may not have thought about how you can use it to your advantage.

I also like to help people think about their particular industry or career. While I may not know the specific details of an industry, I can ask pointed questions, uncover themes and commonalities, and give them a new way of viewing their work.

They provide suggestions for a new and improved mindset when it comes to productivity

Part of my work as a productivity coach is helping you think about and relate to your work. Doing so will plays a big role in the actions you take.

For instance, let’s say you’re not keen to work on an important client report. You don’t particularly like the word processing program you use to write reports. You resist using it at all costs.

But if you dig a bit deeper, it’s not that you don’t like that particular program. Rather, it’s that you’re struggle with learning the bare basics of the program.

When you can take a step back and see how you can also approach your work, then the work itself changes in your eyes.

And that can mean a huge step forward. In the example above, you may decide to watch video tutorials to learn how to use the tool so you can proceed with your work…without any resistance to it.

They hold you accountable to your goals, dreams, and desires

Lastly, one of the most surprising things that I do as a coach is to keep the goals, dreams, and desires front and center for my clients.

Honestly, it’s not the first thing you think of when you ask yourself, “what does a productivity coach do?”

But sometimes it’s hard to keep our focus on our goals when we have so much going on in our lives.

When you have someone on your side, cheering you on, something wonderful happens.

Your relationship to your work changes.

You know there’s someone out there who wants you to succeed and grow.

You know there’s someone who will challenge you to be better.

This can be extremely helpful and encouraging if you want to successfully reach your goals, fulfill your dreams, and achieve your desires.

What is a productivity coach’s approach to coaching?

As a productivity expert, people will often ask me, “How exactly do you coach productivity?”

When I work with clients, I ask them what’s going well in their business, what’s not going so well, and where they feel they need help. This helps give me an idea of where they are at this current moment

In our conversations, we’ll tend to uncover things that weren’t previously voiced or discussed initially. A lot of questions and honest answers are key here in order for the coaching relationship to work.

Many times, I’ll find that in working with a client, the issue that they came to me with truly isn’t the issue, but rather a symptom of a greater problem.

Someone may say they have no time to do their work. But in reality they have plenty of time on their calendar. The real challenge is their awareness and having them relax so they can successfully work.

That’s part of my role as a productivity expert, to help people tease out what the problem truly is. I help them find a way to successfully solve it and move on with their business and work.

Every coach has their own method, but you can be pretty sure they want their client to make consistent progress.

For me personally, I take the progress not perfection approach.

While I want my clients to learn more about themselves, their work, and how they show up in their relationship towards their work, I don’t expect things to be perfect.

That’s part of the puzzle when we deal with productivity. We must be flexible and ready to change at a moment’s notice.

How should you use a productivity coach?

You can think of a productivity coach like any other type of coach.

For instance, if you hire a personal trainer, they may help you perform exercises. But the coach won’t work out for you.

You should use a productivity coach when you are willing to change and grow. This way, you can make the most of your time together.

Think thoughtfully about your work, how you’re showing up in your business, and where you want to be in future.

Ideally, you should use a productivity coach when you are committed to changing your business and life for the better.

Where can you find a productivity coach?

You can find productivity coaches in a variety of places.

Of course, you can certainly conduct a search for a productivity coach online by doing a search in an internet browser. But that’s just only one way.

Here are some ways to find a productivity coach that you may not have previously considered.

Ask people you know for recommendations

One way to find a productivity coach is to tap into your professional and personal network. You might know someone who knows of a productivity coach or might know someone who does.

You can ask friends, business contacts, colleagues, mentors, and others in your profession, industry, or career. A quick conversation, be it a phone call, email, or text message, might be your lead in finding a productivity coach.

Attend in-person and online events, webinars, trainings, and presentations

Many times you can find a productivity coach right when they are sharing their knowledge and teaching others. For instance, I’ve presented webinars for SCORE on the subjects of productivity and time management for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Check social media platforms, newsletters, chatrooms, or inquire with your professional or business associations for any upcoming events. And if none are offered, ask if they would be wiling to host an event with such a coach. You never know if you don’t ask!

Read productivity coach articles, books, and blogs

Another handy way to find a productivity coach is to do some reading. Not only will you learn more about a particular subject, but you’ll get a better feel for how a productivity coach approaches productivity.

If you like what you read, there may be a chance you’ll be interested in working with the productivity coach in a 1:1 setting.

For instance, I wrote about productivity, time management, and work-life balance in my column for Inc.com. There’s lots of articles here on my blog where you can a sense of how I present information to people.

I’ve had clients say to me, “I was reading some of your articles and I really like the way you approached the subject of productivity.” That got them interested enough to set up a strategy session with me.

If you’re looking for more ways to find a productivity coach in today’s digital world, check out my article to learn more about finding a productivity coach online.

How to hire a productivity coach

Hiring a productivity coach can be an exciting endeavor. But how exactly should you go about the process to find a coach that is complimentary to your personality, needs, and goals? Let’s take a moment to address common concerns about productivity coaching.

One thing can you do right away is to consider where you’re having difficulty in your productivity levels in your business or life. And this doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out affair. Even taking brief 15 minutes to think about this can be helpful to help you organize your thoughts.

Your productivity coach will most likely ask you more questions when you meet with them. However, when you start the process yourself, that can help you formulate questions to ask the coach when you meet with them.

Secondly, if you’re researching a productivity coach, be sure to take a look around their website or social media profiles. You’ll learn a lot more about their approach towards coaching and what to expect should you decide to work with them.

The frequently asked questions or FAQs sections on a website can also be helpful when it comes to having your questions answered. Of course, don’t forget about sending an email or a message if you have a particular question that wasn’t answered.

Thirdly, if you’ve come across a coach that is of interest to you, you can book a free strategy session or discovery call. This initial call with a coach to help you learn more about them, to see if you’re a good fit, and to learn more about their programs.

What questions can you ask a productivity coach?

Thinking about working with a productivity coach?

Here’s some basic questions you can ask when you’re interviewing productivity coaches.

• What’s your approach towards productivity?
• How do you work with clients?
• What’s a typical client engagement like?
• What do you expect from your clients?
• When would we meet for our sessions?
• How often would we meet for our sessions?
• Are sessions in-person or via phone or video?
• What are your packages?
• What’s included in each package?
• What’s the investment (price) for your packages?

Of course, feel free to brainstorm your own questions.

Remember, the more questions you ask, the more informed you’ll be when it comes to selecting a productivity coach.

FAQ: What is a productivity coach?

Conclusion

Productivity isn’t about doing more, working longer, or forcing yourself into rigid systems that don’t fit your life. It’s about understanding how you think, work, and make decisions. It’s about creating structure that supports you instead of exhausting you.

A productivity coach helps you step back, get clarity, and develop realistic strategies that align with your natural working style. With the right support, productivity becomes less about pressure and more about intention, consistency, and ease.

If you’re ready to stop feeling scattered and start working with clarity and purpose, my Productivity Strategy Session is the perfect place to begin.

Rashelle Isip Productivity Coach and Founder of The Order Expert®

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity coach, consultant, and founder of The Order Expert®. With over 15 years of experience, she helps entrepreneurs and executives replace the "hustle and grind" mindset with one of "ease and flow." Rashelle is a former contributing columnist for Inc.com and Lifehack.org, and has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, and NPR. She is the author of four books, including The Order Expert’s Guide to Time Management. When not helping clients master their schedules, she enjoys scouting for practical, well-designed office supplies. Learn more at TheOrderExpert.com.

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Productivity coaching Mindset-driven productivity Work-life balance Organization systems Productivity for entrepreneurs Time management