What Is a Productivity Coach? Definition & Key Concepts

Are you struggling to finish projects, manage your workload, or stick to your goals? Do you wish you could get more out of your day and maximize the hours spent at your desk or creative workspace? If any of that resonates, it may be time to hire a productivity coach.

What Is a Productivity Coach?

A productivity coach is someone who helps individuals increase their overall productivity in both work and life contexts, often by focusing on time management, habits, and behavioral changes.

Through productivity coaching, a client works one-on-one with a coach to unpack what’s already working, what isn’t working, areas for improvement, roadblocks, goals, and plans for improving the future. A personal productivity coach then helps the client implement new strategies and adopt new habits to increase productivity, all while holding them accountable during each step of the process.

How Does Productivity Coaching Help Entrepreneurs and Business Owners?

Entrepreneurs and business owners often face unique challenges, including decision fatigue, packed schedules, and managing a team while balancing their personal lives. A productivity coach steps in to mentor and guide these individuals with tools specifically designed for their fast-paced lives, such as:

• Time Management Assistance: Learn techniques like time blocking or delegation to spend less time on non-critical tasks.
• Critical Decision-Making: Use coaching sessions to work through important business decisions strategically.
• Personal Productivity Focus: Take control of your day with tailored productivity hacks and effective prioritization strategies.
• Stress and Burnout Management: Foster well-being by identifying and navigating triggers of burnout.

Who Should Hire a Productivity Coach?

Productivity coaching can benefit anyone hoping to increase their productivity, whether you have major career aspirations or personal goals that require efficient and focused attention.

We’ve all been there. Life gets in the way or our to-do lists spiral out of control, leaving us overwhelmed and unsure how to get back on track. As far as who should hire a productivity coach, those who get the most value from the experience are:

• Struggling to manage their time effectively
• Having difficulty prioritizing tasks
• Finding it hard to stay focused and motivated
• Facing challenges caused by procrastination or other habits
• Dealing with life circumstances that create distractions

Note that, for most people, the challenges in the list above are not quick and simple fixes. Challenges related to productivity ebb and flow, impacting us at different, often unpredictable, times in our lives and careers.

Maybe you’re a mother who wants to be more productive at work so you can spend more time with your kids. Or maybe you run a website and your desire to operate your blog more efficiently inspires a goal to boost your overall productivity. Perhaps you’re trying to get more out of your workout routine by increasing your output in the gym. There’s no shortage of examples when it comes to who might want to try productivity coaching.

Regardless of the circumstances, coaching should be viewed as a long-term complement to a well-balanced lifestyle. It is not a solution that magically makes things better in a matter of days or weeks!

3 Key Benefits of Working with a Productivity Coach

As with all coaching engagements, the benefit entirely depends on the specific individual. However, some common patterns exist in relation to productivity. At a)plan, we’ve successfully coached hundreds of individuals who have improved their habits, focus, productivity, and more. Here are a few benefits we consistently observe.

1. Room for New Thinking

Sometimes a fresh perspective makes all the difference. If you’ve tried to improve your relationship to productivity on your own to this point, chances are you’ll find value in simply sharing that journey with a coach—someone who brings new perspectives and ideas to the table.

A great productivity coach inspires their clients to look at the whole picture. This involves unpacking inhibitors of growth, revisiting goals, analyzing habits, and considering the intersectionality of our lives and careers. 

At a)plan, we often talk about our whole-person coaching approach, which was inspired by the reality that all of our lives are intersectional: when something isn’t working in one area of life (e.g., a struggling marriage), it directly impacts another area (e.g., focus at work). A whole-person coach can help clients identify all the potential forces and influences impacting productivity.

2. Habit Change Within Reach

Piggybacking on the previous benefit, analyzing habits could be the direct result of a coach offering a new perspective. Luckily for clients, it’s not just about analyzing habits. A coach helps their clients keep the good ones, ditch the bad ones, and develop the much-needed ones.

Habit change is incredibly difficult, but it’s often the most influential variable impacting productivity levels. With a resource like a)plan, clients gain round-the-clock access to their coaches (unlimited texting and app access) and weekly one-on-one coaching sessions. This high-touch approach makes habit change and habit development much more accessible. As a result, a)plan clients consistently experience powerful transformations and breakthroughs.

3. Your Personal Accountability System

We’ve explored the value of adopting new thinking and habits in efforts to enhance productivity. But none of that matters in the absence of consistency and accountability. That’s why a productivity coach’s role as an accountability partner is so critical.

Through regular sessions, encouragement, and course corrections, your coach becomes your personal accountability partner—a second person who is equally invested in your success. In fact, a coach’s only agenda is your success and fulfillment. That means they’ll do whatever it takes to keep you on a path toward those outcomes.

Productivity Is an Output, Not an Input

It’s a fundamental tenet at a)plan that a topic like productivity cannot and should not be analyzed in a vacuum. Productivity is an output, a result of many other inputs. Are you sleeping well? Fulfilled in your personal relationships? Challenged at work? Lacking inspiration? These and other questions represent inputs that directly impact productivity levels.

To understand productivity as an output is to understand the value of whole-person coaching. To truly unlock new levels of productivity, we must first understand all the various factors that impact it. From there, we can begin to reap the benefits mentioned previously.

One common misconception is that productivity coaching only impacts professional performance. However, clients often notice significant improvements in their personal lives as well. We help our coaching clients:

• Build a workspace promoting clarity and focus
• Create new habits for wellness and balance, such as consistent exercise or digital detoxes
• Enhance relationships by better managing time for personal connections
• Design systems to juggle daily life, house chores, or even parenting responsibilities without overwhelm

Leveraging Productivity Tools and Automation with Your Coach

A good productivity coach doesn’t just focus on behavioral changes; they also recommend actionable tools to streamline your work. Here are some tools coaches often help clients integrate:

• Task management platforms like Trello, Asana, or Notion for easier project management
• Automation tools like Zapier to optimize repetitive workflows
• Writing and note apps such as Obsidian or Evernote to organize ideas
• Focus apps like Forest or Freedom to minimize distractions

By leveraging these tools under the guidance of a coach, you can create sustainable systems to tackle your to-do list efficiently.

Productivity Coaches at a)plan coaching

Since all 75-plus a)plan coaches are closely vetted and trained, our entire business coaching team is equipped to coach clients through our whole-person approach. Topics like productivity, motivation, and efficiency are some of the most common focuses within a whole-person coaching lens; therefore, nearly all a)plan coaches have experience unlocking improved productivity for their clients.

To begin working with a seasoned productivity coach, life coach, or leadership coach at a)plan, tell us about your situation through our coach matching survey. You’ll receive three coach recommendations based on your specific preferences and needs, plus the opportunity to have a free initial session with the coach of your choice. You’ll also have the chance to speak with us directly for a more personalized matching experience, and we’ll be happy to help you find your perfect coach.

FAQs About Productivity Coaches

Are productivity coaches worth it?

Absolutely. Productivity coaches provide tailored strategies and tools to help individuals and teams overcome productivity challenges. Whether it’s time management, goal setting, or overcoming procrastination, their expertise can transform workflows and increase productivity.

Why hire a personal productivity coach?

If you’re struggling to stay organized, juggle multiple responsibilities, or adhere to a plan, a personal productivity coach can provide valuable assistance. With personalized coaching sessions, they hold you accountable, streamline your task management, and optimize your time for getting things done effectively.

Can a productivity coach help with time management?

Yes! Time management coaching is one of the most in-demand areas for productivity coaches. They guide you in implementing techniques such as time blocking, prioritizing tasks, and building habits that enable you to work smarter, not harder.

What skills should a good productivity coach have?

A skilled productivity coach should excel in:

• Task management strategies
• Communication and motivational coaching
• Workflow optimization
• Behavioral change and habit-building
• Personal goal setting and prioritization systems

What benefits can a productivity coach provide?

A productivity coach empowers clients to:

• Overcome procrastination
• Strike a better work-life balance
• Implement productivity tools, templates, and automation
• Manage burnout and promote wellness in both personal and professional life
• Achieve long-term goals while excelling in daily life

What are some helpful productivity tips?

Here are some common productivity strategies that clients learn during coaching programs:

• Time Blocking: Improve your workday by assigning dedicated time slots for specific tasks.
• SMART Goals: Break down long-term goals into specific, achievable, measurable, relevant, and time-bound steps.
• Decision-Making Matrices: Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance.
• Task Bundling: Save time by grouping similar tasks together for better flow.
• Workspace Optimization: Create an environment tailored to your type of work, reducing distractions.