Coaching practices for Show Then Do

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Show Then Do, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I make perfectly sensible plans but they sit there feeling optional, with no real fire behind them
• I hand someone a task but spell out exactly how I’d do it, then pick at every little way they did it differently
• I tend to lock in on a decision the moment the first result looks good and just stop there, and I want to actually keep going
• I have these clear insights about what I should do differently, and then the moment passes and nothing changes
• I can see exactly the moment I’m going to slip

Practices that may help

1. If–Then Planning, Made Practical
   If–then plans (also called implementation intentions) specify in advance how you will respond to the specific situations that typically derail your goals: "If situation X occurs, then I will do Y." A meta-analysis of 94 studies found a medium-to-large effect on goal attainment — one of the most reliable single techniques in goal-setting research.
2. Combine mental contrasting with an if–then plan (MCII)
   Fantasize about success, then vividly imagine the key obstacle, then write the if–then — the sequence matters.
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
3. Delegate the outcome, not the procedure
   Define what "done" looks like and why it matters, then leave the how to them.
   Effective Delegation, Made Practical
4. Ask “and then what?” three times
   Don’t stop at the first consequence — follow the chain at least two steps further.
   Second-Order Thinking: And Then What?
5. Plan a concrete experiment to test your new principle
   Close the loop by deciding specifically how you will apply the extracted lesson next time.
   Structured Reflection: Kolb’s Learning Cycle in Practice
6. Form an if-then plan linking the obstacle to a specific response
   "If [obstacle occurs], then I will [specific action]" — this plan is what converts mental contrasting into behavior change.
   Mental Contrasting and WOOP
7. Demonstrate the target performance before demanding it
   Show what success looks like before asking the learner to produce it independently.
   Scaffolding: The Art of Temporary Learning Support
8. Set if-then implementation intentions for goal behaviors
   Specify when, where, and how you’ll act — not just whether you intend to.
   Hyperbolic Discounting — Why Future You Always Gets the Short End
9. Specify the when and where for every goal action
   "I will do [behavior] at [time] in [location]" — specificity creates an automatic trigger.
   If–Then Planning, Made Practical
10. Plan–Do–Study–Act: Deming’s Loop for Personal Improvement
    The Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle is a four-step iterative method developed by W. Edwards Deming: form a hypothesis, run a small test, study what actually happened, then act on the lesson before cycling again. Originally industrial, it applies directly to personal skill-building: it replaces vague "try harder" with small, testable experiments and forces honest assessment of results.

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