A weekly check-in is a 30-minute call at the same time each week, where you tell your coach what you committed to, what you did, and what you'll do next. It's the core of Doin.ca's coaching. Most of the value of execution coaching comes from this one appointment, kept every week.
What happens in the 30 minutes
Every check-in follows the same order, so you never waste time wondering what the call is for.
- The kept list (5 minutes). You read last week's commitments and mark each one kept, partly kept or slipped.
- The honest reason (10 minutes). For anything that slipped, we find the real cause. "Too busy" isn't a cause; "two emergency jobs on Wednesday and I hadn't blocked Thursday morning" is.
- One small fix (5 minutes). We pick one change to make next week easier, such as a calendar block, a handoff or a smaller commitment.
- Next week's list (10 minutes). You commit to between two and five items, each sized to fit the week you actually have.
You leave with a short written note of your commitments, sent by text or email right after the call.
Who it's for
Check-ins suit owners who know what to do but lose the thread mid-week. If you've ever said "I'll get to it once things calm down", this is for you; things rarely calm down without help.
It works particularly well for:
- owners in seasonal businesses, who need to protect off-season projects before the busy months return;
- solo owners and very small teams, where nobody else will ever ask about the owner's work;
- new owners who bought or inherited a business and are juggling learning with running.
What's included
- One 30-minute call every week at a fixed time.
- A written commitment note after each call.
- A running record of kept and slipped commitments, which you can see at any time.
- A review every six weeks, where we look at the record and reset the action plan.
- Contact between calls by call, text or email. We usually reply within one business day.
Timeline
Check-ins start the week after your first conversation. The first four weeks are about building the habit; expect some slips and some discomfort. By weeks five to eight, most owners have a rough sense of their real capacity, and commitments become more realistic. After twelve weeks, the pattern of what you keep and avoid is clear enough to act on.
How progress is measured
We track three simple numbers, all from your own record:
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Commitments made per week | Whether you're overloading or underloading |
| Kept ratio | How much of what you promise actually happens |
| Repeat slips | Which items keep moving to "next week" |
A hypothetical worked example: an owner makes 4 commitments a week for 12 weeks, so 48 in total. Early on she keeps 2 a week; by the last month she keeps 3. That's a move from about 50% to 75%, and an extra 12 or so finished items over the period. Nothing about that requires a promise from us; it's arithmetic on her own list.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating the call as a status meeting. It's about your commitments, not a tour of everything happening in the business.
- Committing to please the coach. Promise what you'll do, not what sounds impressive.
- Skipping bad weeks. The weeks you want to cancel are the ones that teach you the most.
- Letting a repeat slip ride. Anything that slips three weeks running gets either broken down, handed off or dropped.
What a first check-in sounds like
The first call is gentle. We read your first week's commitments, talk through what happened and choose a realistic list for week two. Most owners are surprised by how short and specific it is. Nobody lectures; we just ask, listen, and write it down.
Getting started
Read how accountability coaching extends check-ins into a longer relationship, or try our guide on running your own weekly check-in. Retainer ranges are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What if I haven't done anything that week?
Then that's what we talk about. A blank week is useful information: something crowded the commitments out, and naming it is the first step to fixing it. Never skip a check-in because you're embarrassed; those are the most useful ones.
Can I move my check-in time?
Occasionally, yes. But a fixed time is part of how the habit forms, so we keep moves rare and agree the rescheduled slot during the call itself.
Is it a phone call or a video call?
Either. Many owners take it by phone from the truck, the shop or a quiet office. Video helps when we're looking at a calendar or a document together.
How long should I keep doing check-ins?
Give it at least two six-week cycles before judging. Some owners stop after that because the habit has stuck; others keep going for a year or more. There's no lock-in either way.