1. The way you listen.
As you know, the most important part of being a coach is the ability to listen. Through listening, a coach creates a platform for his or her clients; a stage where they can not only say and express their thoughts and feelings, but also hear themselves; a stage where the client and his life are the center of everything.
Listening is a talent that many see as a great tool for success.
During a coaching session our minds are constantly working, trying to pick up all that we can, the client’s body language, the client’s expressions, trying to pick up on the words within the words, reviewing the client’s words and comparing them to privies sessions. In order to do this the coach has to rely on his are hers listing skills, and that It is not an easy task, But, as a coach, I have found that the best coaching sessions were the ones in which I did no more than 10% of the talking.
So the first thing to do in order to be a better coach is to tune in to your client, listen only to him and not to your inner voices.
2. Being there each week
It is astonishing how much a person will get done just knowing someone is there to hold them accountable, knowing that next week they will be asked, “Did you do it?” Just by being there you are helping your clients achieve what is important to them. However, it must be stressed that much of the coaching process occurs between sessions rather than just within the session itself. Being there means creating a coaching “envelope” for your client for the days or weeks between sessions. There are many ways to achieve this, for example; e-mails affirming how proud you are of them, telephoning to ask “How’s it going?” text messages wishing your client a great day.
Prepare for each session, review any previous sessions, and look carefully for paradigms that may have been overlooked.
Relax before the session, clear your head of anything irrelevant.
Be there, for there is where it happens.
3. Be creative.
Creativity is one of the greatest tools for success in business and life.
A good coach uses creative tools in order to maximize his or her client’s potential.
Always be on the prowl for new creative tools.
Use metaphors, guided imagery, visualization techniques, and more.
4. Use your intuition.
Trust your intuition, it will serve you well.
Ask your client’s permission to share your thoughts. You will be surprised by the results.
At a coaching conference I attended, one of the leading speakers compared using our intuition to checking if the spaghetti is ready – you throw it on the wall and if it’s done it sticks. And when that happens the results are amazing.
Some coaches are afraid they will lose clients if they say something that might create an uncomfortable situation. You won’t! This is our job.
How can we expect our clients to take a dive, jump into the water, be fearless and courageous, if we won’t do the same?
5. Keep learning.
We never stop learning; for a “man becomes a master through his questions not his answers”.
Every new tool you acquire and add to your coaching tool box is an asset for you and your clients.
Enjoy.