In the world of coaching, one of the most frequently asked questions is: “What makes a great coach?” If you’ve been searching for the answer to this question, too, then you’re in luck! In this article, I will share with you some of the common attributes that great coaches possess.
Professionalism
In order for you to be a great coach, one of the most important qualities you can attain is professionalism.
What does this look like, you ask?
Well, great coaches express their professionalism by NOT being concerned about themselves. They don’t allow themselves to worry about what the client may be thinking about them. They truly step into their professional self. Guess what happens when they do this? Instead of putting all of their energy into worrying, they put it into the client.
When you can learn to practice this level of professionalism, you’ll be able to confidently
focus your time and attention on your clients too.
Listening
Another attribute that will make you a great coach is the ability to listen.
When I say listen, I mean with both your ears and your mind. What I mean when I say to
listen “with your mind” is that you should learn to listen to:
- What Your Client Is Verbally Saying To You
- What Your Client Is Not Saying But Either Means Or Wants To
In other words, a great coach will learn to anticipate what their client’s needs are, even
when their client doesn’t know themselves.
Curiosity
A great coach is someone who will ask their client a lot of questions. Not just any
questions, though, they need to ask open-ended questions.
Why is this important?
To truly get into the heads and hearts of your clients, you’ll need to understand them. You can’t understand your client when they’re constantly only giving you “yes” and “no” answers to your questions. Open-ended questions will require your clients to elaborate on how they will answer your questions. You want to make them think!
Reflection
Another important attribute to being a great coach is something that you’ve probably not even considered – allowing time for reflection. As a coach, you should learn to be comfortable with silence. Don’t fear it. In fact, silence is often what will help your clients to go deeper into themselves.
Honesty
Being honest is always important, especially when it comes to your coaching relationships. How can your clients learn to trust what you have to offer them when you’re not being honest? They can’t.
You don’t need (or want) to be a people pleaser. Don’t say things that you think your client wants to hear. Rather, tell them what they need to hear – just be honest about it.
Mindfulness
It’s important to remember that there’s no need for you to chit-chat with your clients. As a responsible coach, the last thing you want to do is waste your clients’ time. A great coach takes their job seriously and only says what needs to be said in order to be mindful of their client’s time.
To be a great coach, you should know that your sessions are important and that they should hold a good coaching frame. How do you do that, exactly? By ensuring that your client gets the answers they need so that they can take action.
Step Into Greatness
When you apply these principles to your coaching, you will make your clients feel seen,
valued, and understood. Now you can have the confidence of knowing that you fall into the category of being a
“great coach”! Are you ready to grow even more with your coaching? Let’s connect for some private
coaching today!
