What does it take to be a great coach?

TRUSTING your new coach- What it takes to be a great coach?

The past two weeks I have written about TRUST and what it takes to trust someone and to be trusted. Let’s apply that to what I do as a coach and supervisor.  What characteristics are needed? Authority, Authenticity, Integrity and Empathy.

Authority:

Are you “able to do the job well”?  That is what authority means and it includes these things.

A good business coach needs skills, all the skills needed to be a coach: 

·      questioning skills

·      listening skills (active listening, I mean)

·      feedback and mirroring skills

·      observe and say what you observe

·      interpret and tell your hypotheses to the client(s) 

·      concrete communication

·      goal setting

·      provide structure for the process

·      rapport building, including finding things in common

·      various methods that are appropriate for the situation (see the theory below)

A good coach also needs knowledge (the theories based on psychology, neuroscience and other social sciences and pedagogy) and know-how (how to put the theories into practice), experience (life-experience, and also business management know-how/experience is especially helpful).  The list of tools I use is ever-growing.  Thus, I take time to review them and “re-learn” them every so often.

Besides Authority, coaches also need to have these characteristics: 

Authenticity, Integrity, Empathy

This begins with personal-awareness skills: self-awareness, self-management, and knowing that your own reactions are part of the method of coaching (and supervision).  You as the coach are the most powerful “tool” and intervention.  When you know who you are and what you can (and cannot) do, you are authentic.

When you present yourself as who you really are, (what you see is what you get), then you have integrity.  People then can believe you and trust your word.

Also, personal values like unconditional positive regard and a curiosity of others that allows you to ask real questions are key to a best-practice kind of coaching model.

All of this leads to Empathy, which is a MUST for coaching and supervision.  Without an unconditional positive regard and empathy for your clients you will always be judging them and there will be not good way forward. You will fail.  Thus, suspend judgement and get curious about the person who is in front of you, if you want to be the best coach.  If the coach you have hired does not show interest an in you as a person and does not show empathy. Fire the coach asap. Just saying.

So, what about you?  What does Authority, Authenticity, Integrity and Empathy look like for you and your profession?  How are you developing these characteristics (and skills) in your life?

Speaking of development, I have just completed my Cerny Smith Assessment Coaching training and can now help you to be coached on their stress and resilience test.  You get assessed and then I help you to do something with the test so you are more resilient in the present and the future.

Have a great week developing your character and skills.

Patricia Jehle               patricia@jehle-coaching.com