Although every coaching relationship will be unique by design, you must develop high enough coaching competency to adapt to what each client needs. In order to be most effective it is important that you treat each individual coaching session with the utmost care. As the possibilities to earn unlimited income increase with each new client gained, it is easy to lose sight of the main reason you decided to become a professional coach.

 

In order to ensure a lasting impact is made, it is critical to remain focused on the pure purpose of helping others to reach their goals, experience the rich fulfillment of investing in their future and ultimately becoming a better person.

What is Coaching Competency?

The basic definition of ‘competency’ is to be successful in producing an intended result (desired effect). Here are a few things to consider as you commit to enhancing your competence as a life transforming coach:

1) Be fully present in each coaching session.

How often do you come to a coaching session mentally distracted by the demands of life? Your client is paying for your undivided attention and to give them anything less is a disservice to the coaching profession. Imagine being on the opposite side of the coin and honestly ask yourself how would you feel?

At the basic fundamental level, our intrinsic human nature desires to be heard and understood. If you desire to increase the power of connecting with your clients it requires complete focus. During a space of silence, utilize the moment to repeat what has been voiced by your client.

Example:

“What I hear you saying is that you find accomplishing your goals while working a full-time job, being a mother of five and a wife to your husband who has been unemployed for several months.”

This is a reaffirming statement that communicates you are actively listening to what concerns them most at the present time.

2) Avoid becoming too emotionally involved.

As you invest quality hours of listening and engaging over the course of a specific time period be mindful of crossing emotional boundaries. Establish from the beginning of the coaching relationship a guideline of healthy expectations to follow. If or when those boundaries are violated, review the initial agreement.

How often should the client expect to hear from you and in what format? If you start off contacting them 3 times a week and suddenly decrease interaction to twice a month outside of their regularly scheduled one on one session they may feel slighted.

Additionally, it is necessary to refrain from outbursts of frustration towards your clients when they are having a difficult time articulating intimate needs or seem to be stuck in the process. Blowing a gasket due to impatience is a very unprofessional disposition to display. In that very second, the safe haven they felt comfortable retreating to becomes jeopardized.

Remember this formula:

Clear Expectations + Clear Communication = Clear Outcome

3) Allow the client to discover their next steps.

It is essential to refrain from using disempowering language. You are not a dictator but a motivator providing non judgmental guidance towards a specific end result. Oftentimes, a client may begin to feel a sense of overwhelm after being inundated with assignments to complete in between sessions.

If you place upon your client an unrealistic deadline to accomplish a goal and they fail to complete it before the next scheduled session how do you think that will affect their internal confidence? A more effective approach would be to allow them to determine what they desire to accomplish and break the goal into five small steps. As they work at their own pace, upon their next visit they can boldly report definite progress.

In addition, the client loses confidence in your coaching abilities when you instruct them to accomplish a goal yet fail to hold them accountable to it before quickly assigning another goal to achieve. You will leave them unsure of your leadership capabilities and they will lack clarity necessary to execute properly.

4) Listen more than you speak.

Do you remember being in school and hearing your teacher say, “Put on your thinking caps?” In the wonderful world of coaching I encourage you to open up your ears to hear what your client is saying. Every coaching session must be tailor made to suit the specific issues of the present moment. If your client is grieving the loss of a loved one, the approach may be more tender and empathic than normal. Imagine them softly saying, “What I need right now is?”

I remember experiencing a coach take up most of the session talking incessantly about themselves and only to state repeatedly, “This is not about me this is about you” I wasn’t so certain based on the actions being displayed. If you plan to divulge information regarding self or others make certain it is relevant to the topic of discussion. Listening is a beautiful act of selflessness and your clients will genuinely appreciate and value the honor of being respectfully heard.

5) Create a customized and detailed follow up between each session.

At the heart of coaching is the art of caring for others, creating impactful outcomes and changing paradigms. If you desire to coach at a higher plane of efficiency it is vital that you have a follow up plan in place that is geared to meet each individual’s specific needs.

To clarify my point, if Susan is having difficulty managing her time in lieu of a multiplicity of responsibilities as a leader, she may not be inclined to read a generic email sent to all of your subscribers or watch your latest, “How to fly high!” video on YouTube.

When you focus on delivering QUALITY CLIENT CARE by checking in frequently to see if your client is steadily progressing towards their goals, your effectiveness increases significantly.

If you desire to provide the best service possible, monitor your own work/life balance, invest in a mentoring coach who can sharpen your skill set, avoid taking on more clients that you can adequately handle and always remember the power to influence others must never be abused or taken for granted. Someone has entrusted you with the most intimate parts of their life. Treat their heart and mind as fragile cargo and don’t forget to handle with care.

Kristie Kennedy
Women’s Transformation and Small Business Coach

Kristie Kennedy, Women’s Transformation and Small Business Coach provides simple success strategies to overcome everyday challenges, internal conflicts and confidence killers.  http://www.kristiekennedy.com