If you search the internet, you will find many life coach training courses on offer. In theory, anyone can become a life coach with the proper training. However, there are a number of things that are important to being a great life coach. Both as a person and in the management of a successful coaching business. Here are 5 general aspects of coaching that a good coach must adhere to.
Your life coach training should teach you communication skills
Many people think that to become a life coach, you simply need to be a good listener. Learning to be a great coach is about much more than being a dying aunt or listening to people vent. Listening is obviously a very important part of coaching and the coach should listen much more than talk. The 80/20 rule applies. Listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. The coach must be able to hear what the client is saying and not saying. They should notice what the client is saying verbally and non-verbally. The coach must be able to tell if the client is not congruent. That is, say one thing verbally and another non-verbally, or say one thing and do another.
Asking big questions
Listening itself is only a small part of understanding the communication that takes place between the coach and the client. The coach must also be clear and articulate in her questions. They should use open-ended and exploratory questions. Ask questions that move the client towards what they want and not simply to satisfy their own curiosity about what is happening. Questions should be based on what the client says and what the coach observes. They are not simply questions that sound good and have nothing to do with the problems in question. The use of questions in coaching is an article in itself and should be covered very well during a Life Coach training program.
A coach must be confident
Confidence is an important element in the management of any business and even more so in life coaching. Not only are you making business decisions, but you are also working with people who come to see you to help you with your problems. To be a great life coach, the coach must be able to confidently treat her clients. I often see in Life Coach training that new coaches get a little nervous when the client presents them with a "big" problem. It is as if the client does not know what to say to solve the client's problem.
This is interesting since it is not the coach's job to solve the client's problem. In such a case, the coach is there to help the client find their own way forward, with the possible solutions that the client presents. Therefore, the coach must rely on her abilities to help the client explore solutions for herself. Don't be nervous about problems that seem "insurmountable" to you as a coach.
A good coach must practice honesty and empathy.
As you can imagine, clients come to coaching with various goals and problems. It can be very difficult for some people to approach a life coach. If the coach is sincere in wanting to help the client, she will shine. This will help the client to feel more comfortable and at ease. This is much more conducive to getting results than someone who may feel like they are being judged by the coach.
As a coach, it is important to understand that the client may be moving out of their comfort zone and stressed as they move towards their result. Having empathy and allowing the client to move at their own pace will create much more rapport. Imagine a gay customer who is in the process of coming out of the closet to tell his family. Having a coach who is not sensitive to what the client may be going through can create more stress for the client.
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