The 3 Cs of a great coach

Coaching has become a buzz word in recent years. It's the in way to work with staff, to work with clients or service users and the in way for schools to work with pupils, particularly the behaviourally challenged pupils.

At Striding Out, we believe that coaching is an ongoing relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their lives. Through the process of coaching, clients or coachees deepen their learning, improve their performance and enhance their quality of life. It's a non-directive relationship. Rather than instruct, advise or problem solve, the job of the coach is to ask questions, listen and empower.

The relationship between coach and client is key to the process.

What makes a great coach?

Commitment

The coach is committed to their client. This is shown in regularly in ways such as reliability and timekeeping. The client can rely on their coach to keep their word and to be there when they have agreed to be there.

Commitment is also shown in the coach being prepared to support the client through thick and thin. The client knows their coach is on their side and cheering them on. Even though the client might be tempted to give up on their goals and dreams, the coach will not gie up on the client. The coach believes in the client at their best.

Courage

The coaching relationship is unlike any other relationship. In order to get the best from the client, the coach speaks the truth and says what they notice. This could include challenging the client and might not be what the client wants to hear. Ultimately it is more important that the client gets results than the coach is liked by the client. This takes courage on the part of the coach.

Another part of courage is the coach using their intuition. Coaching can be helped by the coach sharing their hunches and gut reactions to a client. Even where the hunch is denied by the client, this process helps the client to find their own solutions. The coach is prepared to take risks for the sake of their client.

Curiosity

Curiosity can be seen as a negative thing, a twitching of net curtains noseyness. Yet in coaching, the coach’s very job is to be curious and ask questions.  These questions are open-ended.  They invite the client to look in a particular area without expecting any particular answer. These are not leading questions and the coach is not attached to the answers.  If it is not a fruitful place to look, the coach will ask a different question, maybe looking in a different direction.

Curiosity can be playful and full of wonder. For example “I wonder what you really want?”  “I wonder what it would be like for you to say “No” Curiosity creates a huge space and opens the coaching up to surprise. The client can discover their own answers and their own truth. Curiosity is safer than judgement and less stifling.

Article written by Rosalyn Clare, Striding Out, Business, Career & Youth Coach

Striding Out regularly runs courses in learning mentoring and coaching skills. If you would like to explore coaching or would like to gain coaching skills to impact others drop us an email at [email protected]