Honing Your Coaching Skills (and what to avoid)

Like anything else, coaching is a learned skill. What is the best way to learn? Dive in! By actually coaching, you can and will elevate your coaching practice. 

With consistent practice (coaching actual clients) you’ll achieve better results and greater client satisfaction. That’s a HUGE win for you as a business owner!

Here’s the thing: you don’t need to be a “master” at it. You just need to be one or two steps ahead of your clients.

Don’t overthink it. Just coach. Be willing to dive in and create the groups/courses, and to continue making offers. You improve your coaching skills by serving more people. You don’t need to be an expert. Clients come to you because you can help them solve a problem they are experiencing. 

One way to improve your coaching ASAP is to hire excellent coaches for yourself. Observe and learn from how they are coaching you. Observe how they help you unpack any problems or questions you’re facing.

At the same time, don’t fall into the trap of being the advice-giver. Instead, step back and really unpack your client’s questions. Chances are, there is a belief that is driving their question or problem, and that belief could be what is holding back your client. 

By giving advice, you’re potentially limiting an opportunity for a huge breakthrough. Clients already know the answers to their questions for the most part. 

Most of us have the natural instinct to give advice when faced with someone asking “”What should I do?” While there is a level of certainty in your answer, help the client unpack instead. 

Where did their question come from? Is there a belief about themselves that brought them to ask that question? 

Resist the urge to dive in with a straight-up answer. If you were to dive in with a piece of advice or to solve the problem for them, you could be unintentionally setting up your client for disappointment. Clients already know the answers to their questions for the most part. 

Ask more questions, continue to help your client unpack, and they will eventually coach themselves to their full alignment with themselves, their purpose, and their business. 

Instead of giving advice, lean into each client, even within groups. Find out what makes each person unique, and what makes their situation unique. Understand what they want from the coaching process. 

Doing so will relieve you of the pressure and expectation that you will be the one with all the answers and solutions. 

You’ll come away with stronger coaching skills through investing in high-level coaching and observing, learning, and implementing the skills you learn from your own coach. 

Never be afraid to dive in and actually coach, even in the beginning. Coaching is an evolving journey, and so are your skills.