7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach

Transcription

1 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach When it comes to coaching simple is not easy and often coaching can become complicated which sometimes makes it ineffective. All coaches aspire to be effective, skilful and accomplished. Often it is the simplicity of what a great coach does that makes them a master coach. Coaching is a little like watching a tennis match- outstanding coaching makes it look so easy, just like the worlds top tennis players make it look so simple. Yet, when we try and pull of a ninja tennis move it often doesn't work! It is important for you to make sure that you know how good coaching works so that you know the habits and patterns to look out for. Being aware of the things that aren t effective is also helpful, but nothing is more useful than knowing what makes a highly effective coach. These 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach are in no particular order and will assist you to find the right coach for you. We believe that coaching can have a significant impact in your personal and professional life and we also recognise the value of bringing the highest standard and level of professional standard to coaching. When selecting a coach it is important for you to have confidence in habits. This three page guide 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach is a practical tool to help you to find the right coach or mentor, one that you believe in and one that believes in you! Set out are questions you could ask a coach (or coaching organisation) to make sure that you have the right fit in terms of support, experience and approach. 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach 1. A highly effective coach understands the real purpose of coaching. Coaching is not just about supporting clients to find solutions to problems and then be an accountability partner for action taking. The purpose of coaching is not to generate action, but is actually to facilitate learning, insights and new awareness. If someone doesn't discover what is blocking them from taking action then any real push for action will not be effective. With new insights the action taken might not be the same as without insight, but it will certainly be more effective. The client is then also responsible for motivation and is developing their own abilities. 2. A highly effective coach grows, learns and develops as a coach.

2 Coaching is not simply doing a five day training course, it is a lifelong journey to develop and hone skills. A coach that realises that learning to coach is a life long journey Is more effective. There will always be something new to learn, knowledge to deepen, and a coach that continues to grow will enable their clients to do the same. 3. A highly effective coach knows how to listen. Everything in coaching hinges on listening listening of the ears and the eyes. The moment a coach stops to listen with both they stop being effective. Even in a phone coaching session it is possible to listen with the eyes because a coach should be listening for the blips, the small changes in the client and then a coach knows where to probe and ask further questions. This also enables a coach to ask the client questions so that they do not avoid subjects time and time again but face them head on. 4. A highly effective coach is professionally trained and has supervision. A professionally trained coach needs to meet a high standards and this means that they are able to give 100% to their clients and are assessed regularly for this ability. Maintaining codes of conduct will ensure that the relationship remains professional and also bring in other interventions if needed. It also ensures that there is no passing judgement, projecting onto the client, and focuses on remaining emotionally intelligent and self aware, thus serving the client to the best of their ability. Coaches with supervision are tested on how they are doing this! 5. A highly effective coach stays out of a client s way. Coaches should work on the clients agenda, not their own. It sounds simple but is an ongoing challenge for some coaches. Coaches should not be attached to being right, for making the clients problems their own or taking on responsibility for what the client does and doesn't do. The key job of a coach is to believe and trust in a clients ability to be resourceful and trust themselves within the coaching process. To be clear, a coach who tell you what to do or sets the agenda is being ineffective. 6. A highly effective coach tackles limiting beliefs. Removing assumptions that limit ideas and replacing them with a freeing idea which allows the mind and heart to explore so that it reaches ideas which are unimaginable is key. This is how to break

3 limiting beliefs in a client. A coach can do this in a number of ways but the most effective is the 3Ts technique. 7. A highly effective coach has a wide range of tools. A highly effective coach has lots of tools and techniques. Sometimes staying to ridged to one technique means that the coach is being ineffective. Sticking to one pet theory, or constantly using a tool because it's a favourite is not serving the client, which is what all effective coaches should be doing! These 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach are complemented by the 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client and should be engrained in all coaches. This is what helps a coach become unconsciously competent and confident and incredibly effective. It is what makes world class coaches stand out from the rest. This guide has been prepared by Saiyyidah Zaidi, founder of SZL and Member, Harvard University s Institute for Coaching, Certified High Performance Coach TM, Certified Business Coach TM. Other guides The 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Coach, The 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Client, and The Guide to Being Coached are available as part of The Growth Program by SZL (Saiyyidah Zaidi Limited). For further information, support, materials and information on coaching and mentoring please contact support@saiyyidah.com).

4 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client When it comes to coaching simple is not easy and often coaching can become complicated which sometimes makes it ineffective. All clients aspire to be coached effectively and be the star coaching client. Often it is the simplicity of what a great coach does that makes them a master coach. Coaching is a little like watching a tennis match- outstanding coaching makes it look so easy, just like the worlds top tennis players make it look so simple. Yet, when we try and pull of a ninja tennis move it often doesn't work! Coaching takes the innate skills that someone has and turns then into world class performance. It is important for you to make sure that you know how good coaching works so that you know the habits and patterns to look out for. Being aware of the things that aren t effective is also helpful, but nothing is more useful than knowing what makes a highly effective client and coach. These 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client are in no particular order and will assist you to find the right coach for you. We believe that coaching can have a significant impact in your personal and professional life and we also recognise the value of bringing the highest standard and level of professional standard to coaching. When selecting a coach it is important for you to have confidence in habits. This two page guide 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client is a practical tool to help you to find the right coach or mentor and enable you to be ready for coaching. 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client 1. A highly effective client is proactive. You control your life rather than letting someone else control or direct it. Awareness of this and the decision making you make is powerful at the start of any learning, coaching or mentoring relationship. 2. A highly effective client starts with their own personal leadership Personal leadership starts with simple (but difficult to implement) things such as sleeping well, keeping technology away from your bedroom, being hydrated, exercising and eating well. Focus on activities that will take you towards your goals and ambitions by taking care of your self and leading yourself first. 3. A highly effective client knows how to prioritise.

5 Everything in life hinges on what you prioritise. If you prioritise social media over other actions then you get the results if you prioritise actions over watching TV or social media then you get the results. With the help of your coach organise your daily tasks so that you prioritise what is important to you at this particular stage of your life. 4. A highly effective client thinks win-win. Co-operation is a highly effective skill. Work with your coach to help you to achieve the best of yourself and the best of others. 5. A highly effective client communicates well. By learning how to communicate you know how to understand first and then be understood. 6. A highly effective client co-operates. Coaching is not a then and us relationship, it is one where you are both working together on a set of goals. Co-operate with your coach by being honest, and co-operate with yourself by increasing your awareness of what you seek and being honest with yourself! 7. A highly effective client sharpens the saw. A highly effective client will continue to learn and develop spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. Keep asking your coach what new techniques there are out there, keep learning and discovering so that you grow personally and professionally. These 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Coach are complemented by the 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Client and should be engrained in all coaches. This is what helps a coach become unconsciously competent and confident and incredibly effective. It is what makes world class coaches stand out from the rest. This guide has been prepared by Saiyyidah Zaidi, founder of SZL and Member, Harvard University s Institute for Coaching, Certified High Performance Coach TM, Certified Business Coach TM. Other guides The 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Coach, The 7 Habits of a Highly Successful Client, and The Guide to Being Coached are available as part of The Growth Program by SZL (Saiyyidah Zaidi Limited). For further information, support, materials and information on coaching and mentoring please contact support@saiyyidah.com).