From time to time, everyone is a coach to someone in their lives. For some this happens more regularly than for others. It could be within a family, friend or work context. Perhaps if this is you, it’s worth thinking about if you have what it takes to be a professional coach. Here are 5 Qualities that great professional coaches have. Do you have some of them?
“I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.
Tony Robbins
Should You Consider Being a Professional Coach?
The starting point for anyone considering a coaching career is to ask if you like people and are you a people person. If you answer YES! to these two questions, then you are starting off in the right place.
5 Qualities of A Great Coach
1. Listen and Ask
Are you regarded as having good listening and communication skills? If people come to you to chat about how to solve a challenge or if a new opportunity is good for them, then you probably do. Coaching doesn’t require you to have answers. A great coach has the ability to listen and hear what someone is really saying. Then ask pertinent questions, which assist their client to see what they really want or need. This requires an aptitude for drawing people out their shells as well as having an empathetic ear. Thereby, helping a client to gain insight into a situation and be motivated to do what’s needed to move forward.
2. Helping to Catalyse Personal Growth
Change is exciting, although it can be daunting. Frequently those seeking to work with a life coach or business coach are at a crossroad in their life. At this point they are likely to benefit from having someone, with a neutral perspective, help them navigate their transition. As well as provide them with external encouragement and an accountability partner. Are you passionate about other people’s personal growth and development? Understanding how making a change has had a positive impact in your life, can ignite a passion to help others do the same. Many coaches start off as clients. They then realise that others could benefit from the lessons they’ve learnt on their own coaching journey.
3. Light at the End of a Tunnel
It’s common for individuals and organisations to hire a professional coach when they know that something has to change. However, they’re unsure, need guidance or encouragement to see what and how to take this step. Having a positive and proactive approach to things, and a solution oriented mindset, is important when helping someone make changes. Do you enjoy seeing people make changes that put them on a happier, more productive path? Can you remain upbeat while being empathetic? And is your enthusiasm catchy to those around you? These are invaluable traits when guiding someone towards leveraging their existing advantages to enact change. And to help them see latent options and possible solutions.
“A glass-half-full attitude is a great quality for a coach to have.”
4. Get up, Show up and Never give up
Are you self-motivated or do you wait for others to give the instructions? Essential to coaching is the ability to proactively seek opportunities, instead of waiting for them to present themselves. Do you tend towards being inquisitive and self-disciplined? Are you generally self-motivated to take the next step to move forward in life? If so, then you have the ingredients necessary to be a great coach. Basically, most coaches are entrepreneurs, which means you need to be self-motivated and have an internal drive to succeed.
“Being a professional coach can enable you to have your own business.”
5. Continual Learning
If you want to stay on top of your game as a professional coach, you will need to commit to a journey of lifelong learning. It’s also how you will continuously be able to make a positive difference in clients, and your own life. Thus, great coaches realise that success is a moving target and to stay relevant they must keep educating themselves. Accordingly, they seek out regular honest personal and professional evaluation. Thereby ensuring that they are constantly improving their skills and always moving forward.
Are You Ready to be a Professional Coach?
If these qualities describe who you are then you might be well suited to a career as a certified coach. The South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) offers a range of coaching courses within the Management and Leadership Facility. To find out more about how you can enter this life-changing field, enquire now or enrol online today.
FAQ:
1. What are some of the Qualities of a great Coach?
A great coach has excellent listening and communication skills. They are positive and upbeat, with a can-do attitude in life. They enjoy continuously learning, have grit and are self-motivated. And very importantly, they like people and want to make a positive impact in other’s lives.
2. How many types of coaching are there?
There are 5 categories of professional coaches: Executive, Career, Skills, Relationship and Personal. Within these 5 categories people can choose to have a coach who focuses on Life, Business and Organisational Coaching.
