• Blog
• August 4, 2024

Unveiling the Making of a Great Coach

This is a continuum to my earlier insights on what makes a good coach. So, what does a coach need to have to give good coaching experiences?

Knowledge

It is important for the coach to have sufficient knowledge in order to provide support when needed.  Whilst the essence of coaching is to guide the coachee towards self awareness and thereafter action, there will be times when the sharing of valuable insights can nudge the conversation into deeper territory.

Having a strong understanding of their coaching specialty, enables the coach to be more confident.  The domain speciality such as Career Coaching, Sales Coaching and Business Coaching entails different content.   It is not all about personal development although this is generally the layman’s view about coaching.

Positive Motivation

A good coach knows how to create an environment which is positive. There is energy generated from the smooth flow of the conversation. Being able to continually  motivate the coachee underscores great coaching.Milestones are celebrated with encouragement and positive feedback.  Setbacks are handled deftly with proactive deep exploration. as to what could have happened.  Again, all judgement must be suspended.  Despite the number of times the coachee may have failed to reach his goal, the coach must continue to have a positive mindset to motivate..  The words “you can do it !” is too cliched.  Persevering with the coachee on the journey to clarity and self awareness, involves more than those 4 words.

In essence, a great coach must instill confidence and motivate their coachee to stay focused whilst pushing forward.  In rough terrain, it is always one step at a time.

Adaptable

A coaching conversation cannot be designed ahead of time.  The coachee’s frame of mind and emotions on that day is affected by his surroundings and the people whom he interacted with.  A great coach has the ability to quickly sense the situation by being adaptable and asking appropriate questions.  Emotions are not something which can be hidden away in a box and taken out at a later time. Not many people have the ability to keep a lid on how they feel.  It will show.

Being able to quickly adapt the session’s approach is something which can be learnt over time when the coach gathers more experience.  Engaging different moods effectively makes each conversation unique.

By embodying these 7 qualities, a great coach can empower his coachee to reach his full potential and achieve fulfillment.

Here's my take on what makes a good coach. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!

by IAC Masteries Practitioner, Coach Lim Poh Chin, MACC Writer