To the non-practitioners, it might seem coaching is like any other profession, but it is so much more than that. I have learned that while on the job, practicing for almost seven years now. It’s a profession where you need to constantly evolve your skills and your inner qualities. These qualities or rather habits define your journey and progress in professional coaching. It is the foundation of your coaching experience.
I am sharing my experiences as a coaching practitioner and the habits that I cultivated through the years in this blog. Hopefully, it will be of great insight to my fellow practitioners and new or aspiring coaches.
Journaling
I have found journaling to be both cathartic and beneficial for my coaching practice. As I made each entry in my journal, I could realize my strengths and shortcomings in professional coaching. Got some breakthrough moments, especially when undertaking a complex session. It helped me to:
- Identify the patterns in coaching practice.
- Conjure creative solutions for addressing the clients.
- Name, track and celebrate my coaching goals.
Multiple Products
Initially, I did stick to the conventional one-to-one coaching processes until I felt the need to diversify. I started offering a mixed-bag of coaching services that would fit the needs of varied clients. I even started conducting group sessions. The result was rewarding to both my clients and me. The more you diversify in your niche, the more you learn and advance in professional coaching and facilitate extraordinary experiences.
Recognize Expertise
What is the one area that you excel as a coach? Your niche. Identifying and nurturing that is equally important. For me, my niche has always been life coaching since the day I started my training in professional coaching. It was where my expertise and experiences come in handy. I came to realize this after conducting several sessions in different niches while working with several clients. It helps you understand who you want as a client and who you don’t. Nevertheless, you should keep trying all the other facets and find your niche, no matter how bizarre it appears initially.
Listen as you coach
Listening is the key to being a good coach. Listen to your own coaching conversations often. You can listen to them after the session ends. Listen to them again after some time or preferably the next day as an observer. You’ll discover where you move out from the coaching zone, was the client’s agenda followed, where you interrupt the client. I mostly reviewed them with my mentor coach against the ICF Core Competencies in my initial days.
Continuous Learning
Learning is a continuous process in coaching, be it learning about Finance or taking a course on being a host – all the new skills I learned (and still learning) help me to grow my coaching business. My fellow practitioners who have been in this profession for a long would understand this. Always dedicate some time to your learning and improvement of knowledge. It helps you become a better coaching practitioner, a better business person.
Keep Coaching!
Your professional coaching journey starts with the institute where you enroll to get your certificate as a practitioner. For me, it was the Coach Transformation Academy. They are one of the leading coach training institutes, with validated modules and curriculums accredited by the ICF. If you are interested in becoming a coach, you can initiate that process by getting in touch with the CTA support team for a consultation before enrolling in one of their courses. Hope this blog will help you in some way!
