People often start their journey into the life coaching field without knowing much about what they are getting themselves into. They might even realize too late that they don’t possess the skills necessary to effectively guide clients through their personal growth journeys.
There are several ways in which you can improve your coaching skills. These include improving the quality of your conversations; developing your communication abilities; and mastering your emotional intelligence. Take a look at these tips from Anthony Todd Johnson to help you develop as a life coach.
Table of Contents
1. What Do I Need?
- You need to have enough knowledge about the subject matter that you are going to coach and ensure that you know what is expected of you.
- You should be familiar with the client’s goals, strengths, weaknesses, and any previous experiences that they have had with the same issue.
- You also need to be able to listen closely to what your client is saying and then ask questions to explore further.
Being aware of how much time you have left before your meeting ends will help you to keep focused on the conversation at hand. You will also want to make sure that you have paper and pens handy so that you can take notes throughout the session.
2. Be Attentive
You should always try to remain calm when working with others. While it may seem easy to get distracted by other things, being attentive will show your client that you care about them and their situation. If you are having trouble listening, just focus on what your client is telling you and write down everything that comes out of his or her mouth.
In addition, whenever possible, don’t interrupt your client. When you do speak, remember to use positive words. A simple way to do this is to say something like “wow” or “I love that!” instead of saying “no,” suggests Anthony.
3. Don’t Overthink
Don’t worry if you cannot find the perfect solution for each problem that your client faces. Remember that it isn’t your job to fix everyone’s problems; it’s your job to work with them to achieve their goals. Also, don’t assume that you know exactly what your client wants. Make sure to ask some follow-up questions to ensure that you understand correctly. Finally, be prepared for your client to change his or her mind several times during the course of the coaching session.
This is normal and happens often in conversations where people have conflicting ideas about a topic. Your goal is not to argue with your client and win the argument, but rather to help him or her reach a decision that works for both parties.
4. Focus on Solutions
As mentioned above, don’t forget to focus on solutions. One of the biggest mistakes that coaches make is focusing too heavily on the negative aspects of a problem instead of looking at ways to solve the problem. By focusing on the negative side of things, you may actually cause your client to become discouraged and lose motivation. Instead, look for the positive sides of a problem and focus on finding solutions. Sometimes, a person might not even realize that he or she has a problem until someone else points it out. So, look for small changes first and then build upon those changes, says Anthony Todd.
5. Keep Your Eyes Wide Open
If you want to succeed as a life coach, you need to be willing to take risks. Often, people fail when they are afraid to take chances and put themselves out there. However, learning to take risks will lead to success in many different areas of your life. When taking risks, try to focus on the outcome and not the outcome. If you are worried about what could go wrong, you won’t be able to enjoy the moment. This will only slow you down and prevent you from reaching your full potential.
Conclusion
In essence, becoming a life coach isn’t a quick process. You’ll need to put in the time to build your skillset and gain experience. But once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll find yourself enjoying rewarding practice. Anthony Todd Johnson emphasizes that becoming a life coach isn’t about making money; it’s about helping others achieve their goals. So, what are you waiting for? Start living the life you’ve always wanted!
