With the influx of folks becoming coaches it’s important for those interested in not only becoming a coach but also those interested in using a coach to know what skills are important for the prospective coach to have.A lot of people call themselves coaches when in fact they take on more of a consulting role with their clients. True coaching includes these skills:

1. Design an Alliance – the coach works with the client so the client can design their alliance to the work. It’s up to the client to decide how their coach can best support and serve them while holding them accountable.
2. Accountability – a coach will hold a client’s feet to the fire, so to speak. The coach holds the client accountable that they will do what they say they will do between sessions. Even if the client doesn’t complete their tasks at hand, the coach will work with that client towards taking responsibility as to why they didn’t complete the work – all done in a caring and understanding way.
3. Adopt the Client’s Agenda – the coach comes to each session impartial and without judgment. It’s all about the client and never about the coach. The coach doesn’t give answers but assists the client in finding the answers themselves.
4. Highlight the Positive – the coach seeks out the client’s strengths and draws attention to them through the coaching process. The coach is the client’s cheerleader and best supporter, helping them stay optimistic and on track with their goals and promises.
5. Challenging – the coach challenges the client to extend themselves out of their comfort zone and into bigger and better. The coach helps the client move through and past any self-imposed limits.
6. Holds the Focus – often the client gets distracted when feelings and situations intimidate them and pull them off track. The coach helps maintain the focus to keep the client on track and on purpose.
7. Inquiry – the coach is always in a place of inquiry and curiosity with the client. This inquiry doesn’t come across like an interrogation but an interested wonderment at what’s going on – allowing the client to open up to deeper understanding of themselves.
8. Clarity – anytime there is anything nebulous or gray, the coach will ask for clarification, drilling down to the client’s bottom line. Sometimes it requires re-framing a phrase or statement or having the client become more articulate about what they are saying. Each point of clarity takes the client deeper into insightful knowledge of themselves.
9. Forward the Movement – the coach works with clients who are ready and eager to take their life, career, or relationship in a better direction. The coach helps to keep that direction moving forward, keeping the client from falling back into the past.
10. Powerful Questioning – the coach provides the open ended questions that powerfully deepen the client’s learning and shift them forward into actions needed to achieve their goals.
11. Requesting – the coach makes requests of the client – the client has the right to accept the request, deny the request or negotiate the request with the coach. All requests adhere to the client’s agenda and help them move towards their objective.
12. Truth Seeker – in every situation there is the client’s truth, the coach’s truth and THE truth. The coach suspends their truth, acknowledges the client’s truth and always allows for THE truth to come to the surface.
13. Reflective Listening – this is one of the most powerful skills a coach uses in with clients. The coach mirrors information back to the client to help the client increase and deepen their insight, clarity and understanding of themselves and the tasks at hand.

As you can see, the skills listed here are compelling and designed to help clients achieve their goals faster than they can do on their own. If you are aspiring to be a coach, pay close attention to these skills. If you are a client, watch for them when you are interviewing your prospective coach. The final achievement comes from these skills being used effectively and successfully!Author: Brenda ZellerArticle Source: EzineArticles.comUS Dollar credit card