{"id":21919,"date":"2024-03-20T10:25:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/?p=21919"},"modified":"2025-10-20T10:57:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T15:57:01","slug":"how-to-be-a-better-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/coach\/blog\/how-to-be-a-better-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be a better coach: 21 strategies for delivering breakthroughs"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

All coaches are on a continuous learning curve, no matter where they are on their journey. If you, too, are wondering how to be a better coach, here are a few fundamental skills, techniques, and questions you can incorporate into your practice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Essential skills every coach must have<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Skilled coaches do not consider themselves experts who can solve every problem or answer every question a client asks. Instead, they play a supporting role to help the client reflect and learn.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Discover how to be a better coach at work and beyond with these essential coaching skills<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1. Show empathy<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This skill helps you, as a coach, to connect better with your clients, build trust, and help them achieve their goals faster. Acknowledge and validate their emotions, and let them know that it’s okay to feel the way they do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You can also share your own experiences or struggles if they’re relevant to your client\u2019s situation. Just remember that the session is about the coachee; you\u2019re simply there to guide them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2. Stay curious<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Curiosity allows you to step away from your current beliefs and engage with clients from an objective perspective. Being genuinely interested in your client’s life experiences and perspectives is key to understanding where they\u2019re coming from.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s an attitude that helps you discover new possibilities and alternatives. It also turns you into a life-long learner. Whether it\u2019s coaching certification, courses, books<\/a>, or podcasts, you must never stop upgrading your coaching methods<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3. Identify strengths<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As a coach, you should be able to help clients identify their strengths. Even if clients may not recognize their forte, it\u2019s your job to help them understand it better.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This way, you can help clients discover their hidden potential and capitalize on their strengths.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4. Ask open-ended questions<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Although we usually approach problems with a desire to solve them, there may be more to the situation than meets the eye.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Keeping an open mind when talking to your clients is essential, and asking open-ended questions can help do just that. On the other hand, closed-ended questions can be answered with either \u201cyes\u201d or “no\u201d, which may not help your client see new possibilities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What does that look like? Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u00a0<\/td>\r\nOpen-ended question<\/strong><\/td>\r\nClosed-ended question<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Example<\/td>\r\n\u201cWhat would you do now if there were no obstacles in your path, and anything was possible?”<\/em><\/td>\r\n\u201cDo you want to succeed or stagnate where you are?\u201d<\/em><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

5. Practice detached engagement<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As a coach, it’s your job to use your expertise to help your client progress and grow. However, you need to understand that your client may not get the desired results despite your best efforts due to circumstances or a lack of dedication on their part.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do your best to get your client results, but don\u2019t get too attached to the outcome. Practicing a sense of detached engagement allows you to invest the required energy and effort into your work without being affected by what\u2019s outside of your control.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

6. Master active listening<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You should listen to both the text and the subtext of what the client is saying. Active listening<\/a> includes body language cues, the changes in their breathing, and the tone of their voice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sometimes a client says something, but their body language hints at something entirely different. You need to be able to pick up on these cues and let them inform your coaching process.<\/p>\r\n

\"Essential<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4 coaching techniques that you need to know<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let’s look at some of the most widely used coaching techniques<\/a> that can accelerate your work with clients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1. The Wheel of Life<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the most popular coaching tools is the Wheel of Life<\/a>, a technique that helps you measure the level of satisfaction your client has with their life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It lets you focus your coaching process on the areas that are most off-track while reinforcing what\u2019s already working well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2. The Life ECG<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Life ECG helps you understand the ups and downs of your client\u2019s life, as well as their values and strengths. All you need is a blank sheet and a pen. Here\u2019s what you do next:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Draw a horizontal line on a piece of paper and ask the client to describe their life in chronological order.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  2. Instead of mapping their entire lives, ask them to pick the three most important ups and downs.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
  3. Then ask them to explain why these were significant moments.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Listening to their reactions allows you to analyze their outlook on life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    3. The GROW model<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    The four alphabets in the GROW model<\/a> stand for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n