As companies increasingly look to develop skills from within, coaching has become a necessary leadership skill. These 8 key abilities can help you when it comes to training, and also make you a better manager or leader. A coach's primary role is to assist their client in achieving specific goals, going through processes of change, and personal growth. The most important trait of any coach is that they want to help the person or people they are training learn.
A great coach does not consider themselves an expert with all the answers, but rather someone who supports the learning process. Communication is one of the most essential coaching skills. A successful coach has excellent communication skills and has invested in building a strong relationship with their clients as part of their training approach. They have found a way to use effective communication as part of their teaching technique.
Listening is a critical skill in business, yet it is not something we are formally taught growing up. If you take on the role of coach as a manager, you must learn to listen intently, without judgment or opinion. You should also pay attention to nonverbal cues such as body language. The next time you are in a meeting, observe how much you listen compared to how much you speak.
Additionally, take note of your own speaking-to-listening ratio. Asking questions, providing support, and challenging ideas are all key elements for success in training, mentoring, or parenting. The FUEL model developed by Zenger and Stinnett (20) provides a set of training pathways to guide the process. The first important coaching skill is the ability to obtain clear, achievable, well-defined and motivating objectives from your clients.
Studies on coaching skills interventions have also used feedback techniques and emotional intelligence training to help leaders improve their approach. Effective coaches make an effort to understand their communication styles and pay attention to the communication trends of their clients. Coaches can also use various learning and thinking models such as Myers-Briggs type indicators and have training and experience in various tools and techniques like psychometric testing or neurolinguistic programming (NLP). We don't seek hasty solutions, but instead give time to the person being trained to explore the problem in their own way.
Managers and leaders are beginning to recognize coaching skills as an essential addition to their personal effectiveness toolbox. Therefore, coaching leaders must consider how their practices will be linked to existing extrinsic reward systems: pay, time for personal projects, flexible work arrangements, etc., with the goal of achieving a balance that fits all. Coaches must be able to show empathy and be good at building relationships, including creating a good relationship.
