Which skills matter to effectively coach?

A white is sitting in front of a computer talking to an older white male.
A white is sitting in front of a commuter talking to an older white male.
Which skills matter to effectively coach?

The International Coaching Federation, ICF, publishes Core Competencies for a coach. The Center for Coaching Certification programs are designed to develop and enhance these skills.

The Core Competencies, skills, to effectively coach are:
A. Foundation
1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice
2. Embodies a Coaching Mindset
B. Co-creating the Relationship
3. Establishes and Maintains Agreements
4. Cultivates Trust and Safety
5. Maintains Presence
C. Communicating Effectively
6. Listens Actively
7. Evokes Awareness
D. Cultivating Learning and Growth
8. Facilitates Client Growth

As the foundation for being a coach, embodying the coaching Code of Ethics and a coaching mindset are essential.  Setting and maintaining agreements ensures clarity of responsibilities and how the engagement is managed.

An effective Coach establishes trust, co-creates the coaching relationship, listens well, understands how to work effectively with different personalities, utilizes the power of language, asks questions, and adheres to a strict Code of Ethics and Core Values.

Coaching itself is a core skill for leaders. Additionally, people skills and communication skills are the number one deficiency in the workplace today. Coach training teaches and enhances these skills, offering you the opportunity to exceed expectations in your career field.  Diverse professionals enhance their skills, from sales professionals to attorneys and CEOs, from health care professionals to small business owners and NPO employees, from professional trainers or speakers to HR professionals. In short, anyone working in any industry, interacting with clients or employees, benefits from the skills developed in coach training.

The Center for Coaching Certification masterfully covers each of these topics in our training program, empowering you both to learn during classes and to apply this knowledge in trainer-supervised coaching sessions during your coaching practicum experience.  Participants tell us they begin using the techniques immediately and feel prepared to start coaching after finishing the first program.

Becoming a professional coach is a journey.  It starts with the initial training and continues with both starting to coach and continuing with training to earn a credential.  Earning your coaching credential offers three key benefits: credibility amongst your clients and potential clients, coaching tools and support, and professional development.

As with any profession, training makes sense. Ensure you have the skills and tools to step up as a certified, professionally trained coach who supports results for your clients!

Cathy Liska

For content specific to coach training and coaching, guest blog posts are welcome.

Most blog posts here are written or curated by Cathy Liska, Guide from the Side®, CDP, MCC.

Cathy is CEO/Founder of the Center for Coaching Certification, CCC. As Guide from the Side®, she is a sought-after trainer and coach with over 30 years of experience in business management and ownership. Cathy built her diverse team at CCC that includes trainers, customer service, and coaches. She was Co-Leader for ICF’s Ethics Community of Practice, on the Leadership Team for the review and updating of the Code of Ethics in 2024, and active in the Ethics Water Cooler. To ensure she stays current in related areas of expertise, Cathy has earned the following: ICF’s Master Certified Coach (MCC), Certified Coach Trainer, Certified Consumer Credit Counselor, Certificate of Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Grief Support Group Facilitator, Certified in the Drucker Self-Assessment Tool, Certified Apartment Manager, Certified Civil and Family Mediator, and Certified in DISC.

Cathy’s clients range from attorneys to corporate executives, government to nonprofit, entrepreneurs to children, under or unemployed to newly retired. She specializes in communication, management, conflict, and leadership. Her personal mission statement is “People.” Cathy is known for her passion to serve others so they achieve the results they want.

Podcast: https://www.coachcert.com/podcast.html

Publications: Coaching Perspectives (a series of books with chapters by coach training graduates) https://www.coachcert.com/resources/recommended-reading/coaching-perspectives-series-by-the-center-for-coaching-certification-and-more.html

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