Cathy Liska How do coaching skills serve professionals in other fields?
To help you see how coaching skills serve professionals in other fields, we asked business leaders and people managers this question for their best insights. From developing the ability to deal with crunch situations to learning to support colleagues and teams, there are several qualities of coaching skills that translate well and benefit professionals working in other professional fields. 
Here are 11 benefits of coaching skills for all professional fields:
- Develop Ability to Deal with Crunch Situations
- Achieve Work-Life Integration
- Broadens Perspectives
- Develop Persistence
- Cultivate Managerial Abilities
- Learn to Empathize
- Build Professional Networks
- Know How to Ask the Right Questions
- Uncover Challenging Experiences
- Identify and Remove Blind Spots
- Learn to Support Colleagues and Teams
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Develop Ability to Deal with Crunch Situations
Every coach who has been up against a tough opponent and led his team out of crunch situations knows that every bit of knowledge, experience, instinct, and foresight comes into play during these times. And at the risk of sounding overly dramatic, these plays and circumstances are no different from some of the situations that play out in boardrooms and workplaces around the world. This is why professionals in every field, irrespective of the industry they work in or the position they hold, can highly benefit from some experience with coaching skills or at least some insight into how it all goes down when everything seems to be going against the team but the option to give up is not even a consideration.
- Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.
Achieve Work-Life Integration
People who receive coaching take the time to identify their own priorities and seek to make them a bigger part of their lives. That, I believe, empowers individuals to achieve a better work-life balance. These people have higher levels of job and life happiness. This can be related to better self-care as well as greater alignment with their goals.
- Edward Mellett, Wikijob
Broaden Perspectives
One of the biggest advantages of coaching professionals within the workplace is the opportunity for an exchange of ideas and perspectives. Mentoring is the perfect opportunity to collaborate and share thoughts on topics related to your role and the industry you work in. The person doing the coaching stands to benefit just as much as the person they’re coaching and can even give them an idea of how to more effectively act as a mentor in the future.
- Matt Gehring, Dutch
Develop Persistence
Persistence is a key coaching quality that can be applied not only to different job fields, but to overall life. Everyone can benefit from working hard towards a particular goal, whether it be a professional or personal one. An adept coach is focused on completing a project and encourages others without getting discouraged. Coaches see obstacles not as challenges, but as ways to improve. Having persistence will motivate others to keep pressing forward despite potential difficulties.
- Jonathan Zacharias, GR0
Cultivate Managerial Abilities
When I counsel candidates with coaching skills, I encourage them to take a long-term view of their career. You may be applying for a non-managerial position, but companies tend to promote from within and want to see managerial potential. Great coaches make great managers. They identify potential in their subordinates and know how to help mold them into the best versions of their professional selves. Strong anecdotes and previous experience in using coaching for good can really make a candidate stand out and win a new job.
- David Patterson-Cole, Moonchaser
Learn to Empathize
Coaching skills are essential for professionals in all fields because they enable them to build relationships of trust with their clients or customers. Coaching skills help professionals to empathize with their clients, which allows them to understand their clients’ needs and desires. Professionals who can empathize with their clients are better able to provide them with what they need, which leads to happier customers and more successful businesses.
- Rick Elmore, Simply Noted
Build Professional Networks
Professionals with coaching skills tend to have more extensive networks. Your ability to educate colleagues and leaders within your field of expertise aids in building strong, trusting professional relationships. As you grow in your career, a strong book of contacts can act as a lifeline for new opportunities. After all, many co-founders meet each other by working side by side.
- Amrita Saigal, Kudos
Know How to Ask the Right Questions
Most people are focused on having the right ANSWERS. But, if you are answering the wrong question, the “right” answer does no good. A coach is trained to ask powerful, insightful questions. A great coach is an effective decision-framer. This is a very useful skill in almost any field. Asking yourself, your team, and/or your colleagues a relevant and useful question is an advantage.
- Emily Sander, Next Level Coaching, LLC
Uncover Challenging Experiences
Professionals often assume that they have to share many extraordinary stories with clients when they start their own business, however, in fact, what seems insignificant to us in other fields can be incredibly influential to use already acquired professional skills. Being able to uncover challenging experiences in the professional expertise and the things that went both wrong and right will give a baseline and opportunity in the other fields as an example if the problem occurs.
- Liudmila Schafer, The Doctor Connect
Identify and Remove Blind Spots
Professional and life coaches help their clients set and achieve goals. The best coaches can also help their clients break through limiting mindsets and inner blocks that hold them back. If the coach is truly honest and transparent, they should also point out a client’s “blind spots,” areas that a client needs to work on of which they are likely not aware.
Finally, a good coach will hold their clients accountable to the goals and action plans that the client lays out. Personal accountability is important because most people are challenged in keeping commitments to themselves. Coaching can help any type of professional be a better leader, improve their skills and reach new personal and professional heights.
- Jennifer Drago, Peak to Profit, LLC
Learn to Support Colleagues and Teams
So much of coaching is about encouraging your team, pointing out what they’re doing well, and working on what to improve next time. No matter what profession you’re in, you’ll always be asked to strategize, problem-solve and work with a team effectively. If you’ve got coaching skills, then you’ve got everything you need to successfully lead a team, join a team or create a team in the professional world.
- Tony Staehelin, Benable
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