Cathy Liska 
Coaching certification programs provide tools for their student coaches to use. As their coach training advances, student coaches acquire more tools and also learn to create tools. The intention is to enhance both the coaching work and the results of the client.
As a starting point, before or outside of coaching sessions, various assessments are great tools. Assessments range from exploring personality to finding strengths, from measuring emotional intelligence to a 360, to name a few. When used, the administering of the assessment is done by someone certified in the particular tool. This may be the coach, it may be someone else inside a company, or it may be administered by an outside professional. Ultimately the depth of information creates awareness for a coaching client and opens up areas of focus.
In a coaching relationship it is incumbent on the coach to be aware of the various assessment tools and to be intentional in terms of whether the particular assessment adds value for the client. This means considering whether and which assessment makes sense.
The value of coaching after obtaining assessment results is that it supports the client focusing on where they want to create meaningful change, developing their strategies, implementing action plans, and moving forward proactively.
Assessments are one tool available to coaches. What else is available?
