The second area of coaching core competencies from the ICF is covered here.
“Co-Creating the Relationship” includes Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client and Coaching Presence, defined in summary as showing genuine concern, demonstrating integrity, clear agreement and keeping promises, demonstrating respect for the individual client, provide ongoing support for new behaviors, asking permission, being present and flexible, use intuition, being open to not knowing and risk, know many approaches, use humor, shifts perspective, and demonstrates confidence working with emotions.
What does this mean to you as a professional coach?
When you are working with a client, demonstrate your focus on them and respect for them by recognizing their preferences. Understand their personality, their communication style, and the meaning they intend. Recognize whether your client prefers a logic or emotion focus, if they are passive or aggressive, and if they process visually, kinesthetically, or auditorially.
When you have coaching sessions, set aside everything else and focus completely on the client and the process. Enhance your communication with open interest and support, exploring the possibilities of different approaches.
Moving forward includes working with the emotions and adjusting perspective.
What are effective tools you use to enhance your coaching relationships for the clients?