Coaching is a powerful tool for helping people reach their goals and achieve success. It is a partnership between coach and client, and the quality of the relationship, the context of the client's challenges, and the individual characteristics of both the coach and the client all play a role in its effectiveness. To ensure that coaching sessions are successful, there are five essential components that must be present. The first component is the relationship between coach and client.
It is important that coaching is approached from an equal position when it comes to addressing the problem. This will help to develop a connection with the person, to understand their role and the challenges they face. Open-ended questions should be used to help the coach understand the situation surrounding the topic being discussed, rather than simply answering with a “yes” or “no” answer. The second component is planning.
Before the initial training session, the details of the training relationship should be discussed and agreed upon in a consultation. This will help to create a structure for the session, without negating its uniqueness. The third component is discussion. During the session, the coach should help the client develop more detailed answers to questions, rather than simply providing a “yes” or “no” answer.
This will help to advance to a deeper level of understanding on the subject. The fourth component is vision. The coaching process should be based on an interactive dialogue between the coach and client; one that discovers a vision, a new idea or action from the client. The fifth component is strategy.
A training plan should be proposed as a strategy to train clients to get from where they are to where they want to be. If there are multiple areas to work on, then it is important for the coach and client to determine where to start.
