By Simon Clarke

On most occasions, individuals that seek out coaching possess a demeanour that is conducive to a successful coaching relationship. However, every now and again coaches are presented with some challenging situations. It may be that a client has no idea of what they want or that they find it difficult to follow a plan or that they are simply unwilling to change.

The top five challenges that we believe coaches are likely to face are:

#1: A Lack of Commitment
Some people find it extremely difficult to commit to a cause, whether it has to do with work or life in general. One of the most effective strategies to encourage commitment is to build an individual’s drive and motivation. If a client finds meaning and purpose in what they’re doing, they’ll be motivated and willing to put in the hard yards to achieve their goal. A coach could assist a client achieve that drive and motivation by having the client draw a self-image that reflects the positive outcome of their coaching relationship.

#2: Procrastination
Procrastination is a common problem that can be a major stumbling block for many people. One of the best ways individuals can work around this stumbling block is to break their goal down into manageable sizes - mini goals. They should then create a timeline that clearly states when their mini goals should be achieved. This is a great strategy for coaching clients to see the rewards that can be gained from disciplined actions and self control. After all, discipline is always required to achieve goals of substance.

#3: Poor Communication Skills
Poor communication skills can put both the client and coach in strife. How is a coach supposed to assist someone if they don’t understand what they want? It’s extremely important that a coach knows what their client wants, and therefore vital that they’re well equipped with communications skills that can counteract whatever skills a client may be lacking.

A coach can improve communication with clients by rephrasing what has been said and having them confirm that it was in fact what they meant. A coach could also improve client communication by encouraging feedback in every step of the way and by stimulating insights, opinions and ideas.

A coach with good communication skills will also be able to recognise what communication styles work best with their client and deliver their messages in a clear, concise manner that resonates with their client.

#4: Lack of Direction
When a client has little idea of what they want to achieve it can be quite challenging for a coach to assist a client discover what they want out of their coaching relationship. In these circumstances helping a client to identify their personal values, preferences, needs and vocational skills is particularly important, as it will assist them to form a Purpose Statement which will give them a heightened perspective of where they are now and a direction to work towards with their coach.

#5: Lack of Pro-action
On occasion clients perceive a coach will be able to assist them without having to do anything themselves. They expect to get to their desired destination with very little effort on their part. This mentality can be extremely challenging for a coach so it’s very important that the coach stresses what their role is at the start of all coaching relationships. It’s also important to clarify your expectations of the client as well as what assistance can be given.

© Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article. For more information about the Institute – please visit www.lcia.com.au/lz

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