Before a life coach can move forward and work with clients to help them achieve their goals, they must establish a trusting and caring relationship with them. If clients do not trust you, it will be difficult to fully disclose their problems and engage openly, preventing them from getting the most out of their coaching sessions. It is critical to establish this relationship. It is the foundation of coaching.
A life coach and a client may have a clash of personalities or sexual tension. If a life coach believes they cannot work well with a client, they should discuss this with the client and, with their permission, refer them to another life coach who can help them.
The same is true for the client: if they believe they cannot work with the life coach, they will either inform the life coach or refuse to meet with them again. This does happen on occasion. After all, no one can get along with everyone. An experienced coach will recognize this and not let it affect their confidence.
Life coaches typically work one-on-one with their clients in person. They may also work by phone, Skype, or email. Some coaches work solely with the latter methods. Choosing this method of service delivery, however, may limit the quality of the working relationship. It also implies that you cannot read the client’s body language and must rely on listening to their voice (tone, rhythm, pitch) or making assumptions based on the written word.
In one-on-one meetings, you can use the client’s body language and voice to interact with them in real-time, which can help you build a stronger relationship with them. Whatever way (or ways) the service is provided, coaches develop a relationship with their clients that can be compared to a close friendship. You could think of the coach as someone who is with you every step of the way. They almost walk beside their customers.
Life coaching first appeared in the United States in the early 1990s, and its popularity has grown dramatically. One possible reason is that having a therapist is often associated with some stigma depending on the society, culture, and age group, whereas having a life coach is not. Having a coach may even be considered a plus in some circles.
When beginning work with a new client, a life coach should make it a point to appear to be:
- Professional
- Excellent planner
- Quite intriguing
- Open to hearing what the client has to say
- Considering the client as an individual
- Understanding
- Empathic
- Friendly
- Patient
The more you interact with the client and show a genuine interest in what they say, the more they will trust and relate to you.
Like all inner journeys, life coaching begins with the client’s present situation and its many internal and external influences. Working with the client to understand where they are emotionally, psychologically, physically, financially, and interpersonally is the first step in life coaching. Only after getting a more accurate picture of the client’s present can the client and life coach identify elements in the client’s past that may be stopping growth in any particular area and plan strategies for the client’s future that will encourage and nurture progress.