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The 6 Characteristics of A Successful Coach

Keywords: Coaching

It takes some special talents and behaviors to be a successful coach. In order to direct and positively impact the professional lives of those in your charge, you'll need to exhibit the following:

Empathy - Remember when you were the employee? Put yourself into those shoes again and identify with the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of others.

Compassion - Genuine concern for your employees is paramount. Yes, you want them to do a wonderful job and to perform to the best of their ability, but you should also feel and show authentic caring for the overall person.

Communication - Since coaching, in its most basic sense, is a series of informal conversations, you'll want to have the skills to interact with employees freely and effectively.

Organization - As a coach, you'll want to stay on track with the progress your employees are making. Follow-through is vital in order to help employees move forward with their plans of action.

Patience - Being a coach can sometimes be challenging. Be prepared to take lots of deep breaths.

Well-Roundedness - Politically savvy, organizationally cultured, and a proactive management style all combine to create a well-rounded person who is capable of sharing with his/her employees in order to help them achieve.

As a coach, you are responsible for shaping people's lives, not simply following an agenda and meeting monetary goals. The behaviors listed above will help you in your quest to develop your own coaching style so you can bolster the careers of those on your team.

by Kathi Graham-Leviss © 2004, All Rights Reserved http://www.xbcoaching.com

For additional information about coaching and how it can help your organization in the areas of communication, sales, goal setting, team performance, conflict resolution and more, contact Kathi Graham-Leviss of XB Coaching, Inc. at http://www.xbcoaching.com today. Also ask about specific workshops and assessments that would be of value to you and your team.

Posted by Angie at October 12, 2004 06:06 PM | TrackBack
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