Coaching protagonists

In coaching there are two protagonists, the coachee or client and the coach, who will strive to establish objectives and action plans congruent with the coachee's desires and perception. In this relationship, the coach's values and skills are key to the success of the process.

The Coachee or client

It is a person who has determined to require the professional services of a coach, to achieve certain goals in their personal or professional life efficiently.

Requirements to be met by the client to achieve their goals through coaching:

• To have the desire, the intention and the will to change, to move to a different condition, to transform aspects of his personal or professional life with which he is not satisfied.

• To have a spirit of self-improvement, to surpass limits and overcome obstacles with skill and effort, in pursuit of goals and dreams.

• To see life as an opportunity to acquire knowledge and experiences that favor our continuous growth.

• Have an open mind, able to accept criticism, influences and new ideas.

The coach

The coach is a professional who works with people to help them achieve their goals or develop specific skills in a more efficient way than if they were to do it on their own.

Qualities of the coach:

• Being aware of his own motives: The coach must be aware of his values and his own motives; that is, he must think, behave and transmit his ideas, conscious of what he is doing. The coach must act inspired by his need for self-improvement, his dreams, his passions, in order to inspire others. The good coach seeks to sow and develop the client's inner motivations to the maximum.

• Be honest and authentic: The coach must act in compliance with his duty, respecting the socially established norms and in accordance with morals. He/she must speak and act according to what he/she really thinks, without lying or pretending.

• Ability to establish relationships: The coach must be an individual who behaves pleasantly, politely and affectionately towards others. He/she must inspire trust.

• Empathetic: The coach must have the ability to connect affectively with the client's mood or emotional disposition.

• The coach must be flexible: The coach must adapt easily to the client's criteria and opinions in order to establish priorities, objectives and a plan of action by mutual agreement. He/she should not be too strict in the fulfillment of rules, objectives and goals. He/she must be able to adapt to the different situations or circumstances that arise.

• The coach must be a good communicator: The coach must have a great capacity to transmit his opinions and connect with the client to make him participate in his ideas and feelings.

• He/she must listen actively and identify the feelings that the client is conveying: It is important for the coach to pay attention to what he hears and to the client's expressions, he must interpret the silences and must submit for reflection and debate the proposals, warnings and advice that the client proposes. During the coaching sessions, the coach must make the client talk a lot, express his ideas, thoughts and emotions without interruptions and without rushing, to achieve this, the coach must listen and ask questions that encourage dialogue and thought.

• The professional experience of the coach: It is very important the knowledge and skills that the coach acquires, after having lived, felt or suffered many times, throughout his career, different situations, challenges and disappointments; to understand and help the client, to solve the difficulties he is going through in the achievement of some goal.

Core competencies of the coach according to the International Coach Federation:

• Lay the foundation: Adhere to the code of ethics and professional standards. This involves the ability to understand the ethics and standards of coaching and to apply them appropriately in all coaching situations. Establish the coaching agreement. This is the ability to understand what is needed in each specific coaching interaction and to establish agreement with each new client about the coaching process and relationship.
• Co-creating the relationship: Establishing trust and intimacy with the client. This will be the ability to create a safe environment that contributes to the development of mutual respect and trust. Being present in the coaching. This will be the ability to be fully aware of and create spontaneous coaching relationships with the client, using an open, flexible style that demonstrates safety and confidence.
• Communicating effectively: Active listening. Ability to focus fully on what the client is and is not saying, understand the meaning of what is and is not being said, understand the meaning of what is being said in the context of the client's wishes, and support the client in expressing him/herself. Asking powerful questions. Ability to ask questions that reveal the information needed to bring out the greatest benefit for the client and the coaching relationship. Communicate directly. Ability to communicate effectively during coaching sessions, and use language in a way that has the greatest possible positive impact on the client.
• Facilitating learning and results: Creating awareness. The ability to accurately integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information and make interpretations that help the client gain awareness and thereby achieve agreed-upon outcomes. Design actions. The ability to create opportunities with the client to develop ongoing learning, both during coaching and in life or work situations, and to take new actions that most effectively lead to agreed-upon outcomes. Planning and goal setting. Ability to develop and maintain an effective coaching plan with the client. Manage progress and accountability. Ability to focus on what is really important to the client and leave the responsibility for action in the hands of the client.