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When we train new coaches, one of the things we hear the most is the desire to bring value to clients. This value every coach strives for can be assessed by looking at the coach’s effectiveness. But what does it actually mean to facilitate effective coaching? And can you look for to assess it?
In this article, we’ll break down what coaching effectiveness looks like and highlight 11 key areas you should pay attention to. Whether you’re an experienced coach or new to the profession, understanding these elements will help you assess your impact and continue to improve your practice.
Coaching effectiveness is the ability of the coach to support clients to achieve their goals, create behavioural change, learn new insights, and facilitate sustainable change in their life; all that within the coaching engagement they contracted for with their clients,.
The more effective a coach is, the more value they’re able to deliver to their clients in a short period of time.
The skills and abilities of the coach should not be a factor that slows down the process of discovery and insights for the client. If they negatively impact it, it means the coach probably has some gaps that are affecting the effectiveness of the coaching they deliver.
So what can you start looking into to assess your effectiveness as a coach?
1. Has your client achieved their overarching goal? Coaching effectiveness is reflected in the achievement of the client’s goal, what they initially started coaching for. Clarifying what the client is trying to achieve at the end of the coaching agreement is essential to be able to assess it.
2. Has your client achieved milestones? You can assess the effectiveness of coaching when the client reaches milestones or measurables outcomes towards their overarching goal. It’s important to invite the client to reflect and document those milestones so you are both aware of the steps reached.
3. Is your client able to maintain their progress? The client may have highs and lows in their coaching journey, but they can still maintain sustainable and measurable progress session after session. If so, you can enquire about what makes them continue to work towards their goal, and how coaching is contributing to that.
4. Is your client satisfied? Effective coaching can also be assessed if your client is satisfied with their coaching experience. This is where asking for feedback systematically is critical to be able to measure the level of satisfaction of your clients.
5. Has your client changed something? The effectiveness of coaching becomes evident when the client demonstrates a change in behaviour or they way they feel or think about themselves, others, and the world, for example if they’ve started a new routine or habit.
6. Is your coach-client relationship strong? As you very well know, the relationship you co-create with the client is essential for the coaching process. If the client feels safe and trusts that they can be vulnerable and full open in their session with you, you know you have created a space that will enable effective coaching.
7. Is your client fully engaged? Effective coaching can only happen if the client is engaged and committed to the coaching process. If the client cancels their sessions regularly, it will be difficult – not to say impossible – for the client to make the most of coaching.
8. Is your coaching approach adapted to your client? Coaching effectiveness isn’t just about what your client is doing during and after their sessions; it’s also about how you as the practitioner can adjust your style and customise your interventions (questions, tools, observations) to your clients. A coach who is using a cookie-cutter approach will not demonstrate a high level of effectiveness.
9. Are your skills fully enabling your clients? You want to look at your level of coaching skills as objectively as possible to see if there are any that may hold yourself back from facilitating change more effectively. For example, are you sharing your observations and gut feeling? Are your questions open-ended, direct, and impactful? What skills could you demonstrate better or differently?
10. Is your coaching ethical? The two questions to answer here are: 1) is your coaching aligned with professional standards (for example the ICF Code of Ethics), and 2) are you staying in the position of the coach? (as opposed to mentor, trainer, consultant, etc.). If you are changing roles, you need to make sure this is contracted for and that the client is aware of the difference between the various services you offer and how they are complementary.
11. Has the coaching had a long-term impact on your client? Effective coaching has a long-lasting impact. Clients not only learn about the topics they brought to coaching, but also about the process of coaching. When coaching has been successful and effective, clients continue to reap the benefits long after their last session.
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