Are you a business coach wanting to find better clients or working with a coach and want to get more from the deal?
I was thinking about what an ideal coaching client would look like. Then I realized that the attributes of the ideal coaching client are that exact same attributes for:
- Personal Success
- Career Success
- Sales Success
- Leadership Success
- Business Success
Yes, coaches want to work with clients who REALLY want to win, take action and apply what they learn.
The 12 Success Attributes for an Ideal Coaching Client
Here is the list in relative ascending order of maturity and importance. How are you rating?
1. You Can Be Better
Know they can always improve in some critical area. What worked yesterday may no longer work today.
You can’t get better if you think you already know everything or think your way is the only way.
2. Continuous Improvement
Clients are dedicated to lifelong and continuous learning in one or more areas of their life. This may be reading, training or by doing.
Understand that perfection is not possible but strive to get better through practice so they can perform at their peak.
3. Drive To Be Better
Knowing, learning and practicing are great starts. Having the drive to be better keeps you going.
4. You Might Be Wrong
Yes, it is true! In fact you most certainly are on a regular basis. This is the first step in being truly open to coaching. Admit you can learn from almost every situation.
5. You Don’t “Need” To Be Right
Usually, you are okay with the fact you might be wrong and are open to other people’s views. This doesn’t mean you have no opinion or are a spineless jelly fish. It means that you can listen objectively to someone else’s opinion without needing to prove them wrong. You can find value in even contrary opinions. You don’t attach your self-worth to being right.
There is more than one way to do most things.
6. Objective Self-Awareness
You have developed the ability to objectively (within reason) view how good you really are at what you do and where you are. Neither the negative voice nor the overly optimistic voice dominate when you are in this mode. Beware though, self-reflection is always tinted by the glass of your beliefs.
7. Able to Hear Constructive Criticism
You have two ears. The sounds reach your brain and are recognized as words. But are you really listening and understanding or are you in the process of building your case, defense, argument, excuses, etc.? This is not destructive criticism from haters. It is the stuff that comes with the opportunity to improve. If you have mastered the first 6 in the list this one will be easier.
8. Learn From Others
Do you need to learn and experience everything yourself? Do you have a not invented here mentality? To truly excel you must be able to learn from others. This includes learning ideas and processes that you may not initially fully agree with. The tools allow you to be better at what you do.
9. Trust Others
Do you have to do it yourself to ensure it is done right? Your way? To really excel you need to trust people to do the things they are talented at. If you can’t delegate well you cannot lead or grow a business.
10. Support Others
You have an opinion. Plus, you were heard. You may or may not be right. When a decision is made do you then become part of the team and throw your full support behind the initiative or do you set it up to fail through backroom criticism, passive aggressive behavior, etc.?
If you want people to support you, you have to support others. Go first.
11. Seek Out Feedback
So you can hear constructive criticism. You are wanting to achieve the top levels of performance and success. So, you seek out feedback. Coworkers. Customers. Mentors. Coaches. Any valid source that will potentially help you improve.
12. Applied Learning
Then you take action. You incorporate all of the theory, valid feedback, learning and practice into your life and apply it regularly.
Conclusions – Coaching Client Success
Nothing is worse than coaching a client who listens, agrees and then… does nothing different.
Coaches want to help people actually get results.
How are you doing on these? Are there any other attributes for an ideal coaching client? Leave a comment.
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Looking to get clear on your ideal clients? Check out this how-we-did-it article, “Get Serious About Defining Your Ideal Clients” and then apply it for yourself.
Is your business coach telling you to delegate more so you can focus on serving your ideal clients? Connect with us for a free marketing assessment and explore some options to grow your business revenue.
