Your coaching philosophy forms an integral part of your practice.
For example, if you’re a life coach, says Ajit Nawalkha, the co-founder of Mindvalley Coach, “you want to have a philosophy around how you would create change for your client’s life.”
If you don’t have one, you may lose direction. And your clients might become disengaged.
So it goes without saying that developing a strong philosophy of coaching is crucial. It’ll help guide you and your clients to success.
What Is a Coaching Philosophy?
A coaching philosophy is a core set of beliefs, values, and ideas around how a coach creates transformation in their clients.
Some coaching philosophy examples are:
- Life coaching: You may have a foundational belief that transformation is only possible when your client looks at their life holistically, not just in one aspect.
- Health coaching: You may hold the belief that your clients need to focus on nutrition just as much as on fitness to improve their health and well-being.
- Business coaching: You may believe that to have maximum impact on your clients, you need to integrate strategy consulting with your business coaching methodologies.
Form a philosophy that you stand for and share it with your clients during your discovery sessions to create better alignment.
Why Do You Need a Coaching Philosophy?
Developing a clear coaching philosophy is an important part of becoming a professional coach. It helps inform your clients about what they can expect from working with you.
If you lead with your philosophy and you share that with the client, the client has full knowledge of what they are signing up for. — @ajitna Click To TweetLack of clarity is the number one reason why coaching fails because it may:
- Make it harder for clients to trust your techniques,
- Create a conflict of values between you and your client, and
- Make your client resistant to following through with your coaching approach.
“When you have a clear philosophy, you approach your client with a particular attitude and a particular aptitude,” Ajit explains. “And because of that, you are also predetermining the kind of outcomes that the clients can expect, the area of work that you may focus on, the kind of results that you would focus on.”
How Do I Develop My Own Coaching Philosophy?
Here’s how you can update your existing philosophy or create a new one from scratch.
1. Identify your values
Our core values are our guiding light when it comes to making everyday decisions. Identify your top three to five values by asking yourself these questions:
- Which qualities have contributed the most to your success?
- How would you like to be remembered when you leave a room?
- What part of your job do you love the most?
- What is the most rewarding feeling you give to others?
- What qualities are you most proud of?
- What do others say you are good at?
2. Define your beliefs about each value
Once you have your values clear, identify how these values translate into coaching.
For example, if your top value is love, how does that show up with a client? Is it in the way you build your coach-client relationship? Or in the way you coach them?
If your core value is accountability, how do you keep your clients accountable? How is this value reflected in your coaching methodology?
Developing your belief system based on your values will bring clarity to your coaching style and philosophy.
3. Craft your philosophy based on your values and beliefs
You can write out your philosophy in a mission statement or as bullet points. Craft a message that clearly communicates your purpose, your values, and your coaching style—combining the elements from steps one and two and integrating them together.
You can even print it out and add it to your vision board as a daily reminder and inspiration before each coaching session.
How Do I Share My Coaching Philosophy With My Clients?
You can share your philosophy as part of your:
- Discovery sessions,
- Workshops and seminars,
- Coaching sessions,
- Website and social media content, and
- Onboarding package.
“The coaching philosophy, once developed and once you have found your comfort in it, adapts to the situation that is showing up in the world around you,” says Ajit. And by sharing it in a thoughtful and engaging way, you can establish a strong foundation for successful coaching partnerships and guide your clients toward lasting transformations.
Your Philosophy, Your Playbook
The thing is, the world is constantly evolving. And so should your coaching philosophy. Even though your coaching principles are deeply rooted in your values and beliefs, they have to be updated from time to time as you grow in your career.
Now, if you want to learn how to do so, Mindvalley Coach is dedicated to helping coaches like yourself create a true impact in the world. And it all starts when you join the free Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach masterclass.
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Images generated on Midjourney.
