The Ultimate Guide To Coaching

Hey there, future super coaches! Are you ready to join the exciting world of coaching?

It's a journey cooler than a superhero’s flight, filled with adventures, learning, and the power to transform lives.

Being a coach is like being a guide on a thrilling jungle expedition, enabling people to find their way, overcome obstacles, and reach awesome goals. 

It's not about telling them what to do but helping them discover their strengths and unique paths. 

Like a trusted compass, you’ll help them navigate their journey.

It sounds like a big job, but don't worry. 

This guide is your trusty sidekick, ready to help you become the best coach you can be.

So, are you ready to take the leap and start your journey as a coach? 

Let's go!

What Is Coaching?

Coaches have been around for thousands of years...

Except in the old days, they weren't called coaches -- they were known as advisors, counselors, and guides.

In King Arthur's legendary saga, Merlin served as his prophet, magician, and counselor. Guided by Merlin's wisdom, Arthur overcame challenges ranging from dragons to foreign invasions.

Think of Chanakya, the royal advisor with whose help Chandragupta Maurya became a great ruler and unified ancient India. 

Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson also turn to advisors for guidance. Athletes like Michael Jordan and Serena Williams have achieved the impossible with the help of their coaches. 

Coaches aren’t just for the rich and famous, though. They are for everyone who dreams big and works hard.

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And in today's world, coaching has become a rainbow...
There's a coach for everything and something for everyone.

Coaches are often the unnamed heroes behind some of the greatest accomplishments of well-known leaders and individuals. They guide, help, support, and advise their clients on issues, challenges, and goals related to their work and life.

As a coach, you create a safe space for people to dig in and manifest their dreams.

Think of coaching as being a gardener. Your job isn't to grow the plants – they do that themselves. But you'll provide the right soil, water, and sunshine to help them grow healthy and strong. 

Whether it's helping a boss become a better leader or helping someone balance school and fun, you drive them to:

  • make positive changes,
  • find clear paths,
  • take steps towards their goals, and
  • grow in their unique way.

The world's top coaches often go with a "play it by ear" approach which means they might work with a strategic coaching framework as a foundational tool, but they will adapt and change their coaching style and direction based on the in-the-moment needs, wants and challenges of their client - an intuitive approach that is the result of many hours of coaching experience.

All coaches essentially guide clients as they work with their inner and outer world to make changes in their mental and physical environment, so they can rise up to their highest potential, reach their goals and consciously design a life of success and happiness.

Benefits of Coaching

When it comes to coaching individuals, here are some of the most important benefits clients could get from coaching:

#1. Increased Self-Awareness

Coaching helps individuals find clarity in thoughts, emotions, and responses. This leads to improved decision-making and overall effectiveness.

#2. Enhanced Skills and Abilities

Coaching encourages the development of new competencies and enhances existing skills, which can lead to better performance and career progression.

#3. Increased Motivation

Individuals who receive coaching have been shown to display greater enthusiasm and commitment, enhancing productivity and job satisfaction.

#4. Better Goal-Setting and Achievement

Coaching supports individuals in setting clearer, more realistic goals and in devising strategies to achieve them.

#5. Improved Resilience and Well-being

Coaching can boost psychological resilience, helping individuals manage stress and enhance their overall well-being.

Benefits of Coaching in Organizations

But there is another set of results coaching can create when it comes to coaching businesses and organizations, including:

#1. Improved Employee Performance

Coaching can enhance overall job performance, contributing to organizational productivity and success.

#2. Increased Retention

Coaching supports employee engagement, which can reduce staff turnover and associated costs.

#3. Leadership Development

Coaching is an effective tool for developing leadership capabilities, leading to improved team performance and organizational effectiveness. 

#4. Positive Organizational Culture

Coaching can foster a culture of continuous learning and development, improving organizational resilience and adaptability.

#5. Higher Employee Retention

A study by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) found that employees who receive coaching report higher levels of job satisfaction, which can lead to improved retention rates. This results in cost savings, increased productivity, preservation of knowledge, a better work environment, and a strong organizational reputation.

Coaching vs Mentoring

So, you've heard about coaching and mentoring? They might seem similar, but they're different.

Coaching is like following a recipe – it is a step-by-step guide that aims at helping you grow and reach your goals.

Mentoring, however, is like having a friend who's been there, done that. They share their experiences to guide you.

What's Same, What's Different?

Both coaching and mentoring aim to help you grow. But the way they do it is quite different.

Coaches are like personal trainers – they have a plan and focus on specific things like improving your skills or dealing with a problem. They motivate you to find your solutions and plans.

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Mentors, on the other hand, are more like big brothers or sisters. They stick with you for a long time, and their help is not just about work but about life, too. They share their own experiences and guide you toward your dreams.

But they're not all different.

Both coaches and mentors listen to you, give feedback, make sure you're accountable, and help you become the best version of yourself.

Choosing Between Coaching and Mentoring

How do you know if you need a coach or a mentor?

It depends on what you're looking for.

A coach is your go-to person if you need help with a specific problem or want to develop a skill. They're great for short-term, specific goals.

But if you're looking for someone to guide you through your career or need advice from someone who's been in your shoes, a mentor is what you need. They're excellent for long-term support, especially when taking on new roles or paths.

For example, a new manager might get a coach to become a better leader, but they might turn to a mentor to handle the more significant challenges of being a boss.

So, coaching and mentoring can work together to help you grow personally and professionally.

Coaching vs Therapy

Coaching and therapy are different and aim to help you in distinct ways.

Coaching is like a GPS – it guides you towards your future goals, helping you get better in life or work.

Therapy, though, explores your past to help you overcome blocks and improve your mental health.

Choosing Between Coaching and Mentoring

Imagine coaching and therapy as two types of superheroes, each with their unique powers.

Coaches focus on the future, helping you pursue goals. They encourage you to confront fears, build confidence to face obstacles, and prepare for the next big adventure.

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Therapists, however, dive deep into your past, like detectives, figuring out where your problems started. They help you understand and solve past issues, manage emotional struggles, and create coping strategies. Unlike coaches, therapists can diagnose and treat mental health problems.

But these superheroes do share some powers.

Both coaches and therapists provide a safe, judgment-free space, listen to you, and ask questions that make you think. They're both dedicated to helping you live a happier, healthier life.

Choosing Between Coaching and Therapy

Choosing between a coach and a therapist is like choosing between apples and oranges – it depends on your needs.

If you're looking to achieve certain goals, like advancing in your career, improving relationships, or personal growth, then a coach is what you need. This is for those who are feeling good – emotionally and mentally.

But if you're dealing with emotional pain, feeling symptoms of mental issues, or dealing with unresolved problems from your past, a therapist can help. They're the ones to see if you want to understand how your past affects your present feelings and actions.

If you're trying to become a better leader or balance work and life, a coach would be great.

But if you're dealing with anxiety or depression, a therapist is your best bet.

Remember, neither is better – it all depends on what you need for your personal growth and well-being.

The 3 Principles Of Coaching

A clear definition of coaching gives you a 50,000-foot overview.

It gives you an idea and a high-level look at what coaching is and what coaches do.

But a definition is only the beginning.

If you want to rise up to the top of the industry...

If you'd like to be one of the best coaches in the world...

There are countless principles out there, and if you try to follow all of them, especially at the start, you'll end up overwhelmed, frustrated, and ready to give up.

And we don't want that.

Here are the 3 unbreakable principles of successful coaching every aspiring or new coach should master.

Principle #1:

A coach's job is to develop individual growth

Coaches do not coach organizations or groups.

It's not about getting to a "company vision" or "revenue goal."

Coaches coach people.

Here's the thing...

principle1

No matter which way you look at it, the success or failure of an individual, group, organization, company, or community depends on just one element: People.

That's why a coach needs to focus on guiding, empowering, and supporting individuals to be the best they can be so they can grow, enhance, and uplevel their emotional, mental, and physical skills.

No matter which way you look at it, the success or failure of an individual, group, organization, company, or community depends on just one element: People.

That's why a coach needs to focus on guiding, empowering, and supporting individuals to be the best they can be so they can grow, enhance, and uplevel their emotional, mental, and physical skills.

Principle #2:

A coach believes every single person can achieve their highest potential

Top-notch coaches truly believe that with the right guidance, every single person can achieve their most ambitious goals. It's this faith that makes them great at what they do.

Coach envisions the pinnacle of success for their client before they can see it for themselves.

Your client needs you to believe in them even when they don't believe in themselves.

As author Ken Poirot puts it, "There is no greater power, and support you can give someone than to look them in the eye, and with sincerity and conviction say, 'I believe in you."

When the going gets tough, your belief in clients will help them triumph.

Principle #3:

A coach is committed to becoming a lifelong learner

Top-tier coaches are always eager to learn. They constantly ask themselves:

  • How can I improve my coaching skills today?
  • How can I get my clients better results, faster?
  • How can I be a better person than I was yesterday?

Watch this video to dive deeper into the fundamental coaching principles.

Key Skills Every Coach Must Have

The world of coaching is a bustling city that keeps growing, and the people – our dear clients – are catching on fast!

Clients know what coaching is.

They want one thing:

Results.

And they want them fast!


Much like wanting a pizza in 15 minutes, not 30. This means it's time for us, as coaches, to level up our game.


Imagine a coach who's learned all the rules but never played the game. 


Do you think they'll score a goal? Nope!


You need to start sculpting your coaching muscles from the get-go. 


These are the powers that'll make people knock on your door begging you to coach them and help them scale the highest peaks of success!


Here are the seven essential coaching skills every top coach needs to master:

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Skill #1 : 
Listen Like a Pro

Being a good coach is about being attentive.

You’ve got to listen.

Wise Epictetus was not wrong when he said, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." That means tuning in when your client talks.

In coaching, we need to add that we must "listen twice as well as you speak."

The most important skill that a coach needs is the ability to listen deeply and listen well with present-moment awareness.

This sounds pretty simple, but it's not.

Present moment awareness is about emptying your mind of your own thoughts, your own needs and wants, and giving your full attention, mind and soul, to your client.

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Listen for what is said and not said - the emotion that fuels your client's words.

Skill #2 :

Don't Be a Master of None

"Generalist" coaches - coaches who coach anyone about anything - will fail. This is a guarantee.

From the minute you begin coaching, aim to identify who you like to work with -- your ideal coaching client - and what you want to coach on - your area of expertise -- so you can start building your reputation as an expert.

So, don't be a "jack-of-all-trades" coach.

Pick your favorite type of coaching (and coaches) and become the best at it.

Remember, there are no wrong answers, just answers that work for you.

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Watch this video to find your ideal profitable coaching niche.

Skill #3 :

Expand Your Skill Set

Think of a coach as a superhero builder with a belt full of the latest tools and the most relevant techniques.

The more you learn, the more skills you add to your belt.

Just like a great carpenter needs not just 1, 2, or 3 but a whole bunch of tools in his toolkit to create beautiful furniture, a great coach needs a whole bunch of coaching tools to create beautiful results for their clients.

Always look for reliable training programs or learning opportunities so you can keep adding to your coaching toolkit in your journey as a coach.

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A super easy way to constantly upskill is by tuning into Evercoach's YouTube channel to get fresh coaching ideas every week.

Skill #4 :

Hold up the Crystal Mirror

Part of being a coach is helping your clients see things differently.

It's almost impossible to gain a fresh perspective or viewpoint when we are so deeply immersed in our own ideas and desires. We are unable to see if our thoughts and beliefs are serving us and if our ideas are worth pursuing and in line with our values.

A coach provides clients with a way to look at their lives with new eyes.

They are the channel that lets the clients see themselves in a real way. This is a powerful method to help clients objectively see their strengths and the gaps that need to be closed so they can achieve their goals.

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Hold up a mirror for them to see themselves and the path they wish to take.

Skill #5 :

Trust Your Gut

Gut feeling is a secret superpower for great coaches.

You may or may not already know this, but you have a genius level of Intelligence inside you right now. This Intelligence has been there from the day you were born and has continued to expand and evolve over the years.

This Intelligence is called intuition.

World-class leadership coach Michael Neill describes it as "an extraordinary intelligence that exists beyond personal intellect."

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Developing your intuition is linked to being fully present when listening. The more attentively you listen, the stronger your intuition becomes

Skill #6 :

Become a People Reader

Coaches coach people. This means you need to have a deep and wide understanding of human nature.

A great way to get a head start on this is to look at how we humans make decisions. If you think about it, you'll see that success or failure happens in the moment of decision.

Helping your clients make great decisions is a powerful way to establish your reputation as a world-class coach.

You don't have to take a class in Psychology to understand how people arrive at a decision.

Learning cool ideas like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs or the Paradigm of Desires (encompassing safety, variety, connection, significance, growth, and contribution) can help you decode clients and guide them better.

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To be a top coach, you must understand people and why they do what they do.

Skill #7 :

Ask Questions Like a Boss

Top coaches know how to broach the right questions.

Asking powerful questions inspires life-changing transformations in clients and the best coaches are incredibly skilled at this.

Be an explorer leading your clients on a journey – encourage them to navigate uncharted terrains of thought and wonder.

Be bold, be brave, and go where no one else has dared to journey. This might even mean that your client will temporarily feel annoyed or unhappy with you, but coaching is not a popularity contest.

Remember you are not coaching to win your client's approval; you are coaching to get your client to change and achieve a higher level of living, working, and playing.

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Watch this video to dive deeper into honing your coaching skills. Dive deeper into your coaching journey here. And to go from zero to epic, check out insider coaching secrets in The Book of Coaching.

8 Best Coaching Models To get Started

Like every sports team has a playbook, every coach has a preferred way of coaching or a "coaching model."

Here are eight of the most popular coaching methodologies coaches use:

GROW Model: GROW plays an epic board game. It stands for Goals, Reality, Options, and Will. You help your client figure out their goal, understand where they currently stand, explore potential paths, and then decide on their actions. Watch how to apply the GROW Model in a coaching session.

COACH Model: Think of this as building a sandcastle. COACH stands for Connect, Outcome, Awareness, Course, and Highlight. First, you connect with your client like a good friend. Then, you help them set their goals (Outcome), understand themselves better (Awareness), plan their next steps (Course), and celebrate their wins (Highlight).

Evercoach's 4-Part Life Coaching Model: This model includes the 4 key aspects of life that every single human being on the planet needs in order to create success and happiness. These are: Deep Self-Awareness, Organizing The Mind, Conscious Bioengineering, and Spirituality. Find out more about Evercoach's Life Coaching model.

Co-Active Model: Your client is the hero of their own story here. You listen to them carefully and ask questions that help them determine their answers. It's about empowering your client to reach their full potential.

OSCAR Model: OSCAR takes you on a treasure hunt. It stands for Outcome, Situation, Choices, Actions, and Review. This playbook is great for business and performance coaching, as it helps your client focus on their future and take responsibility for their actions.

CLEAR Model: The CLEAR playbook solves mysteries. It stands for Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action, and Review. You start with an agreement (Contracting), then actively listen to your client, explore their possibilities, create an action plan, and regularly check in on their progress.

Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): This playbook is like a magic lamp! Instead of focusing on the problems, you help your client focus on their dream future and figure out how to get there.

Cognitive Behavioral Coaching (CBC): CBC is a detective with a green thumb. You help your client spot thoughts and beliefs that are causing them trouble, then help them change these thoughts to change their behavior and grow.

So, which coaching model should you use?

Well, it depends on you, your client, and the situation.

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A great coach switches between different playbooks to ensure they're always helping their client in the best way possible.

5 Most Profitable Coaching Niches

Coaching is a vast city with many different neighborhoods, each with its flavor.

Here are the top five most exciting coaching niches: wellness, life & mindset, high-performance, career and career transition, and small business coaching.

Wellness Coaching: The Healthy Heroes

Wellness coaching is about helping people be their healthiest – in body, mind, and spirit.

By being a champion for wellness, you help folks reform their lifestyles and become healthier – by advising them to eat better, be active and walk more steps, and find peace and happiness.

From planning meals and exercises to teaching clients how to relax and de-stress, wellness coaching has it all!

Life & Mindset Coaching: The Mind Masters

Life and mindset coaches are like tour guides on the journey of life. They help people move past roadblocks and plan for a fantastic life adventure.

They show people how to balance their thoughts for the better, understand themselves, and grow into well-rounded individuals.

Clients will start to believe in themselves more, think positively, and feel happier with life.

Life and mindset coaching can be applied in all areas of life – friendships, self-improvement, and life changes.

High-Performance Coaching: The Power Boosters

High-performance coaching is for people who want to be their absolute best, whether in their personal or work lives.

As a high-performance coach, you're like a mechanic who tunes up a car to run at full throttle. You help people get more done and keep their energy high to achieve impossible feats.

Like a car that runs smoother and faster after a tune-up, clients, too, can expect to perform better, be more productive, and feel a stronger sense of purpose.

Career and Career Transition Coaching: The Job Jugglers

Career and career transition coaches are like career navigators. They help people find the right track in their work lives, whether it's climbing up the ladder, changing jobs, or overcoming strain.

Clients can expect to get a clearer idea of their careers, feel happier in their jobs, and handle transitions smoothly.

As a coach, you can help them with resumes, interviews, career planning, and upskilling.

Small Business Coaching: The Business Builders

Small business coaches are like master builders for businesses.

They help small business owners and entrepreneurs with planning, setting goals, solving problems, and getting better results.

A building becomes stronger and better in the hands of a skilled builder. Same way with coaches, clients can expect to scale their businesses, make better decisions, and improve their performance.

You might help them with their business strategy, marketing, money matters, and team management.

Which coaching niche should you become an expert in?

That depends on what you love, what you're good at, and who you want to help.

Being an expert in a niche can make you a more effective coach and make you stand out in the big city of coaching.

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Go more in-depth about each of these 5 most profitable coaching niches in 2023

The Future of Coaching

In this speedily changing world, we coaches must be ready to learn, ask questions, and try new things.

As George Bernard Shaw said, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."

If we can't change our minds, indeed, we can't change anything. 

With all the ups and downs in our world today, coaching has never been more important. It's a helping hand guiding us to adapt, be strong, and find our balance.

In today’s digital world, starting an online coaching business becomes more and more popular than ever before. And online coaches can help clients from all over the world.

But the advancements in technology have also brought many questions.

Are robots about to take over from human coaches? Will machines replace face-to-face client-coach connections? How will AI in coaching play out?

Watch this video where we tackle the debate of AI vs coaches.

Look at these opportunities as your golden ticket to make a bigger difference.

Step up today, arm yourself with knowledge and tools to steer through this topsy-turvy world, buckle up, and get ready for a thrilling ride into coaching.

You'll be helping to shape a stronger, more purposeful, and more self-aware world.

The gate to your coaching adventure is wide open, ready for you to step through.

The journey starts here, start now.