For the past several years, life coaching has become quite an interesting career option. In this article, we will cover several crucial skills and features which are required for you to have, in order to be a successful life coach.
Intuition
If you have a strong feel of premonition, or as they say in Hollywood movies, “I feel it in my bones”, this is a great advantage for being a life coach. Naturally, this feeling cannot be used or relied on very often, but you can feel something more special when you possess this skill. In addition, when this is paired up with a good sense of instinct, it can be a powerful asset for you. However, this kind of approach is not often advised for beginners in this field of work.
Outside of the Box
Acting and thinking this way is not something you can learn. This feature must be built into your character, for quite often, problems will not be possible to solve without creativity. People are so different that it is not possible to find a universal solution for every problem, but it typically depends from case to case.
Talking
The ability to say exactly what is needed with laser-point precision is yet another item needed on your skill set list. Your communication skills are not simply blabbering about random things, but influencing others to add to the conversation as well. Your words are guidelines which will show your interlocutor what he/she needs to say. During every conversation, a good life coach pays close attention to non-verbal communication, which he can if he is a good analyst.
Analyst
Actions speak louder than words, so make sure you are able to read beyond the surface of every interaction you encounter. While others are talking to you, make sure to collect information by carefully listening to tiny details that you can use later on. Reading subtle signs are not used for judging or asserting someone, but for figuring out the true nature and cause of the problem. If you get the “How did you know?” reaction, that means you hit the center of the problem, and that your analytic sight is sharp.
Objective
Life coaches must stay objective, no matter how sad or inspiring other people’s stories can be. Many people think that coaches are just giving “a pat on the shoulder” but, in fact, they are just telling you the truth, whether you are right or wrong. Their truth is not of an abusive kind, but constructive instead. Showing someone their wrongs and offering a solution at the same time is quite rare today. Perhaps that is why life coaches are so popular.
Positive
Unyielding fate in human kind is essential for this job. No man is beyond redemption and there is no damage which cannot be repaired. If you agree with these statements, you are adequate for this profession. Every person faces their own problems or battles, and many people cannot seem to find the right solution. Sometimes people can’t find a needle in a haystack, so that is when life coaches come into play. By offering a simple solution, it’s like walking up to a haystack and finding the needle on the very first try.
Experience
The more people you talk to, the more skillful you will become. It is really as simple as that. However, you cannot start out of the blue, as training is essential for you to learn how to ask some good coaching questions. Afterwards, it is easy to build upon this good foundation. Just do not rush gaining knowledge.
With all of these different factors on your mind, honestly ask yourself: “Am I suitable to help other people?” If your answer is positive and inspiring, then the only thing left to do is to start.
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via Dan Radak
Dan Radak is a web hosting security professional with ten years of experience. He is a coauthor on several websites and regular contributor to BizzMark Blog. Currently, he is working with a number of companies in the field of online security, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies.
