The “Soft side” of coaching
As we noted above, the results are quite striking in terms of the respondents’ rating of specific items that relate to the quality of their interactions and relationships with their clients. The respondents conveyed very positive self-images with regard to interpersonal connections with clients. The following items on Question Two were all rated consistently high by respondents to both surveys:
How effective are you at co-creating the working partnership with clients?
How authentically personal do you feel while working with clients?
How empathetic are you in relating to clients with whom you have relatively little in common?
How effective are you in communicating your understanding and concern to your clients?
How effective are you at stimulating client insight?
Given these positive responses to many of the question two items, it is not surprising that the respondents were also inclined to rate their overall performance at the high end of the response continuum when considering the final item in question two:
How confident do you feel in your role as a coach?
The item about being empathetic with clients having “little in common” might be the source of particular optimism for those concerned with the future of professional coaching. It is very important that coaches are comfortable and confident when working with those who hold a different perspective, given the increasing engagement of coaches in international work. Let’s hope that the self-appraisal being made by these respondents is accurate and indicative of other coaches working with diverse client populations.
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