7 Key Coaching Principles for Long Lasting Results

Coaching has become an increasingly popular method for developing individuals and maximizing performance. However, when it comes to coaching, not all approaches are created equal. To attain long-lasting results, it is recommended that one adheres to a set of coaching principles grounded in evidence-based practices.

Highlights

• Coaching principles are the core values and ethical standards that guide a coach’s actions, ensuring ethical conduct, structured processes, meaningful goals, improved outcomes, professional growth, accountability, trust, and evaluation.
• Key coaching principles include believing in human potential, adding value, empowering self-leadership, influencing over enforcing, embracing challenges, fostering growth, and learning from other coaches.

What are Coaching Principles?

Coaching principles are the core values, beliefs, and ethical standards that inform a coach’s approach and guide their actions. As such, they form the bedrock of effective coaching.

• Ethical conduct: These principles emphasize integrity, confidentiality, and respect for individual autonomy, cornerstones of ethical coaching.
• Structured process: They establish a clear working process, enabling consistent and effective delivery.
• Meaningful goal setting: They provide a framework for setting achievable and personally relevant objectives.
• Improved outcomes: This includes enhanced performance, increased motivation, and better work-life balance.
• Professional growth: These principles encourage continuous learning and skill development, keeping coaches abreast of best practices.
• Accountability: They ensure coachees are accountable for their actions and progress, fostering responsibility and ownership of their success.
• Trust and rapport: They help cultivate a safe and supportive connection built on mutual trust and deep conversations.
• Evaluation framework: They establish clear expectations and goals, providing a basis for evaluating the coaching process.

7 Key Coaching Principles

1. Beliveving in human potential

Man was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.

Zig Ziglar

Coaching principles

Success in coaching starts with the fundamental belief that every individual is unique and valuable – that they possess unlimited potential for growth and development. A skilled coach recognizes and appreciates the distinctive qualities of each person – understanding that people have the potential to achieve greatness in their own way.

World renowened leadership expert, Dr. John C. Maxwell, argues that talent alone is not enough to reach the highest level of success. Instead, faith and confidence in oneself is the critical factor that truly elevates one’s gifts. As a coach, being able to realize the potential in every person you coach provides an extra boost to their abilities.

Belief in the coachee inspires them to work harder and refine their expertise. On the other side, it also motivates coaches to continually improve their skills.

The coaching process requires unconditional support and unbiased faith in the person you are coaching, irrespective of their present situation. Trust is a crucial element in liberating human capacity, which, according to strategist Sun Tzu, can be just the difference between success and failure.

You must understand that seeing is believing, but also know that believing is seeing.

Denis Waitley

2. Adding value to others

Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.

Aristotle

Great coaches understand that coaching is a noble endeavor meant to serve the greater good. By fulfilling this mission, coaches are no longer living solely for themselves – but for the worthwhile goals they pursue.

True happiness stems from experiencing genuine joy and satisfaction in living a purposeful life dedicated to adding value to others. Personal fulfillment arises from feeling part of something greater than oneself, knowing that one’s actions make a difference in others’ lives. In other words, it’s about contributing to the visualization of a better world today, tomorrow, and beyond.

I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

Albert Schweitzer

3. Empowering people to lead themselves

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Lao Tzu

Coaching principles

Believing in people’s potential is crucial to bring out their best. This practice aligns with Coaching Principle #1, but goes beyond just acknowledging human capacity. Effective coaches are attentive listeners who ask thought-provoking questions that enable coachees to discover solutions by themselves. At its core, it is about empowering individuals to lead and make decisions for themselves, rather than directly solving their problems.

Leadership starts with leading oneself before leading others. Self-leadership is one of the most valuable “gifts” a coach can offer to others.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.

Lao Tzu

True empowerment arises when you no longer seek to control others – but instead enable them to take responsibility and exercise self-determination over their choices and actions. Granting others the freedom to decide and act means holding them accountable for the outcomes of their decisions. Empowerment creates an environment that fosters self-leadership, equipping individuals with the capacity and willingness to develop mastery. This is one of the most significant objectives of coaching.

4. Influencing rather than enforcing

Use positive influence to energize people so that they collaborate with you because they want to, not because they have to.

Jack Canfield & Peter Chee

In order to establish a successful relationship, a wise coach needs to be aware of the importance of empowering their coachee to take charge. The key to achieving this lies in the coach’s ability to influence – rather than exerting their power.

Influence involves motivating others to take action or make decisions on their own, without any external coercion. As per Laura Whitworth, co-author of Co-Active Coaching, this coaching principle revolves around discussing the coachee’s objectives and converting them into a concrete action plan.

It’s crucial to note that the role of a coach differs significantly from that of a superior. While a superior is likely to instruct and utilize their authority to accomplish tasks, such an approach does not align with the principles of coaching. Instead, coaches should focus on collaborating with coachees and avoid behaving like an autocratic boss. Establishing a positive relationship is essential in enabling the coachee to take decisive and enthusiastic action towards realizing their goals.

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.

John C. Maxwell

5. Taking on challenges

Problems are to the mind what exercise is to the muscles; they toughen and make strong.

Norman Vincent Peale

Adversity is inevitable in coaching, and often manifests itself in various forms. For instance:

• You may come across people who desire a consultant to provide them with all the answers they need. However, this is not the way coaching is meant to work.
• Coachees who are unsure of what they want and where they are heading for may prove to be disorienting to work with. In each conversation, they constantly change their minds, leading to a vicious circle.
• Some people see coaching as a platform for social discourse, where they vent their frustrations without any tangible results.

Every challenge is an opportunity for growth and learning. By embracing this coaching principle, you can remain motivated and be ready to employ various techniques, models, and skills to overcome any adversity.

In coaching, failures are only temporary and not meant to be dwelt on; instead, we need to focus on learning from mistakes. When faced with challenges, try to identify the benefits and approach them with optimism. This way, both parties may truly experience the joy of coaching.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Nelson Mandela

6. Being passionate about growing people

When we push others down, we can’t help but push ourselves down. When we bring others up, we can’t help but bring ourselves up.

Jack Canfield & Peter Chee

In his book Winning with People, Dr. John C. Maxwell introduces the Boomerang Principle, which revolves around the idea that helping others also benefits us. Despite not receiving immediate benefits from those we have coached, the gratification of supporting others is priceless.

Coaching is an invaluable experience that not only helps those coached – but also contributes to one’s own personal growth. The zeal to guide and support others motivates us to reflect on and improve ourselves.

To effectively help others, we must first enhance our own skills.

Consequently, to influence others, we must continuously develop ourselves.

It’s in giving that we receive.

Francis

7. Learning from other coaches

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Socrates

Coaching principles

Coaches often face obstacles when it comes to receiving coaching – these include arrogance, complacency, and a lack of commitment. Some coaches may believe they have already reached the pinnacle of their profession; hence, they do not strive for further improvement. Others may become discouraged and lose motivation when the effort required to climb higher seems too daunting.

The most significant hurdle to learning is the belief that one already knows everything. This self-limiting attitude prevents us from seeking out new information and expanding our knowledge. Additionally, complacency closes one’s mind to innovative ideas – making it difficult to acknowledge and learn from mistakes. As coaches, it is crucial for us to be aware of these barriers and actively work to overcome them.

Becoming a great coach requires a continuous effort to acquire new habits – and a commitment to ongoing learning and seeking guidance from others. By recognizing and addressing these obstacles, coaches may be better equipped to refine their skills and help people realize their goals.

To be a great coach, you yourself need to be humble and coachable.

Jack Canfield & Peter Chee

The above-mentioned 7 coaching principles are compiled based on the first chaper of the publication “Coaching for Breakthrough Success” – by Peter Chee & Jack Canfield.

Other resources you may be interested in:

• 10x Thinking: Elevate Your Success to New Heights
• Winning at All Costs: Pitfall on the Path to Success
• Taking Credit for Others’ Work: A Detrimental Habit
• 32 Self Discovery Activities for Everyone