Life Coaching Mistakes

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Introduction

Working as a Life Coach for several years I have learned from personal experience and observed the many mistakes that are made within my industry. These mistakes often destroy the Coaching dynamics between the Life Coach and Client and they can literally push people away from Coaching all together. Many of these mistakes are rather obvious and can be avoided rather easily, while others are very subtle in nature, however their impact on the process of Life Coaching cannot be underestimated.

This blog post and accompanying Mind Map delves into each of these Life Coaching mistakes and outlines the impact they have on the Client and the Coaching Session. Moreover, the article attempts to outline solutions that can hopefully guide Life Coaches through their Coaching Sessions far more effectively. In addition, this Mind Map can also be used as an effective Reference Tool to help us improve the quality of our communication with other people.

Personal Perceptions

This Branch of the IQ Matrix outlines the mistakes that Life Coaches make pertaining to their Personal Perceptions of the Client’s circumstances.

Diagnosing Psychological Conditions

This should be left to Psychologists and Psychiatrists who have been thoroughly trained in this area.

Making Quick Assumptions

Making assumptions about the Circumstances of a Client’s life without fully understanding the BIG picture is a critical Coaching mistake. Additionally, making Assumptions about a Client’s Beliefs, Feelings, Perspectives, Values, Weaknesses, Strengths, and their Thought Process can affect the progress of a Coaching Session. A Life Coach needs to have a comprehensive understanding of a Client’s behavior before any concrete conclusions about a Client’s psychological tendencies can be reached.

Thinking Narrowly

By not taking into consideration wider circumstances and Causes that are affecting a Client’s current reality may significantly lead the Client astray.

Misunderstanding a Client

This includes misunderstanding a Client’s Needs, Wants and Abilities as a result of assumptions that have been made.

Personal Communication

This Branch of the IQ Matrix outlines the mistakes that Life Coaches make pertaining to their Communication style and preferences.

Not Listening Intently

Not listening intently to the Client’s words and to the underlying feelings and intentions behind the words they speak can lead to miscommunication and ultimately lead the Client down the wrong path.

Not leading by Example

A Life Coach effectively becomes a Role Model for their Clients. Their personal actions must therefore be congruent and consistent with their advice, otherwise conflicts may arise.

Not sharing Thoughts, Inklings & Personal Experiences

The best way for a Client to learn is to gather information from an alternate perspective – from someone else’s experiences and mistakes. A Life Coach must therefore be willing to share their thoughts and inklings at all times in order to help steer their Client in the right direction.

Not Paraphrasing Personal Understanding

If a Life Coach isn’t paraphrasing their Client’s words back to the Client, than they probably haven’t fully grasped a clear understanding of their Client’s perspectives. Moreover, paraphrasing enables the Client to correct misunderstandings or any assumptions that the Life Coach may be making.

Not Asking Effective Questions

If a Life Coach isn’t asking Insightful, Open-Ended and Reflective Questions, than their questions are simply not going to assist their Client in making the changes they desire to realize in their life. The more insightful the Question, the more Thought is required, and the more likely the Client will be able to find a suitable answer.

Not Modeling the Client

In order to create deep levels of rapport a Life Coach must always be modeling a Client’s Body Movement, Language, Facial Expressions, Vocal Tendencies, Words and Communication Style. This must of course be done in a very subtle and non-obtrusive manner.

Judging or Criticizing Client

A Life Coach must at all times remain neutral on all issues, and should effectively utilize the Power of asking Effective Questions to glide over sensitive topics. If they are unable to do this with a particular Client, than they should stop Coaching that Client immediately.

Avoiding Touchy Subjects

Usually Clients will want to avoid sensitive subjects because they may be embarrassed or ashamed of their behaviors and actions. However, a Life Coach must tackle these issues, fully understanding that the answers to deep rooted psychological issues lie within these sensitive areas of a Client’s life.

Correcting a Client’s Language

A Life Coach isn’t an English Teacher, and should therefore not correct a Client’s Language. Instead they should focus on helping their Client overcome obstacles that are preventing them from achieving the life they seek to live.

Assuming Your Truths Equal Client’s Truths

A Life Coach should never make the mistake of assuming that their Client’s View of the World is similar to theirs. Each individual’s truths are made up of their own interpretations of the reality and should therefore be viewed from the Client’s own unique perspectives.

Telling Client They Are Wrong

Everything is only a perspective, and perspectives change as a result of new insights and understandings. Instead of telling a Client that they are wrong, a Life Coach must ask Effective Questions to help their Client see their circumstances from a new perspective that they may never have considered before.

Giving Unqualified Advice

Unless a Life Coach is also qualified in other professional fields, they should avoid at all costs giving their Clients Financial or Legal advice.

Using Jargon

Jargon belongs on the playground and not in a Professional Environment where someone else is paying for your time. Jargon can also be easily misunderstood, which can lead to unfortunate consequences.

Using Email for Touchy Subjects

Sensitive issues must be discussed and not handled over an email client. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings.

Going Overboard

A Life Coach that is too Noisy, Blunt, Friendly, Quiet, Passive or Professional is not thinking about their Client’s Needs, but rather their own. Uniquely adapting your approach to each Client is critical towards being a successful Life Coach.

Being Overly Linear, Optimistic & Directive

A Life Coach guides their Client down the right path in a Realistic and Creative manner. Anything that moves away from this strategy is not considered Life Coaching.

Personal Approach

This Branch of the IQ Matrix outlines the mistakes that Life Coaches make pertaining to their general Coaching Approach.

Talking About Self

A Client is paying you for your time and guidance. They don’t want to hear your Life Story unless it directly relates to their circumstances. And even then a Life Coach must be brief and to the point.

Getting Sidetracked

It’s easy to get sidetracked during a typical conversation. However, when it comes to Life Coaching this is inexcusable. Focus on the task at hand, because your Client’s livelihood is at stake.

Breaking Confidentiality

Anything that is discussed between a Life Coach and their Client is confidential. A Life Coach must therefore not discuss the Client’s circumstances with anybody else – this includes their partner.

Investing Emotions into Client

In order for a Life Coach to remain neutral, they must never invest their emotions into a Client’s life or circumstances. These emotions will create a fog that will distract them from the real issues at hand.

Working from Personal Belief Systems

Each Client has a unique set of Beliefs about their life and circumstances. These beliefs are likely very different to your own, and therefore a Life Coach must not assume that what they believe is what their Client also believes.

Coaching Uncoachable Clients

Some Clients are simply not yet ready for Coaching often due to their current state of mind. A Life Coach must spot these types of Clients and refrain from Coaching them. If they ignore this advice they may suffer a backlash from their Client who becomes unhappy with the progress they are making.

Coaching All Client’s Same Way

It’s okay for a Life Coach to have a set of guidelines and a process that they undertake while coaching Clients. However, this process must be flexible in order to accommodate for each Client’s unique Perspectives and Needs.

Taking Responsibility for Client’s Successes & Failures

Life Coaching is all about empowering people, and helping them to take full responsibility for their lives and circumstances. It is therefore irresponsible for a Life Coach to accept praise for a Client’s Successes or to point the finger at themselves for their Client’s Failures. A Client must become accountable and take full responsibility for everything, otherwise they will simply fail to gain from their coaching experience.

Taking on Another Role

During conversation it is easy to take on other Roles in order to meet the needs of the interaction. However, a Life Coach must be careful not to take on another Role such as that of a Parent, Friend or Therapist. Each of these Roles may seem suitable in that moment, however the long-term effects of these Roles on the Client’s continued growth and development could be riddled with unwelcome consequences.

Not Being Receptive or Patient

A Life Coach must understand that each Client has their own Psychological Speedometer. Some will move quicker, while others will take time to adapt to the changing circumstances of their life that the process of Life Coaching is bringing about. As a result the Life Coach must be Patient and Receptive to their Client’s Needs at all times.

Not Laying Ground Rules

If there are no Ground Rules, than a Life Coach will struggle to maintain control, and the Client will suffer the consequences of not having a “Working Compass” to steer them in the right direction. Ground Rules also help prevent time being wasted on unnecessary activities.

Not Initiating Topics for Discussion

The purpose of Life Coaching is to direct the conversation and to guide the Client down the right path. This involves initiating topics for discussion, and not waiting for the Client to take the reigns. Like a Sports Coach, a Life Coach observes from afar and brings to attention their understanding of what is going on out in the field of play.

Appearing Affected By Client’s Criticisms

Everyone is human, and things may not always go as planned, and as a result the Client may not always be happy with their progress or with the direction of their Coaching. A Life Coach must understand this, and must stay calm and collected when a Client is critical of their approach. Only in this way can an effective solution be found.

Frustrated with Client’s Progress & Attitude

A Life Coach must never appear to be frustrated with a Client’s Progress or Attitude. They must instead look for solutions that may resolve these roadblocks. Whether these solutions are found within themselves or within their Client’s perspectives, it does not matter. All that matters is that Frustration does not direct the focus on the Coaching Sessions. However, if it does get to that stage, than the Life Coach must make a decision of whether or not to continue coaching this Client.

Assigning Client Tasks

This Branch of the IQ Matrix outlines the mistakes that Life Coaches make pertaining to the tasks that are assigned to their Clients during a typical Coaching Session.

Over Complicating Tasks

Keep Things Simple Stupid! All tasks should be simple, yet substantially challenging in order to motivate a Client to complete them successfully.

Protecting the Client

It’s understandable to want to protect your Client from Failure, Rejection, Disappointment, and from Making Mistakes, however it is also counterproductive to Coaching. We only really learn when we fail, when we make mistakes, when we are rejected over and over again. And we only succeed when we have failed time and time again. Help your Client understand that failure, rejection, disappointment and mistakes are built upon perspectives and not facts. As such we learn from these experiences and better ourselves for the future.

Promising Results

Nothing is ever certain due to the unpredictable nature of human beings and circumstances. As such, a Life Coach must never promise results. Instead they can provide their Client with possible outcomes, none of which is certain to eventuate. Moreover they must explain to their Client that every outcome is dependent upon them and their commitment to make the changes they want to realize in their lives.

Pushing a Client too Hard or too Quickly

Every Client needs someone to push them beyond their Comfort Zone. However, too far beyond their Comfort Zone and Psychological Paralysis strikes and nothing is achieved. A Life Coach must therefore come to familiarize themselves with each and everyone of their Client’s “speed of change”, and adapt accordingly.

Not Learning from Client

Every Client has something to teach their Life Coach about their Coaching Approach. A good Life Coach understands this and effectively learns from every Coaching experience.

Not Instructing Thoroughly & Clearly

Clear and thorough instructions are absolutely critical to effective Life Coaching. If a Client is even slightly confused, than this automatically raises a Red Flag and could lead to unpredictable consequences that may push a Client away from Coaching or lead them down an undesirable path.

Forcing a Client to Change

Change happens naturally when all psychological, behavioral, physical, social and environmental issues have been accounted for and successfully managed through the process of Life Coaching. A Life Coach must realize this and clearly understand that if a Client is struggling with “Change” that there must be hidden underlying issues that have not as yet been accounted for. Identify and manage them successfully, and Change will begin to happen naturally.

Accepting Client’s Unrealistic Dreams & Goals

As impossible as this may seem, many Clients do not think realistically about their Dreams and Goals . The purpose of Life Coaching in such instances is to ground this person in reality, while expanding their horizons and breaking down their objectives into minuscule manageable chunks and smaller objectives. The purpose here is not to dishearten the Client, but to focus their attention on smaller fragments of their goals one step at a time.

Avoiding Client Money Problems

Whether we accept this or not, Money is usually at the core of most problems that Clients face. Deal with these issues, and it usually opens the doors to a world of new possibilities. However, it’s not always about “money”, but rather about a Client’s perspective about money that hurts them most. Change this perspective, help them manage their psychology more effectively, and miraculously their money problems seem to disappear.

Expecting too Little or too Much from a Client

It’s difficult, however a Life Coach must subdue their expectations. When they expect too little from a Client, the Client usually accommodates them. When they expect too much from a Client, than the Client can easily become overwhelmed. Instead a Life Coach must focus on the Client’s Needs and effectively guide them down the path of least resistance and greatest fulfillment.

Final Thoughts

As with every profession, Life Coaching brings with it a delicate balance of techniques, strategies and tools that when used correctly can bring about positive change within people. However, when misused or rather abused, these tools can impact a Client’s livelihood in very unpredictable ways.

As Life Coaches we have a responsibility to protect our Client’s best interests at all times. And as a result we must be very vigilant of our every word, behavior and action in order to ensure that it is consistent with the intent of meeting our Client’s Needs now and in the future.

A great resource for those wanting to get started with Life Coaching is the Coachville website. It is very much a central hub for information about Life Coaching. They also have a intriguing range of handy tools and information for people starting out within the Coaching Industry.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any further queries or questions, or would like to share your experiences about this topic, than please do so in the comments section below. Also please don’t forget to download the free pdf of the IQ Matrix at the IQ Matrix Shop.