What makes an outstanding coach?

These are the sorts of characteristics that outstanding coaches possess.

* The confidence but not arrogance to support and challenge another person effectively.
* The ability to be client centred, to set our ego to one side and thereby not to be thinking about ourselves or our own issues and to keep the coachee focused on their own reality, issues and opportunity options.
* To be able to ask good questions, even if some are not fruitful and the skills to probe and help the coachee to distill the essence of their issues and agenda - and to translate this into actionable areas.
* To use both their intuition as well as logic in talking through their situation and in considering their optionsd and actions.

* The ability to challenge a person to get real about their situation and to get really committed to doing something about. Empathy and rapport such that the coachee will trust themselves tell the coach everything relevant about their situation - even things that they may not have dared to share with anyone else.

* To possess and use their breadth and depth of understanding of people, of organisations, of relationships of groups and teams, to the full advantage of the coachee.

* The ability to take effective notes either during a session and whilst talking or listening to a coachee or shortly after the session has ended.

* To make the links between different aspects, pieces of information and themes within a session or sessions.

* To be non-judgemental of the coachee and to demonstrate flexibility of thinking to adjust and help the coachee to adjust to new information and feelings as they emerge