Interview questions for coaching. Essential Coaching Interview Questions: Insights for Aspiring Coaches and Athletic Directors

What are the most important questions asked during coaching interviews. How can coaches prepare for these interviews effectively. What qualities do athletic directors look for in potential coaches.

Understanding the Role and Expectations

When interviewing for a coaching position, candidates should be prepared to articulate their understanding of the role and its expectations. Athletic directors often begin with foundational questions to gauge a candidate’s motivation and alignment with the school’s values.

One of the primary questions often asked is: “Why do you want to be the head coach at our school?” This question allows candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of the institution and express their genuine interest in the position. It’s crucial to research the school beforehand and tailor your response to show how your goals align with the school’s mission and values.

Another common inquiry is: “How important is your role as a teacher at our school?” This question highlights the dual nature of many coaching positions, especially at the high school level. Coaches are often expected to be educators first, with athletics serving as an extension of the classroom.

Key Qualities Athletic Directors Seek

• Passion for education and athletics
• Understanding of the school’s culture and values
• Ability to balance teaching and coaching responsibilities
• Commitment to student-athlete development

Coaching Philosophy and Program Vision

Athletic directors are keenly interested in a candidate’s coaching philosophy and vision for the program. This helps them assess whether the coach’s approach aligns with the school’s athletic goals and overall mission.

A frequently asked question is: “What is your vision for the football program at our school?” This allows candidates to outline their plans for program development, including strategies for player recruitment, team culture building, and long-term success.

Coaches should also be prepared to discuss their definition of success. Is success measured solely by wins and losses, or does it encompass broader aspects such as player development, academic achievement, and character building?

Elements of a Strong Coaching Philosophy

1. Emphasis on holistic athlete development
2. Clear goals and expectations for players
3. Strategies for building team culture and unity
4. Approach to discipline and accountability
5. Integration of academic success into athletic programs

Experience and Accomplishments

Interviewers often delve into a candidate’s past experiences and achievements to gauge their readiness for the position. Questions about previous coaching roles, championships won, and notable accomplishments are common.

Candidates may be asked: “What has been your most important accomplishment as a coach?” This question provides an opportunity to highlight significant achievements, whether they’re related to team performance, player development, or program building.

It’s also important to be prepared to discuss challenges and setbacks. A question like “What has been your biggest disappointment?” allows candidates to demonstrate resilience, self-reflection, and the ability to learn from difficult experiences.

Showcasing Relevant Experience

• Highlight specific roles and responsibilities in previous positions
• Discuss successful strategies implemented in past programs
• Share stories of player development and team improvement
• Explain how past experiences have prepared you for this role

Tactical Approach and Game Strategy

Athletic directors often inquire about a coach’s tactical approach to the game. This includes questions about offensive and defensive philosophies, special teams strategies, and game preparation methods.

A common question is: “What kind of offense and defense do you run?” While the specific answer will vary depending on the sport, it’s important to articulate a clear, well-thought-out strategy that aligns with your overall coaching philosophy.

Candidates should also be prepared to discuss their approach to game preparation. How do you scout opponents? What is your weekly practice structure? How do you adjust your game plan based on the strengths and weaknesses of your team and your opponents?

Key Elements of Game Strategy

1. Offensive and defensive systems
2. Adaptability to player strengths and weaknesses
3. In-game adjustment strategies
4. Use of analytics and technology in game planning
5. Player rotation and substitution philosophy

Player Development and Team Building

A crucial aspect of coaching is the ability to develop players and build a cohesive team. Athletic directors often ask questions to assess a candidate’s approach to these areas.

One such question might be: “How do you develop athletes from freshman to senior year?” This allows candidates to outline their long-term player development strategy, including physical training, skill development, and mental preparation.

Team building is equally important. Candidates may be asked about their strategies for fostering team unity, managing conflicts, and creating a positive team culture.

Effective Player Development Strategies

• Individualized training plans
• Progressive skill development programs
• Mental toughness and leadership training
• Off-season development opportunities
• Integration of multi-sport athletes

Community Engagement and Program Building

Athletic directors often seek coaches who can engage with the broader community and build support for their programs. This involves working with parents, boosters, and community members to create a strong foundation for the athletic program.

A common question in this area is: “How will you include parents, teachers, and boosters in your program?” Candidates should be prepared to discuss strategies for communication, volunteer management, and fundraising.

Another important aspect is generating interest in the program. Coaches may be asked about their plans to increase participation, especially in sports that may be struggling with numbers.

Community Engagement Tactics

1. Regular communication with parents and stakeholders
2. Community service initiatives for student-athletes
3. Youth camps and clinics
4. Partnerships with local businesses and organizations
5. Social media and marketing strategies

Handling Challenges and Conflicts

Athletic directors often use situational questions to assess how a coach might handle various challenges and conflicts. These questions help evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving skills, decision-making abilities, and interpersonal skills.

One common scenario presented is: “If a parent approached you after a game to discuss playing time, how would you respond?” This question assesses the coach’s ability to handle potentially confrontational situations professionally and effectively.

Another scenario might involve player discipline: “How would you handle your starting quarterback missing practice before a championship game?” This tests the coach’s ability to balance team rules and expectations with the pressures of competition.

Key Skills for Conflict Resolution

• Active listening
• Clear communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Fairness and consistency
• Problem-solving ability

Program Administration and Management

Coaching involves significant administrative responsibilities, and athletic directors often inquire about a candidate’s approach to these tasks. This can include questions about budgeting, equipment management, scheduling, and compliance with school and league regulations.

Candidates might be asked: “How do you distribute and collect uniforms?” While this may seem like a minor detail, it speaks to a coach’s organizational skills and attention to detail.

Another common area of inquiry is fundraising. Many athletic programs rely on additional funding sources, so coaches may be asked about their experience with and approach to fundraising activities.

Essential Administrative Skills

1. Budgeting and financial management
2. Equipment inventory and maintenance
3. Scheduling and logistics coordination
4. Compliance with school, league, and state regulations
5. Effective delegation and staff management

By thoroughly preparing for these key areas of inquiry, coaching candidates can demonstrate their readiness for the role and make a strong impression during the interview process. Remember, the goal is not just to secure the position, but to show how you can contribute to the school’s athletic program and overall mission.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS DATABASE – CoachFore.org

COACHES/ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, this is an impossible project without YOU!  It’s very easy to help me build the LARGEST DATABASE OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN THE WORLD!

Just copy and paste this below in to an email and send it to me at chris@eightlaces dot org.

1.  What job did you interview for?

2.  What level of football? (Youth, High School, College, NFL)

3.  What school or team was it for?  

City/State too please.  (If you want this to be anonymous, put anonymous or leave blank.)

More or less than 900 students?

4.  What were the questions?

5.  What is your name?  (If you want this to be anonymous, put anonymous or leave blank.)

By sending me an email at [email protected], you are giving me permission to use what you provide.

 Round 1 of a head football coach interview

1.    Why do you want to be the head football coach at X High School?
2.    What can you tell us about X High School?
3.    How important is your role as a teacher at X High School?
4.    What are you certified to teach in and/or willing to teach?
5.    Tell us about yourself: What do you stand for as a human? What makes you get up every morning, and do the things you do?
6.    What are your expectations for your student-athletes?
7.    What are your expectations for the athletic administration and administration of school?
8.    How will you judge the success of the overall football program?
9.    What is your vision for the football program at X High School?
10. Define success.
11. If we were to ask you to be part of a faculty talent show, would you? Why? What would you perform?

 This was for a varsity head football coaching school at a school of over 4,000 kids in Southern California.  This comes from an anonymous source.

Talk about experience as it relates to this position.
Why this high school?
Experience with fundraising?
Multi sport athletes?
Parent approaches you on a Friday night after a game to discuss an issue, how do you handle it?
How do you measure success
How do you handle your starting QB who missed practice on Thursday, you’re playing league rival Friday for championship?
What kind of offense and defense do you run?
Questions for us?

This comes from an anonymous source in Southern California. An interview for Head Football Coach job at a “small school” of about 500 students.

Your coaching philosophy?
Unique attributes you have for this position?
How will you include parents in your program?
How do you develop athletes from frosh to senior year?
What paid positions outside of a school district have you had in athletics?
How do you include community, parents, teachers, boosters in program?
How you will make sure you’re running a safe program?
What championships have you won?
Why do kids play athletics?
Anything else we should know?

From Athletic Director Chris Fore at Excelsior Charter High School in Victorville, California. Enrollment: 850 

Years experience coaching?   Where?

What has been your most important accomplishment as a coach?

What has been your biggest disappointment?

What are your coaching goals?  Short term?  Long term?

What are your strengths as a coach?  List your top 3.

What are your weaknesses as a coach?  List your top 3.

When your team encounters a problem, such as irritation with a teammate or a member of the coaching staff, how do you reach a good resolution?

How do you distribute and collect uniforms?

How do you go about conducting your first Parent Meeting and what do are some important items to go over with them.

What steps are you going to take to generate interest in girls getting involved in the softball program here?

What steps are you going to take to get the “outside” community interested in the program here?

What is your philosophy of Strength and Conditioning in your program?

SITUATIONAL COACHING QUESTIONS

What do you know about our  program?

Special teams philosophy?

Offensive and defensive philosophy?  What is it?

How do you prepare your team for a game?

How do you work with officials? What is your philosophy on the way that you treat them?

Ever been tossed from a game?  If so, what did you do and what did you learn from it?

If a parent approached you after practice or a game on your way to your car and wanted to talk with you about playing time, what would you do?  How would you respond?

What do you think is the most important aspect of a championship (sport) team?

Our athletic department motto here is “The Eagle Way: Building Character AND Winning Championships. ”  How will you do both of these things in our softball program?

Do you have any questions about our program?

Your time commitment?  Compensation?  Facilities?  Equipment?  Fundraising?

From An Athletic Director Lance Pedersen at Wilton Jr/Sr High in Wilton, Iowa.  Enrollment: 250

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
2. What is your philosophy on coaching?
3. Give me your greatest strength in coaching and then your greatest weakness.
4. What is your philosophy on weightlifting?
5. How would you deal with players who are late to practices or games?
6. What is your plan for parent communication?  How would you deal with a parent who is irate after a game about their sons playing time and wants to speak with you as soon as you come out of the locker room?
7. How do you plan on conducting your summer sessions?
8. How do you envision you youth programs here in town and to what extent will you be involved?
9. What offense will you install here first?
10. What is your defensive philosophy?
11. How do you plan on working with the other coaches in the other programs as we all seem to share the same kids?
12. We have a music program scheduled the same night as a late practice. How will you deal with this situation?
13. A player misses several practices for a family vacation how will you deal with this?
14. Tell me about your favorite coach.
15. What can you add to this program if you were to be the (assistant or head coach)?
16. Tell me your most memorable moment as a high school athlete.
17. What do you owe a parent who is not happy with you?

Interview for Head Football Coach Position

 Fruitland High School in Fruitland, Idaho; sent to me by Kyle Napiontek

• What is your coaching background?
• How would you assemble a coaching staff?
• How do you delegate responsibility to a coaching staff?
• How have to handled parents who have complained about their son?
• How would you handle rumors of a player taking drugs or alcohol?
• What is your offensive and defensive philosophies?
• What is your vision of a successful program?
• What kind of off-season program would you put in place?
• Why do you want to coach at our school?
• What are you most proud of in your coaching career?
• What are your biggest weaknesses?

From @CoachNast

What is a typical day of practice?

What will your sidelines look like during a game?

From Jeremy Sarina ‏@CoachJSarina

How do you plan to work with the administration?

How will you raise school spirit? What is your off season program?

INTERVIEW FOR HEAD FOOTBALL COACH POSITION AT SOUTH ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL IN ALBANY, OREGON; 1250 STUDENTS

SENT TO ME BY JOSH WOLFRAM

1. Please tell us a little bit about your background in the game of football?

2. Why are you interested in becoming a staff member here at South Albany high school?

3. What is your philosophy in regards to finding assistant coaches?

4. What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself?

5. What three adjectives would current students use to describe you as a teacher and coach?

6. If named head coach what is the first thing you would do as head coach?

7. How important is the youth football program to you and how do you see yourself being involved in it?

8. Teaching in the weight room can be a safety risk how do you as a teacher minimize the risk of injury Of students?

9. If you and another member in your department have a disagreement how would you go about handling the situation?

10. What is one unique thing about you or your class that you do as a teacher?

11. Please diagram a three play package that you would run out of your offense?

12.  Please diagram your base defense against a pro I set?

13. Please describe to us how you would teach your defense to stop the option out of an I formation?

14. Please tell us how you would handle a disgruntled parent that approaches you immediately after a Wednesday practice?

15. If a football player comes to you and ask you for advise on whether or not he should play another sport in the off season, or should he just hit the weight room with the other football players. what do you recommend to him?

16. What are the first three things you will do as head coach of South Albany and when will you start?

17. Is there anything you would like to tell us about your football coaching ability or your teaching ability that we have not covered in the questions?

INTERVIEW FOR HEAD FOOTBALL COACH POSITION AT YAMHILL-CARLTON HS IN YAMHILL, OREGON; 639 STUDENTS 

SENT TO ME BY JOSH WOLFRAM

1. How do you define a winning season?

2. Is character or ability more important to you and why?

3. After a season of being coached by you what would a player say about your football program?

4. How important is a youth football program and how do you make connections with the local youth program?

5. How do you transition into becoming the new head football coach?

6. Being off staff how will you maintain positive regular communications with the athletes parents, athletic director and administration?

7. Give me a typical Thursday walk-through before Friday league game?

8. What is your standard offense of set?

9. What is your standard defense of set?

10. What types of responsibilities will you delegate to your assistant coaches?

11. What are some things a head coach could or should do to improve the program overall?

12. What are your feelings on community members Or parents Volunteering as coaches?

13. How do you deal with a student athlete who has conflicts between other school activities and football?

14. How do you deal with a student athlete when he insist on more playing time? Parents?

15. Why do you want to be the head football coach at Yamhill Carlton high school?

16. What do you want us to know about you that we haven’t asked?

25 Coach Interview Questions and Answers

So you want to get a job as a coach?

Maybe you want to get your first coaching job. Or maybe you want to move to a bigger, better team.

Whether you coach kids or a professional team, this is how you ace your interview and get the coaching job of your dreams.

What’s your experience as a coach?

If you have experience as a coach, detail what teams you worked for and for how long you coached them.

If you have a good track record, mention the trophies you won or the percentage of wins you had.

If you have no coaching experience, talk about your love for sports.

Mention any other professional experience ‌relevant to the job. Especially if it involved leadership or organizational skills.

Why do you want to coach our team?

The best answer depends on what type of team you’re coaching. Choose one or more of the following options:

• If coaching a successful team: It would make me proud to be part of a successful institution, coaching a team with such a bright history.
• If coaching an underperforming team: I understand the team is not doing well and I like a good challenge. I want to help you achieve success.
• If coaching kids: I like your youth program and I love to transform kids into outstanding athletes.

If you’re a fan of the team, say it. If it’s your hometown, mention your connection to the local community.

What do you know about our team?

Make sure you do your research before going to an interview.

Read about the team’s history, how long they have existed, and their ups and downs.

Showing interest will help you get the job.

Why did you become a coach?

• I love sports and coaching is a way to stay connected to my passion.
• I like the competitive aspect of sports, love to win and help others win.
• I like to work with kids and help them grow to their full potential.

What qualities do you have that will help you be successful?

• I’m competitive and don’t shy away from a good challenge.
• I’ve been involved in sports for a long time. I have a lot of experience in coaching.
• I have good leadership skills (detail your experiences, eg: if you have experience managing people say it).
• I have good organizational skills (once again, detail your experiences with this).

It’s best if you give specific examples for each quality you mention.

What adversities have you faced as a coach? How do you deal with them?

They want to know how you deal with adversity, stress and setbacks. These are common in coaching, especially because so many things are out of your control.

Mention how you overcame those critical moments and how it made you a better and more experienced coach.

What was your most successful moment as a coach?

If you won a big trophy, that’s an obvious answer. A victory against a strong opposing team is also a significant moment to remember.

If you’ve won nothing, talk about how you helped structure a team from scratch. Or how you helped a player going through a bad moment.

It doesn’t have to be about actual victories. Anything that shows you overcoming tough challenges is good enough.

Will you change the team’s culture?

Some teams are looking for continuity, others are looking for a break with the past. Research the team before your interview.

An obvious answer would be:

• I will work with staff to see what needs to change and what is working well. I want to bring a competitive attitude and sportsmanship to the team.

What’s your leadership and coaching philosophy?

Are you a disciplinarian? Are you authoritarian or permissive? Or maybe somewhere in the middle?

Do you believe in pushing athletes to their limits or do you have a more balanced approach? How much do you focus on fitness? What about tactics?

The middle ground is the safest bet. Once again, researching the team beforehand will help you ace this question.

What is your playing style?

They want to know how you approach the game from a tactical and/or strategic perspective.

This is an important question and an opportunity to show off your knowledge of the game.

However, a suitable answer depends on the sport and the person who is doing the interview.

How do you improve an underperforming team?

Once again, this depends on the sport and the particular needs of the team. A valid answer would be:

• I would analyze the team, see what’s working and what needs improvement.
• I would set goals for the team and for each athlete.
• I would then work directly with the staff to improve the team on a player-by-player basis.
• We would work on fitness as well as tactical aspects of the game.

How do you keep updated on new tactical and training methods?

• I network with colleagues, read books on the subject, follow experts on the internet, and consume as much sports as possible.

Be prepared to give some examples.

What will you say to players in the first meeting?

• Introduce myself, break the ice, and then set expectations for the team. I would tell them we need to dream high and work hard to achieve our goals.
• They should believe in themselves and believe in the process: gradual improvement is the key to success.

How do you coach an athlete who is struggling to improve?

• I would communicate with the athlete and work on a plan to improve performance.
• I would try to understand if the problem is psychological, fitness or tactical and plan accordingly.
• I would set and measure goals to track improvement‌.

How do you discipline players who get in trouble outside sports?

• It depends on the severity of the infraction. Anything from a warning, a few games on the bench, or suspension from the team if the infraction is serious enough.
• However, I believe we should avoid suspension as much as possible. We should focus on rehabilitation and preventing inappropriate behavior through education.

What would you do if an athlete challenges your authority?

• I would make him understand there is a hierarchy that should be respected. The team needs stability and peace, and his behavior threatens everyone’s hard work.

How do you keep players motivated and group morale high?

• I believe continuous improvement and focusing on the next event is the key to success. Seasons are long and athletes need to keep themselves grounded to keep motivation high.
• I would also emphasize that everyone will have an opportunity to perform and show their worth.

How would you help an athlete recover from an injury?

• I would work with staff on a reintegration plan. We would increase training workload slowly until athlete recovery is complete.

How do you recruit high-quality athletes?

• By engaging the local community and encouraging good prospects to join the team.
• Using referrals from staff and existing athletes.
• Maintaining a formal/informal network of scouts who can assist in recruiting.
• If available, making use of performance statistics.

Will you keep existing staff? How will you build your staff?

• I will assess existing staff strengths and weaknesses and work with management to either replace or hire staff where it’s needed.
• If possible, I would want to use as much of the existing staff as possible.

You don’t want to appear like you need too many resources or be insensitive to existing staff.

What is your plan for the first 30 days?

• Assess team needs for staff, player recruitment and development.
• Establish a connection with athletes.
• Create a plan for athlete improvement.
• Establish season goals and a plan to achieve them.

How would you handle an angry parent wanting to see their child get more playing time?

• I would tell them everyone has an opportunity to play. However, that will happen according to the team’s needs.
• I would assure them lack of playtime is not a rejection of the child or their abilities, and that they will have more opportunities to play in the future.

How would you handle fan and parent pressure if the team is not doing well?

• I would take a long-term view of results rather than feel pressured by fans’ wishes for short-term results.
• While a coach should be able to learn from his mistakes, he shouldn’t allow external pressure to influence his work.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Answer this one with care. While everyone has ambitions, you don’t want to make it seem like you will leave as soon as a better opportunity comes:

• I want to help the team achieve success and improve my skills and knowledge as a coach.

Why should we hire you?

• My coaching experience, passion for sports, and firm belief in hard work makes me a suitable candidate for this position. I believe I have what it takes to help you achieve success.

7 coaching questions for an effective session

7 coaching questions for an effective session

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The start of the new program will be published soon.

Why ask questions in coaching

The one who asks the questions controls the process. The impact of coaching depends on the types of questions the coach asks. Sometimes people mistakenly think that coaching offers answers to clients’ problems. However, the goal of the coach is to ask open-ended questions that will stimulate the person to think about their request.

By asking open-ended (i.e., those that cannot be answered in one word yes/no) coaching questions, the coach gives you clarity; thus allowing you to think outside the box to find answers.

In the article we will analyze questions that will enhance the work of a life coach

1. What do you want to achieve with this session?

The most important question to ask your clients at the start of a meeting. This will give you an idea of ​​what the client expects and how to conduct a coaching session to achieve the desired results.

2. What do you think about your current life/situation? How do you feel in this situation?

The question aims not only to get an idea of ​​the client’s current situation, but also to give the client an opportunity to talk about how he feels about what is happening. As a coach, you can only help your client if you can decipher their current mental state and emotions. Therefore, it will be very helpful to ask about their current feelings.

3. If there were no limits, what would you be?

Find out about the client’s dreams, mission and life purpose. Dreams can be a lot of resource and inspiration.

4. How can you define success?

This question can allow your clients to start visualizing what they want to see in their lives. In this way, the client can begin to explore themselves and find ways to achieve their dreams.

5. What steps did you take to reach your goal?

This question allows clients to think about whether they were trying to achieve their goals or not. Because in most cases, people dream of success and achieving their goals, but in reality they do not take serious steps. In this way, the coach can open doors to new insights for the client.

6. What motivates you?

No one can succeed without motivation. Try to help your client find his biggest motivation or his trigger point, this will help him keep going towards his goal without any distractions.

7. What are you doing that is preventing you from reaching your goals?

Having big dreams is not enough; you have to work for them. By asking this question, you force your client to think about the decisions and choices they have made in their daily life and what is preventing them from being successful. Seeing your options is the first step to making a better decision in the future.

Coaching is an interesting and responsible profession in which people trust you with their emotional and physical well-being. The coaching professional is destined to evolve, and keeping abreast of current industry trends and best practices for coaches is the responsibility of every professional in the field.

Start your career in coaching with a professional international program that teaches the core competencies of a coach – the gold standard of the ICF (International Coach Federation) – ACSTH ICF “New Thinking Coaching”. This is a basic training program for life and business coaching with the issuance of an ACSTH professional coach certificate (listed all over the world).

University Values:

Emphasis on the work of the world’s best coaching practitioners (based on coaching pioneers Miles Downey and Julie Starr)

Focus on applied use (70% of study time is practice)

Emphasis on enhancing the personal development of our students (you will complete more than 20 of your own requests)

Modern education system (the program is conducted in online and offline formats, the university has been conducting online programs for 7 years, so they do not differ from full-time programs in terms of the degree of learning).

Program participant results:

International ICF certificate, which is quoted anywhere in the world. You can work as a coach in any country

Practical skills to be developed in the training program. Upon completion of the program, you will be a confident coach who will know and understand how to conduct coaching sessions on ICF competencies, and will be proficient in coaching tools and technologies.

Personal changes: during the training you will work out 20+ of your own requests.

Find out about the start of the nearest program and register!

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5 questions for a beginner coach from a mentor coach.

(Anna Lebedeva)

I was introduced to coaching in 1999 while working for Dirol. As a learning and development specialist, I was assigned to build a process for training employees in various skills. I noticed that after the training, the participants had a very small percentage of knowledge (and skills – even less) in their memory, and I wanted to find a way to increase this share. I created various post-training groups, tried new teaching methods.

At a corporate business school, one of the leadership instructors was strikingly different from the others in style and sense of openness. I became interested in what work technologies he uses in teaching and found out that he is a coach. It was on his course that I got the long-term effect of training that I wanted to give to the participants of my trainings. I asked him where I could learn coaching techniques, he gave me some primary sources, and in 2002 I found Marilyn Atkinson. The material she gave in the coaching program made a deep impression on me. I got new skills and started to train in them.

Erickson coaching was like coming home to me, it was exactly what I was looking for. Marilyn was my first mentor in coaching – a person with vast experience, encyclopedic knowledge, who communicates respectfully and on an equal footing. It has always fascinated me, amazed me and helped me to become better.

After some time, I went to work at Vimpelcom Corporate University, where I was systematically involved in the development of managers. It was there that I had a great opportunity to apply coaching technologies in action. Marilyn Atkinson trained employees of the shareholder – the Norwegian company Telenor, we even had the opportunity to go to her for training of trainers. I got into a very loyal to coaching corporate culture.

We recruited people from different departments (commercial, call center) to train for the position of a trainer. Regional offices were in great need of training, and we were given the ambitious task of growing internal staff. We selected people according to the “wheel of competencies”, created an individual development plan for each. Every month, my colleagues and I interviewed these coaches, and in pairs they gave each other feedback in a coaching format. This work has brought good results: 20 people have grown in coaching, we have recruited 20 more trainees. In parallel, I was responsible for 9modules of the manager development program, we added a small introductory module “How to manage in a coach style”.

When it was time to move on, I started my coaching career. I grew my professionalism, received international certification and worked as an associate coach with several provider companies that provided a flow of clients for me (even if the payment for the services of such a company is half of my fee, I consider such a partnership to be honest and appropriate).

And now I offer you 5 questions, the answers to which largely determined my professional path. It is useful to ask yourself both at the beginning of building a practice and for an experienced specialist.

What do I suggest?

Our task is to agree on what is ICF coaching and what is not. Before starting work, it is important to indicate by what ethical standards you work (confidentially, without feedback). The client must understand that he will not receive evaluations of his employees from me either behind their backs or in front of them. You can pay another specialist for personnel assessment, separate large budgets are allocated for this, and professionals are known in the market.
When we began to create Erickson University in Russia and enter the market with coaching according to ICF standards, we discovered with surprise that the concept of “coaching” has been known to business for a long time, but it does not include what we understand by it. I saw examples in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries: “field” coaching is called “double visits”, when a mentor manager and his mentee (for example, a boss with a subordinate) go to a pharmacy (or a store), the boss watches the negotiations, and then gives feedback on a specific checklist. Feedback is both positive and to work on bugs. In essence, this interaction is mentoring and has nothing to do with coaching.
Coaching creates awareness and responsibility, as a coach, I am for congruence and naturalness. Coaching is not about self-violence, it’s about freedom and spontaneity. I am convinced that in every situation there is an opportunity to look around and find the door through which you can enter a new life.

To whom do I offer coaching?

You offer a service with specific characteristics. What is its uniqueness? Who is your target audience? What niche do you want to focus on? I am often approached for advice on how to develop the practice, they ask: “Why can’t I break into this niche? What should be done?” As a business-building mentor, I attribute the lack of success in the market to a lack of interest, a lack of empathy for the realities of this particular client group. Do you really want to work with these people? I sincerely love my clients, I am interested in them, I admire them, not only as a professional, but also as a person.

Why are my services worth this money?

The paradox of the coaching profession is that it is precisely those professionals who have no coach of their own who have difficulties with promotion! One way to promote yourself in the market that really works is to constantly pay for the services of your own coach. When you yourself pay for the work of another specialist, you have an understanding of why coaching works for you personally, the range of tasks to be solved, and the feeling that the tool works.

Where are my limits?

Over the years, I understood the limits of application of my technologies. I respectfully work with psychotherapists and as a client and recommend them to my coaching clients. I turn to those psychotherapists who are perfectly combined with the Ericksonian approach (they are either very close in spirit and philosophy, or they studied with us). I can gently recommend that a client consult a fellow psychotherapist about certain topics, such as strong emotions. I don’t like it when they say: “Anna, only you are needed, no one else will help me!” I urge you to work in teams, to know several psychologists, psychotherapists who can help you with those requests with which coaching is not very effective.

At the beginning of my coaching practice, I had a client who did not inform me that he was taking antidepressants and was admitted to the hospital every six months. Then I was full of faith that coaching is almost a panacea that always works and worked hard with this person. At that time, I had a vague understanding about psychotherapy, since I did not study it as part of coaching training. In Ericksonian coaching there is a “core value” tool, in six months of work we conducted it four times, after these sessions I felt especially tired and did not understand what I was doing as a coach. Then, after the end of our relationship, he admitted that he takes drugs and regularly undergoes treatment in a hospital. If I had known about this, I would have consulted with a colleague, turned to a supervisor and would have learned that in such cases the effectiveness of coaching appears much more slowly. This client experienced difficulties and worked not only with me, but also with other coaches, and they also had difficulties. In your practice, you will definitely meet with clients who do not respond to coaching, it is very important to understand that this is not a reproach to your professionalism, it simply outlines the boundaries of your capabilities.

Why am I doing this?

The work of a coach is closely related to the search for meaning. I always knew that I was not in this profession because of the money, it is easier to earn it and in a different way. It took me several years to reach the level of income that I had in the corporation, but the journey was worth the effort. I want to do my job with passion, with a spark, and I work in an area that energizes me. It has always been important for me to achieve the desired results with joy, to share it with my clients. It happens like this: the company paid the employee a certain number of sessions, but he himself is not interested in them.