1. Keep the client’s agenda Coaches assist clients to get what they want. They always focus on the clients choices. Never deciding what is best for a client. Coaching clients have goals, hopes, dreams, and intentions and it’s the coaches job to help them stay on track and working towards what they want to do.

2. Remain somewhat detached Being objective has purpose, because even while you’re intensely involved and empathetic with your clients life and questions, you remain totally open and maintain a level of detachment so that you can coach from an objective space.

3. Do not judge

There is one obligation and requirement every coach must have and that is: never to judge another human being. Never to see a clients choices as good/bad, right/wrong. Not to be biased, prejudiced, or opinionated on how someone else lives their life. Coaching is not just training, it’s a conscious choice and a way of life.

4. Listen with Curiosity

Convey a genuine interest in what clients are saying. Be genuinely curious. Allow your clients to talk, open up, and reveal themselves. Keep interruptions to a minimum. Keep your client on target and the conversation in-line with what is relevant to your clients needs.

5. Take in What You Hear

Absorb and register what your clients say. Hear the words, read the gestures, and take in the thoughts, ideas, and the emotions of your client. All of the information you observe is important.

6. The conscious choice to remain positive.

Coaches make the conscious choices to be positive, to help clients shift out of the low, negative energy of being a “poor me” victim, or "I can't" — to higher, more powerful levels of energy such as being responsible, taking action, and planning for what's possible.

7. Questioning for Exploration

Ask open-ended questions that allow more exploration to occur. By asking open ended questions, you give your clients an opportunity to find answers within themselves, building a clients confidence, and empowering them because they had the knowledge within themselves.

8. Don’t give advice Coaches don’t tell clients what to do. They help clients take action.

Unlike mentoring, instructing, teaching, advising, consulting and the like, coaching is a non-directive approach where clients partner with coaches to get what they want, or many times, to help them to gain clarity and realize what they truly want.

9. Keep challenging your clients

A great coach will not only help a client reach their goal, they can see the full potential of their client and the ability to extend beyond the client's original goals. A great coach will help clients achieve heights beyond what they thought possible.

10. Provide Feedback for Development A coach should be providing feedback to their clients for development along the way. Feedback should be clear, relevant, non-evaluative, helpful, positive, and should be used to reinforce the clients goals and their path to achieve them.

11. Do more than you thought you could do

A great coach not only pushes their clients beyond what they thought possible but themselves as well. Coaching is valuable, life increasing knowledge. It promotes vision and purpose, builds happiness and success, enabling both the coach and their clients to meet their dreams and potential.