You just finished your certification in coaching and you don’t know how to start.

Probably you have a lot of questions and sometimes you may feel lost; or on the side you may feel that you know everything and when you attend a group supervision session you discover that what you believed was all wrong!

Don’t worry. With time you will gain experience and with practice you will improve. In a couple of years from now most of your fears will be gone and you will have a completely different set of questions and doubts about the job.

But, for the moment, relax and follow instructions to make your life easier!

The following tips are a summary of my 11 years’ experience as a Coach, Coach Supervisor and Professional Coaches Trainer.

 #1 Make clear to the client that you work according to a specific contract.

Explain the terms of your contract, scope of coaching and boundaries, scheduling, fees, goals, duration, frequency & number of sessions and the most important data protection, confidentiality and Code of Ethics. If your contract is clear, expectations will be clear and reasonable.

 #2 Follow a coaching model – Follow the process

You don’t have the expertise to mix and match tools, methodologies, models and complex approaches so it’s better safe than sorry with a disappointed client. Remember that the process works. This is the power of models; if you just use them as they are without improvising, you will get reasonable results.

 #3 Use Group or Individual Supervision

If you cannot afford individual supervision you may join group supervision for a small amount of even for free. Group supervision is a great way to share your issue with others and get some directions on how to handle it; it is also a great opportunity to learn from other people’s cases.

 #4 If the client presents some kind of psychological issue related to the past, grief, depression, high anxiety or other symptoms ask for supervision or stop the relationship

It often happens that a new coach may take a client that requires very advanced coaching skills or is completely outside the coaching scope. So, it is better for you to refrain from this risk and avoid harming your reputation before you even build it.

 #5 If you feel pressure, sadness, enthusiasm or any intense emotion during the sessions with a client ask for supervision.

When we have intense emotions during the sessions or we identify with a client or reject the client or other situations, there may be happening some projection or transference or any other psychological condition that you need to manage; or else it will affect your psychological balance and wellbeing and your coaching.

 #6 Become member of professional coaching associations

Professional coaching associations offer opportunities for learning, peer group support and other resources that you may use when you need them.

 #7 Subscribe to professional coaching blogs

You can find articles, case studies, research studies and a lot of useful material written by experienced professionals. You may use it to assist you when you are stuck with a client case and looking for help and ideas how to handle it.

the good coach is my favourite!

Good luck and keep asking questions!

Read other blog-articles by Maria Biquet here, and connect with her via Linkedin

Maria Biquet is an experienced multilingual Business Consultant and Executive Coach with vast experience from diverse business fields, such as Banking & Financing, Automotive, Telecommunications and Education.

Maria has long experience in Strategic Marketing and in establishing companies in new markets. For more than 20 years she has studied and practiced various methodologies for People Development and Organisational Change including Neuroscience in Coaching, Systemic approach, Appreciative Inquiry Approach.

She holds a Bachelors in Language & Linguistics, an MBA-International Marketing from Sunderland University UK and is a Neurocoach certified by the NBG – Harvard School and a Master Coach certified by the CAC.

Vice President of Marketing & Communications of HCA (Hellenic Coaching Association) EMCC Greece, Senior Researcher on Ethics at EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council) - “the actual Ethical Dilemmas in Coaching today”.

EMCC Accredited Senior Practitioner Coach

Works in Greek, English and French.