Effective communication is so much more than a conversation or exchange of information between parties. Communication helps us connect to others in a meaningful way. Despite the fact that technology has offered numerous ways and channels of communication, it is observed that people struggle to efficiently communicate with each other in professional, personal and social levels.
Good news is communication skills can be taught and developed. Improvement of these key skills is quite often part of a coaching agenda, both in business and personal coaching sessions.
During the coaching relationship:
- The Coach creates a space of trust and openness, in which the Clients can freely express themselves and describe all aspects of the communication issue.
- The Client will be driven to realize the ‘why’ behind an improved communication coaching goal. It’s important for the Clients to connect to what’s essential for them and find out what motivates them in this journey.
- The Coachees will realize what’s the communication problem they want to solve and the actual communication goals they want to achieve.
- The Coach can help the Coachee to identify and eliminate blind spots.
- The Coach can assist the Client to reframe limiting beliefs. This is pretty much negative self-talk. It’s the story you keep telling yourself about who you are, what you can and what you cannot do. When you repeat this story to yourself multiple times, it will start becoming your reality. Via coaching, you can break this cycle and shift those beliefs.
- The Coach will bring the Coachee’s awareness around different perspectives, but also perspectives of other people participating/influencing a communication issue.
- The Client will set practical steps including actions and behaviour changes.
- The Coach can help the Client to be accountable and implement the agreed action plan.
Good communication skills promote understanding, trust, loyalty, empathy and engagement. Ultimately, they create better relationships.
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