The 21 Most Common Mistakes in Coaching and How to Avoid Them (Part 2)
Are you making any of these common mistakes in coaching? I’m sharing exactly what you need to do to fix and even avoid mistakes commonly made by coaches worldwide so that you can become the best coach you can be.
Earning your income with coaching is a dream, but if you’re anything like me, you want to make sure that your dream coaching business does not become a nightmare. As a lawyer myself who helps coaches like you, I am sharing all the common mistakes in coaching that I’ve seen coaches make and how you can avoid or fix these mistakes.
You will learn about the common mistakes in coaching, including lots of relatable coaching problem examples and practical tools to fix those coaching mistakes.
After learning about all the common mistakes in coaching, you’ll become the best coach you can be and have happy, high-paying clients.
This post is all about the common mistakes in coaching and how you can avoid or fix them so that you’ll take your coaching business to the next level.
Common Mistakes in Coaching
All the common mistakes in coaching examples
This post is Part 2 of my 3-part series on coaching mistakes. If you haven’t already, make sure you read about the first 7 common mistakes in coaching in Part 1: The 21 Most Common Coaching Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Part 1).
#8 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Giving Unqualified Advice
The Mistake
One of the common mistakes in coaching is giving lots of advice or, worse, giving unqualified advice.
Your job as a coach is to coach people, not to provide consulting services. You need to be careful when giving unqualified advice because you don’t want to put on the hat of a licensed professional. That can get you in a lot of legal trouble.
But, when you have a certain level of expertise, you could make the mistake of giving unqualified advice. That would especially be the case if you are also a licensed professional.
Also, sometimes, clients will specifically ask you for lots of advice, and you want to help them, so you do.
The Solution
Here are two things you should do.
1. Nip it in the bud
Make it very clear from the start, so on your sales page, registration form, and during coaching discovery calls, that you are acting as a coach and not as a licensed professional. Explain what coaching entails for your clients.
Here are some examples:
If you’re a real estate coach, you might want to make clear to your (potential) clients that you do not act as their real estate agent, so you’re not actually going to look for a property for them or negotiate their deals.
If you’re a life coach, you might want to make clear that you are not a therapist, psychologist or doctor, and you do not provide therapy or counselling.
2. Legally protect yourself
You must include 2 disclaimers in your coaching contract to protect yourself from major liability issues:
A niche-specific disclaimer stating that you are not a licensed professional and that any information, advice, opinions, or any other communication from you does not constitute such professional services.
All information provided is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be construed as any type of professional advice, nor is it intended to replace or substitute for such professional services.
#9 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Believing Everything Their Client Says
The Mistake
Another one of the common mistakes in coaching is believing everything their client says.
Clients might not consciously lie about themselves, but they don’t know what the real underlying problem is. A good coach will try to get to the underlying truth.
This problem is relevant not only for life coaches but also for business and even finance coaches. Your client might be leaving out crucial information that could be costing them thousands of dollars.
The Solution
Learn communication skills through courses to become better at getting to the root of problems, but here are two examples of techniques that might help:
One technique would be to use reflective questioning to uncover underlying truths. For example, if a client states that they can’t do something, ask them what makes them think that or what the client could do to change that belief.
Another technique is the elimination technique. Think of all the other issues that might be connected to the issue that the client or all the client might be doing that created the issue. Ask the client about these things to eliminate any contributing factors.
#10 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Not Reflecting
The Mistake
Speaking of reflective questioning, another one of the common mistakes in coaching is not reflecting. We’re not talking about the client here but about you as a coach. You might not be taking enough time to reflect on your own progress. You may do so after finishing a coaching program with a client but not during the process with a client. That’s a missed opportunity to create even better results!
A good coach does not stick to a rigid program but is flexible enough to give each client the best coaching they need.
The Solution
Here are 3 things I recommend you do:
1. Ask for feedback
Some coaches are just too afraid of criticism, but the best way to get better is to get feedback from clients. You don’t have to ask for feedback at the end of every coaching call, but ask your clients regularly throughout the coaching program and see if you should tweak your coaching strategy.
2. Set time for reflection
Make it a habit after each coaching call or every 2 coaching calls to set 10 to 15 minutes to reflect and analyse what you could do better or differently.
Set that time in your calendar so you don’t forget.
3. Make change a legal right
You may not want to change your coaching strategy for fear of clients complaining that you’re not delivering what you promised.
Therefore, you need to include disclaimers in your coaching contract stating the following:
You reserve the right to change the content and structure of your coaching program.
You are entitled to determine the methods, tools, and techniques you use and that your coaching program may evolve or change.
#11 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Not Listening Intently
The Mistake
The next one of the common mistakes in coaching is poor listening or not listening intently.
This could result in your clients feeling misunderstood or ignored. It could also result in your clients not getting the effective coaching they need and end up with bad results.
The Solution
Here are a few things you could do:
Practice active listening, which means you should reflect on what you understand from what the client is saying, summarise key issues, and ask for confirmation if what you understood is correct.
Keep asking questions to get a deeper understanding, as I discussed with coaching mistake #9.
You might be assuming what the issue is and already thinking about the solution, while the problem might be slightly different. Try not to assume and keep an open mind. After you’ve practised after listening and asking questions, then start thinking of solutions.
Another problem could be that you’re just talking too much. In that case, refer to my solution to coaching mistake #6 in Part 1: The 21 Most Common Coaching Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Part 1).
#12 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Overstepping Boundaries
The Mistake
As a coach, your clients depend on your support, but that could result in both you and your clients overstepping boundaries, which is one of the most common mistakes in coaching.
The Solution
The simple solution is to set very clear boundaries in your coaching agreement, including the following boundaries:
Set the days and times that you are available so clients won’t try to contact you or schedule a coaching session at 1 AM.
Set boundaries on what means of communication may be used. Also, clearly state that the client can’t use other means to contact you, so clients won’t try to contact you through every possible means, like via Instagram, text, email, LinkedIn, phone calls, etc.
Set response times so your clients won’t follow up if you haven’t responded within 24 hours.
Clearly state how many coaching sessions and check-ins are included each week/month.
Do not only create a clear scope but also provide a list of services that are not included in your scope so clients won’t assume or ask that you provide coaching or other services that are not included in your coaching package.
For more on how to set these and other boundaries in your coaching contract, read this blog post on the 10 Vital Boundaries Every Online Coach Must Set in a Coaching Contract Template.
#13 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Focusing Only on Goals
The Mistake
Another one of the common mistakes in coaching is focusing only on goals. Perhaps your client may have set certain goals for themselves, but perhaps as they develop and grow, their goals should also evolve into something completely different.
For example, if you’re a business coach and your client has a goal of selling a particular service, you might find that over time, the client is way better at a different service for which there’s a higher demand. In that case, you should change that goal.
The Solution
There are two things you can do:
1. Make the goals fluid
From the start, tell your clients that you are going to coach them with their initial goals in mind but that your clients must keep an open mind and understand that goals may evolve into something different during the coaching program.
Ensuring flexibility for both you and your client will help them actually get what they really need.
2. Legally protect yourself
The next thing you must do is include a results and outcomes disclaimer in your coaching contract.
Not only should this disclaimer be included because your clients might not achieve their goals (and that’s your client’s fault because their results depend on their own efforts and capabilities, not yours), but it should also be included for the reason that goals may change and so will the results that were envisioned at the beginning of the coaching program.
So, here’s what your results and outcomes disclaimer should state:
You are not responsible for (1) the effectiveness of your coaching, (2) any results in relation to or outcomes from your coaching services, or (3) any decisions made by the client or any other third party based on your coaching.
You do not represent, warrant, or guarantee the effectiveness of your coaching program or the results in relation to or outcomes from your coaching.
Your comments and feedback about the effectiveness of your coaching program and/or result(s) and/or outcome(s) are expressions of opinion only.
#14 of the Common Mistakes in Coaching: Ignoring Accountability
The Mistake
One of the common mistakes that beginners, especially, struggle with is ignoring accountability.
Especially when starting out, you just want your clients to be happy with you, and that could result in you not holding your client accountable and the client walking all over you. Here are some examples:
Your client cancels a coaching session at the last minute without compensation.
Your client keeps rescheduling coaching calls 5 times.
Your client does not complete their homework.
Your client does not arrive on time at coaching sessions (and expects you to extend the time of your coaching sessions for the lost time).
Your client keeps asking for more of your coaching services than is included in the program without compensating you for it.
This is what happens and will keep happening if you do not hold your clients accountable for their end of the deal.
The Solution
The solution is to set consequences in your coaching contract for what happens if your clients do not hold up their end of the bargain, such as the following:
Include a cancellation and rescheduling policy in your coaching contract stating the following:
Up to how many hours before the coaching session a session may be cancelled or rescheduled.
How many times your client may reschedule a coaching session.
You are still due the full fee if the client does not show up at your coaching session.
An obligation for the client to complete their tasks on time and a disclaimer stating that the client is fully responsible for their own progress.
A clause stating that anything you do outside of the scope will be charged an extra fee (including a price list) but that you are not obligated to do any extra work for any reason.
That’s how you protect your money, boundaries and precious energy!
The other 14 of the 21 coaching mistakes
I’ve discussed 7 of the 21 coaching mistakes. If you haven’t already, make sure you read about the first 7 common mistakes in coaching in Part 1: The 21 Most Common Coaching Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Part 1).
In Part 3, I discuss these last 7 coaching mistakes:
Misunderstanding a Client
Not Measuring the Outcome of Coaching
Owning the Outcome
Rigid Goals
Telling Others What to Do
Trying Too Hard to Be Liked
Working Too Hard
Learn about these other common mistakes in coaching and how to avoid them in Part 3:
Avoid major coaching mistakes with this one ultimate solution
As I’ve discussed in this blog post (and Parts 2 and 3), many coaching mistakes can be easily solved with a comprehensive coaching contract that protects not only your business but also your boundaries and precious energy.
Want a coaching agreement template that includes all the terms you need to avoid common mistakes in coaching?
My coaching contract template is the ultimate template that will help you avoid common mistakes in coaching, create clear processes, and protect your business, boundaries, time, and energy!
Learn more about my coaching agreement template on this page of my contract shop!
More coaching problem examples to avoid
In this series, we’ve discussed all the coaching mistakes you might be making.
But what about problems that might not be your fault?
Find out about the common coaching problem examples that you might run into and how to fix these coaching issues in this blog post on the 7 Major Mistakes to AVOID in Your Coaching Terms and Conditions (No One Talks About).
This post was all about common mistakes in coaching and how to avoid or fix them so that you can create your dream coaching business.
Find out about the crucial coaching boundaries every coach should have in this blog post on the 10 Vital Boundaries Every Online Coach Must Set in a Coaching Contract Template.
Are you looking for a coaching contract to prevent most of the common mistakes in coaching? Learn more about my coaching contract template on this page of my contract shop!
