What are the qualities of a bad life coach? If you consider working with a life coach, this question is essential to ask. Many people do not realize that not all life coaches are created equal. Some life coaches are ineffective and can do more harm than good. So, what makes a bad life coach? This blog post will discuss the qualities of a bad life coach, so you will know how to pick the right one for you.

Looking for the proper life coach

Life coaching is a legitimate profession. However, it is not as universally regulated as others making it easy for some people to brand themselves as a life coach without the proper training. Also, some are full-pledged life coaches, but the methods they employ to conduct their practice may not be effective, making them look bad to their clients. As a client, you have to pay for the services of a life coach, so you must make sure you hire the right one to make coaching sessions worth it. Sometimes, a good way of identifying the right one is by looking at what makes a coach terrible, so you can pick someone who doesn't have the qualities we list here.

1. Forces their way to solve your problems

Life coaching is more of guiding the client to solve their problems independently, with the coach acting as support and intermediary to you. Many coaches utilize various systems and methods for coaching. The best coaches adjust their techniques to suit their client's needs and make them do activities to solve their problems according to their capabilities. If you encounter a coach who insists on solving your issues according to their way, that's a red flag.

2. Let's talk about me

A coaching session is a two-way conversation between the client and the coach. Each party gets to ask questions about each other and the problem that needs to be solved. Answers come from both parties in a back-and-forth way. However, the star of the show should be the client. The conversations should deal with the client's issue, how to solve it, and getting to know the client better to provide solutions. If you notice your coach directing the course of the conversation often about him, you should be wary. Life coaching sessions should not be about your coach's life history and personal achievements. It should be about you and how to solve your problem.

3. Spoonfeeding the client

While the life coaching profession deals with solving problems, it should be clear that it's not about hiring someone who will do the work for you while you sit around and do nothing. Successful coaches encourage their clients to think for themselves and do actions on their own to solve their problems. They facilitate their clients' progress and ensure they hit their targets, and make them accountable should they fail to do their part. A coach who does their client's work prevents you from learning and discovering what you can do by yourself. As a client, you should try to figure out all the answers yourself, with the coach acting as a guide to support you.

4. Interrupting and not listening to their clients

Conversations are an essential part of coaching sessions. A good coach knows how to listen to their client and offer advice and solutions based on what they tell them. You may find yourself working with a coach who cannot understand you because they do not listen well to your story and problem or constantly interrupt you by saying their opinion without knowing the whole story. If your coach is like this, it's time to move to somebody else.

5. Asks questions that are not effective

It is a coach's responsibility to ask questions to get to know the client better so that they can customize solutions according to the client's needs. However, some coaches may ask questions that are ineffective at getting to the root of the problem or irrelevant to your current issue. Questions that ask for multiple answers in a single statement, suggesting various options to see what will work, and open-ended questions that don't go anywhere are some examples. If you notice that your conversation with a coach isn't going anywhere and his questions are not helpful, try finding somebody better instead.

6. No means of tracking progress and results

Real coaches use systems and methodologies that help them track their clients' progress in achieving their goals and gaining results. While scouting for a good coach, ask them if they use any system for monitoring progress. A coach also acts as an accountability partner, so they must have one. Otherwise, how can he check your progress and see if you are meeting any of your agreed objectives with him? The moment a prospective coach answers that they have none, better look for somebody else.

7. Not being punctual

Meetings are essential in a coaching relationship so that a coach can check your progress and see if any changes have to be made to your objectives. However, if you notice your coach not arriving on time often in meetings or the meetings get shuffled to a different schedule or canceled, you may not be the sole focus of your coach. A coach may work with multiple clients simultaneously, and if this is the case, he may not give the proper attention to you consistently. So if you feel like you're being neglected and treated as just another figure for income, it might be a good idea to find a better coach.

8. Making guarantees with the client

During your initial conversations with your coach, watch out for any promises or exaggerated statements that sound too good. Examples can include: "I will make you rich within a year!", "I can guarantee your success once you do this," or "I can turn around your life in a short time!" These statements might be a way of self-promotion, but they may not necessarily reflect the coach's capabilities. It's an excellent idea to research a coach's achievements, so you will know that a coach can back up what they say. Also, coaches should not sell promises to clients; a good coach should define success according to the client's needs.

9. Advising outside of one's expertise

Life coaches can have different specialties regarding what field they can give expert advice, ranging from business, finance, relationships, health, etc. Depending on your needs, you will want to hire a coach that is a certified expert in their field. For example, suppose you want some guidance running your business. In that case, you want to hire a business coach who is a licensed professional and an expert in running businesses, preferably one who has experience coaching clients who have the same problem as you. Hiring a coach who advises outside of their expertise will not effectively solve your problems.

10. Overworking a client

A successful coach knows that the client should be doing the work to solve their problem. However, there should be a balance regarding how much work the client can take. Clients are busy people too, and putting too much work for them or giving them objectives beyond their current capabilities can overwhelm the client. The coaching relationship can go south this way. As a client, look for a coach who knows to push you out of your comfort zone. It's also essential that he knows how much you can take according to your abilities.

Work with the right coach.

Coaches work to help you unlock your full potential and overcome the predicament you are facing. However, it can only be achieved if a good relationship between the coach and the client exists, working together towards a common goal. It's vital to find someone with the right qualities so that you don't waste money spending on a service that is ineffective. Various signs can help you weed out the bad coaches from the good ones. Most coaches offer an initial free consultation, so you can use this to ask questions and get to know your prospective coach better. A coach can be a pivotal part of your success, so it's only fitting to hire a good one to help you achieve your goal.