Creating Your Set of Values As a Coach | Life Coaching Certification

All coaches must have a list of their core values that are clear and specific to their vision, mission, and goals. These are the features that form the “playing field” of your coaching practice. It sets limits that you are unwilling to cross and ideals that you aspire to uphold. In psychology, the core principle upon which all else rests is beneficence and nonmaleficence. Psychologists must do their best to their ability and means to protect the wellbeing and rights of clients and avoid causing harm. The same fundamental responsibility and value apply to life coaches. Keep on reading to find out what we recommend in our Life Coaching Certification program.

What are values?

Values represent your judgment of what is essential in life. Values are your deeply held standards of behavior. Values reflect the importance and worth of something for you. Values guide your decisions.

In other words, your values are what motivated you to become or think about becoming a coach. Values guide the decisions you make as a coach about your clients and your objectives. But values are not set in stone or static. They can, and should, evolve as your knowledge, experience, and circumstances change. Values also have a strong valence or emotional charge. When what we experience is aligned with our values, we are happy and satisfied. When our values are violated, we feel disappointed, disillusioned, angry, and sad.

Bettina Pickering, a leadership and business transformation coach, suggested that the critical values of a coach lie within a triangle bordered between the coach, client, and coach-client relationship.

Although most of these values speak for themselves in the coaching environment, here is a very brief explanation of each.

1. Ecology – the dynamic balance of causes and consequences based on the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, behavior, values, and beliefs. 

2. Honesty – telling the truth and reflecting it in your actions. 

3. Respect – recognizing and acknowledging each client’s intrinsic value.

4. Integrity – sticking consistently and without compromise to your values and moral principles. 

5. Authenticity – representing yourself with openness, transparency, and accountability. 

6. Empowerment – allowing and equipping clients to make decisions and determine their outcome. 

7. Empathy – understanding a client’s perspective and sharing their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. 

8. Care – walking the extra mile to benefit your client. 

9. Unconditionality – not basing your acceptance or approval of a client contingent on certain qualities or performance. 

There are many more spin-offs and related qualities, but, for me, these nine values represent the essence of what it means to be a life coach. We all possess these at different levels and in unique combinations, but the great news is that each one can develop with practice and repetition. In the Jay Shetty Certification Program, I will show you in more detail all the tools and techniques that you can use to do this. To gain your Life Coaching Certification, start your journey by booking your enrollment call here.