Think of the best conversation you’ve ever had with a mentor or manager. That one conversation where you came out feeling motivated, inspired and ready to take on the world.
Chances are, it didn’t feel like a lecture. It most likely felt like a coaching conversation, where they shared their guidance and experiences. This is the sign of someone with great coaching skills – one of the most in-demand soft skills not just for managers, but increasingly, for everyone.
So, what is coaching, and why are coaching skills so important in the workplace today?
Coaching is a collaborative process that helps people unlock their potential, build confidence and develop new skills through guided reflection and conversation.
Coaching isn’t about telling someone what to do or solving the problems for them – it’s about asking thoughtful questions, active listening and encouraging people to work out the answers for themselves.
A good coach creates space for growth by supporting self-awareness, exploring challenges together and building accountability. Coaching is a great way to strengthen relationships, boost performance and build a culture of continuous learning, and it’s a must-have skill for anyone who wants to help colleagues think differently and achieve their goals, whether they’re in a leadership role or not.
Traditionally, coaching is a skill associated with managers and business leaders… but it’s time for that to change.
There will always be times when one colleague knows more than another, and they’ll need to share their guidance or experience to help someone else complete a task or achieve a goal. For instance, you may have that one exceptionally diplomatic, emotionally intelligent colleague who knows exactly how to navigate difficult conversations. They may not be your manager, but when you need advice for tackling a tricky discussion, they’re the person you turn to – so it pays for them to be good at coaching.
Strong coaching skills are useful for:
The modern workplace is increasingly moving towards a flatter structure with less hierarchy, meaning that coaching skills are even less tied to management roles alone, and are becoming essential skills for everyone.
The signs of a good coach can be broken down into two categories: verbal signs and non-verbal behaviours.
The behaviours that demonstrate good coaching skills include:
The verbal signs and phrases you’ll hear from a good coach include:
You’ll notice here that coaching isn’t about giving someone all the answers. A huge part of the coaching process involves getting someone to think critically about their decisions and giving them the confidence and clarity to act decisively. It’s also not about avoiding mistakes – instead, it provides a safe space to talk through challenges and explore lessons learned for next time.
Improving your coaching skills is a marathon, not a sprint. It's not a case of parroting a few key phrases and suddenly becoming the go-to coach in your business. Instead, it's a soft skill that takes practise.
If you're looking to improve your coaching skills, here are 5 key tips to try:
With an AI skills intelligence tool like Helix (more on that next!), you can monitor and track your coaching skills in real time. As you put your new skills into practice, you can watch yourself improve based on real data.
As promised, let's talk about Helix, our new AI skills intelligence platform!
With Helix, you can track key soft skills (including coaching, coachability and active listening) and measure them as they develop over time. It works by picking up on key 'coaching phrases', such as 'Where would you start?', 'Walk me through your thinking' and 'Let's set some milestones', as well as 'negative coaching phrases' which suggest a lack of coaching skills, such as 'Copy how I do it', 'You're on your own with this one' or 'Just trust me on this one', then analysing them according to our proprietary 3Q Engine.
Once Helix has analysed the raw information (i.e. transcripts from your virtual meetings), it will give you a score for your coaching skills. It will then monitor these skills over time, allowing you to see if you're improving with concrete examples of how you're demonstrating your skills.
Coaching is an especially important soft skill for management roles, so the ability to watch your coaching skills improve over time, with clear evidence, is great for career progression if you're looking to move into a management position or increase your responsibilities at work.
Helix will also suggest learning content and practice opportunities, such as engaging in roleplay with our AI tutor VeeCoach, ensuring you carry on developing over time with personalised learning interventions and activities. Knowledge is power, and Helix gives you all the insights and tools you need to become a more confident, competent coach!