Businesses are beginning to understand the huge benefits of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the workplace and how it contributes to enhanced employee performance.

There is increasing demand for credible, effective and emotionally intelligent coaching from independent practitioners and professionals working alongside organisations’ HR and learning and development teams.

Ashridge Business School research recently highlighted the importance of the coaching relationship. Investigating what determines the helpfulness of coaching, “quality of the relationship” was identified as a core factor (de Haan et al 2011).

 Coaches’ clients find listening, understanding and encouragement most valuable, especially when forming a new working relationship. A subsequent study reinforced that the working alliance is significantly related to coaching outcomes (de Haan et al 2013). These papers also note that skilfully deploying the right techniques at the right time, and the coach’s breadth of interventions, do positively impact its helpfulness; but for a coach’s client, the relationship is the priority.

The call to action for coaches

How then can all of us as coaches apply our EI, form quality coaching relationships and skilfully deploy techniques?

There is no single answer, however our experience is that effective coaching principles are a great help. From developing more than 1,000 people as coaches we have distilled seven key coaching principles, aligned to our model of EI and our work with leaders, teams and organisations. These principles can be split into three categories:

 Principles applying to you as a coach are:

• Recognise the value you bring as a coach –  be connected with your purpose as a coach and use your talents, capabilities and skills;
• Be aware of yourself – be in touch with your physiology, intuitions and emotions and accurately interpret the information these provide;
• Act intentionally and in service – provide what your client needs at a particular moment, be it staying with a difficult topic, providing reassurance, or allowing silence while they think

 Principles applying to your interactions with coaches are:

•  Believe in your coaches and their potential – hold your clients in unconditional positive regard, suspend judgement if they hold different views or values to your own
• Build the coaching relationship – give your full attention to listen deeply, and empathetically reflect your clients’ experiences
• Promote accountability and personal growth – encourage clients to self-generate insights and options, hold them responsible for their commitments

 The final principle to support your ongoing development is:

• Reflect on your practice – take time after each coaching session to notice what went well and less well and consider alternatives for next time

Putting it into practice

• What principles do you work to, as a coach or as a leader?
• How do your principles serve you, those you work with, and your shared goals?