Having been a martial arts instructor for many years prior to my transitioning to strength & fitness coaching I have learned the importance of this.
For a coach to be effective, he must definitely be very knowledgeable and experience in his chosen field. However, that is not enough.
You must be able to interact with people daily without getting entangled in their personal lives. Some people join a gym to get in shape, but others have different reasons, often very personal.
As a coach you will meet people from every walk of life. Discernment is needed in sorting through each person’s reason for wanting to train with you. Sometimes you won’t find out the real reason they are there until much later.
Just who are bar tenders or barbers, you are hear all kinds of things you never asked to hear about. This is where professional detachment must be applied, or you will get sucked into the drama of a struggling person’s life.
They want to tell you about their problems, I mean all about their problems, and this is where you need to draw the line. If it is directly related to training, then hear them out.
However, if it gets into personal problems, relationships, money, etc. don’t let yourself get involved.
Remember, you are their to coach them, not be their “shrink”, or their baby-sitter, or their shoulder to cry on.
This requires a tough attitude and the willingness to firmly tell them you are not the answer to their problem.
Many a coach has gone down the hard way due to not maintaining professional detachment. Don’t be that guy!
The Cave 