Beyond the Session: The Coach-Adjacent Skills That Matter

Unlike many coaches, I didn’t come to this from another career. Coaching is my first profession. When I finished my degree, I felt a little lost. I wasn’t sure what came next or what kind of work would feel meaningful. Then I discovered coaching — and it just clicked. Right away, I knew it was the path for me.

After completing my certification, I focused on becoming the best coach I could be. I threw myself into mastering the ICF Core Competencies: active listening, powerful questioning, building trust, and being fully present with my clients.

For a while, I thought that was all I needed. And, to be fair, those skills are foundational — they’re what make coaching, coaching. But as my career progressed, I started to look at coaching opportunities more broadly. I noticed that while freelance roles may let you focus fully on coaching, internal positions often expect more — things like marketing, facilitation, or even leading teams. Coaching is still at the heart of the role, but it’s surrounded by other skills that matter just as much. That was a turning point for me. I realized I needed to grow beyond the core competencies and invest in coach-adjacent skills, too.

What Are Coach-Adjacent Skills?

These are complementary skills that support or expand a coaching culture within an organization. Here are a few I’ve run into:

Facilitation

Helping groups collaborate effectively, whether in a meeting, workshop, or brainstorming session. This can involve creating an environment that keeps things moving, or simply holding space so people feel safe to speak up and engage.

Leadership

Managing projects, guiding teams, and aligning people around a shared vision. Bringing people together around a common purpose and supporting momentum toward shared goals.

Training Design

Creating and delivering learning experiences that build practical skills. This could be anything from designing a hands-on workshop to curating bite-sized resources people can actually use in their day-to-day life.

Mentoring and Supervision

Offering a trusted space for people to reflect, stretch, and stay grounded in their values. This can help deepen someone’s practice and sharpen their skills.

Evaluation

Tracking growth, giving feedback, and helping others course-correct or level up. It’s a blend of noticing patterns and holding people capable of continued evolution.

Building Skills Through the ICF Ecosystem

If you’re wondering where to begin developing these coach-adjacent skills, the ICF ecosystem offers many opportunities.

Here are a few I’ve personally found valuable:

• International Coaching Week: A chance to facilitate a session, host an event, or lead a volunteer team. It’s great for gaining experience in planning, teamwork, and public speaking.
• ICF Foundation Ignite Project: A meaningful way to offer pro bono coaching while developing project management, leadership, and collaboration skills.
• ICF Member Perks: You can volunteer to lead a Community of Practice or a Member Resource Group, where you’ll build skills in facilitation, content creation, and community engagement.
• ICF Engage: A platform full of volunteer opportunities, such as serving on nominating committees or reviewing Converge submissions.
• Your Local ICF Chapter: Many chapters offer roles in marketing, events, member experience, and even board positions. These are fantastic ways to build leadership and organizational skills in a real-world setting.

Your Path, Your Possibility

If you’re a new coach or a young professional just getting started, here’s my invitation: yes, master your coaching skills. They’re essential. But don’t stop there. Stay curious. Look for ways to stretch. Build the skills that surround coaching — the ones that let you lead, teach, guide, and collaborate. Coaching is the doorway — but it’s not the whole house.

These adjacent skills?

They’re what let you move from room to room with confidence and adaptability. Start small. Volunteer. Say yes to experiences that might push you beyond your comfort zone. Every exposure adds something to your toolkit — and that toolkit is what will help you grow not just as a coach, but as a professional.