WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is a formalized relationship in which a qualified coach works with a business professional or leader to help that individual achieve higher levels of performance. The ultimate goal of coaching is to cultivate capabilities and tap an individual’s full potential. In doing so, the individual expands possibilities, creates new options, shifts viewpoints and accelerates results. Professional coaching is similar to athletic coaching in the sense that it also focuses on specific skills (e.g., perfecting a golf or tennis swing). In this case, the coach and client work together to perfect new work behaviors to support a desired change. In executive coaching, the desired change may involve something as basic as improving listening skills or as complicated as mastering behavioral change. Back to top.
We often define coaching in the context of sports. No matter how good an athlete is, they will hire a personal coach to enhance their growth and skill development. As Tiger Woods has demonstrated, a coach can continue to enhance even the best. Executive, Leadership and Career coaching is also aimed at performance improvement. Coaching is a one-on-one collaboration between the coach and client who work together to develop the highest personal and professional potential of the individual. It is a distinct process of engagement based on supporting and guiding using key questions and activities to achieve your objectives. A coach is an advocate, a sounding board, a cheerleader, an accountability partner, a truth teller and a supporter. Coaching is a powerful alliance that advances the process of human learning, organizational and personal effectiveness and self-fulfillment.
The International Coaching Federation definition: Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performance and enhance the quality of their lives. Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.
Coaching is an art, not a science. Coaching is a strategic alignment being used by many professionals today, helping to narrow the gap between intentions and actions. Coaches are concerned with moving their clients forward towards specific goal orientated outcomes. This type of coaching assumes that everyone is capable of change and of intrinsically knowing the correct steps to make the desired change come about. The coach’s main role in this partnership is to act as a guide to keep the interaction, communication and sharing on track, moving the client forward towards their stated goals. Mastery in coaching comes from “being present,” from learning to read the flow of the session.
