The International Coach Federation defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.
We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment. Needless to say there are many other equally valid definitions of coaching .
Here are 2 more definitions i love
- the explicit and implicit intention of helping individuals to improve their performance in various domains, and to enhance their personal effectiveness, personal development, and personal growth
- Coaching focusses on 1-1 interactions in an environment on trust and rapport thus maximizing personalized learning and growth
- Coaching is a conversation where people feel seen,heard and get insights into their own thinking
Beyond these definitions , at its essence Coaching is a conversational process which helps us get clearer in our mindspace on what we need to do internally (within ourselves) and externally (actions which are visible) to achieve our goals or resolve the dilemnas we face . There are 2 participants in this conversation , the coach who facilitates the coaching process and the coachee who has come to the session with an agenda or goal to be achieved .
What does the Coach do ?
He/she assures fully confidentiality and trust to the coachee , listens deeply , asks questions as needed , shares her intuition/thoughts/observations and guides the coachee to explore her thinking on the topic /agenda chosen by the coachee . The coach helps the coachee identify what next steps she needs to take to proceed forward and also identify what she learnt from the conversation . The coach also holds the coachee accountable to the things she said she would do before the next meeting with the coach typically 1-2 weeks later .
What does the coachee do ?
The coachee comes with an agenda/topic for the session ,shares openly on what she wants to get more clarity on , responds to questions from the coach and basically does most of the thinking and talking in the conversation . The coachee also with the help of the coach identifies actions she will do outside the coaching session , in the real world to move forward towards what she wants .
This is a very high level view offcourse ,something like a movie trailer of a coaching conversation . It is like a mind massage which the coachee experiences as all the focus is on him and in service of his agenda with the coach following the cues/thoughts of the coachee . What makes the coaching process magical is the space jointly created by the coach and the coachee which allows deep thinking, focussed listening , open sharing ,clarifying questions,sharing intuition which under an trained coach can help the coachee to get the clarity needed to move forward in the most effective way.
In my 220+ hours of coaching multiple clients with their real world challenges , i can see that this is a process which works well .
Some common misconceptions on coaching
- Is coaching counselling or therapy in disguise ?
No , pls read this
2. I am fine , i dont need a coach
Coaching is about helping you realize your potential and rare are the few of us who have reached even a percentage of what we are capable of . There must be a situation at work/life which is not going as well as it could be
3. I dont need a coach , a spiritual guru is what i need
I agree that at one level , following a spiritual path ultimately helps in all areas of your life . However i do believe working with a coach can help you find the time/focus needed to follow a spiritual path and can augment your spiritual journey/growth . It is not an either/or choice . i have been on the spiritual path for a long time now and i see it helping my coaching practice .
4. Coaching is for CEOs and top executives
Not true although the focus of the coaching industry when it started was coaching the CEOs given the fees/affordability is higher here . Reality is that coaching is for everyone who wants to grow to his potential and overcome challenges
5 Ok ,i am sort of convinced what do i do to find a coach
Check the international coach federation website or your local icf chapter website to find an accredited/trained coach .As with any other professionals , talk to 2-3 coaches before you finalize . most coaches offer a pro bono session for you to get a feel of coaching before you can choose to use their services or not
6 Is coaching the same as mentoring ?
There is some overlap but coaching and mentoring have many differences . pls read this
I hope this article was helpful in giving you some clarity on coaching and how it can help you . As someone who also gets coached often , i urge you to try this for yourself .
