What is Coaching? | Monica Mundo Coaching

SO... WHAT IS COACHING?

Coaching is a conversational-based approach, which provides a non-judgmental, open, collaborative and confidential space between coach and client. The meaningful conversation is focused on the client’s own thoughts, challenges, outcomes and goals.

It is a journey of reflection, discovery and self awareness combined with actions.

Along the way coaching creates clarity of purpose and direction, challenges limiting beliefs and self talk, and encourages clients to move towards successful resolution on their issues.

I like to compare coaching to a DRIVER metaphor: the client is the driver who drives the car and who knows the destination he wants to go to and the coach is the client’s GPS, helping him to reach his destination. In this sense coaching is a meaningful conversation that move a person from where he is to where he wants to go.

During our journey, please don’t confuse coaching with counselling, mentoring or training.

Counselling

Focused on the past
Usually open-ended
Clients come with problems, usually of an emotional nature.

Mentoring

Requires experience and knowledge in the area being mentored
Often uses advice
Usually related to a profession

Training

Largely pre-defined agenda set by trainer
Higher trainer involvement
Knowledge and solutions mainly held by trainer

Coaching

Focused on the future; the past is visited for learning for future focus
Normally uses fixed duration (although not set in stone)
Clients come with both positive and negative issues

Coaching

Doesn’t require any experience or knowledge of the area being coached
Non-advisory (although there may be times that advice is appropriate)
Non professional-specific

Coaching

Open agenda based around client
Higher client involvement
Knowledge and solutions are to be found in the client

In a nutshell, we can say that coaching is used to unblock someone potential and support him or her to take the action needed to achieve the “self-initiated transformation”.

Along the way, coaching creates clarity of purpose and direction, challenges limiting beliefs and self talk, and encourages clients to move towards successful resolution on their issues, challenges and opportunities.