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
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Focused on the past
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Usually open-ended
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Clients come with problems, usually of an emotional nature.
Mentoring
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Requires experience and knowledge in the area being mentored
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Often uses advice
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Usually related to a profession
Training
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Largely pre-defined agenda set by trainer
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Higher trainer involvement
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Knowledge and solutions mainly held by trainer
Coaching
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Focused on the future; the past is visited for learning for future focus
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Normally uses fixed duration (although not set in stone)
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Clients come with both positive and negative issues
Coaching
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Doesn’t require any experience or knowledge of the area being coached
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Non-advisory (although there may be times that advice is appropriate)
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Non professional-specific
Coaching
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Open agenda based around client
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Higher client involvement
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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.