What is coaching?

The aim of coaching is to assist you, as an individual, understand what you want to achieve and what action is required. It is therefore really another term which may be used to describe any other type of coaching whether it is life, business, personal, or performance coaching where the ultimate aim is to help you achieve particular goals e.g., it could be establishing a profitable business, becoming confident as a public speaker, address any limiting beliefs you may have that are inhibiting your progress or to help you clarify a plan of action and support you along the way.

Ultimately, coaching is a tool that unlocks your potential and empowers you to progress in all areas of your life

It is a powerful conversation, which is future-focussed and solution-oriented. It is where goals are set to aid in progress, in any given situation. The coach works with the ‘client’, to identify and focus on what is important and the individual gains clarity and options on how to best proceed.

According to coaches.com, good coaches:

• Create a safe environment in which people see themselves more clearly
• Identify gaps between where the client is and where the client needs or wants to be (Goals)
• Ask for more intentional thought, action and behaviour changes than the client would have asked of him or herself
• Guide the building of the structure, accountability, and support necessary to ensure sustained commitment

According to Forbes.com - Coaches keep you on track and moving forward toward new levels of achievement. For many of us, having someone we answer to motivates us to act and focus on development efforts. Coaches help you understand the difference between weaknesses you need to fix and those that are best left as they are.

What coaching is not

A coach won’t tell you what to do or give you the answers. A coach is objective, non-judgmental, an excellent listener, and helps you uncover the strategies and steps forward that will work best for you. As a client, you are responsible for the commitment to achieve the agreed upon action steps and for your own success.

Additionally, coaching is not a substitute for therapy, counselling, consulting…

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) 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.

It is a solution, which provides you with instant progress when you’ve been ‘stuck’ and are ready to move on.

Coaching also has an impact on an organization’s financial performance; according to an ICF and HCI study, 60% of respondents from organizations with strong coaching cultures report their revenue to be above average, compared to their peer group.