What Coaching Is and What It Isn't

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GitaCoach Newsletter

 

What Coaching Is and What It Isn't

 

Quite simply, coaching is about getting the very best out of someone – it is

a unique way of assisting people in their personal development.

 

Whatever reason people choose to hire coaches, the first thing you'll notice

from any coaching relationship is that it's a two-way process. Regular

sessions are held either face-to-face or over the telephone with action

taken by the client between each session. A coach helps their client to

identify what they want to achieve, whether it's in their personal,

professional or public life. Once identified, the coach supports their

client throughout their quest to achieve their goals, helping to keep the

client focused and on track and to overcome any challenges and obstacles on

the way to their goal.

 

* Who would use a coach?

Anyone who is experiencing lack of progress with a goal or someone who feels

dissatisfied with the direction an aspect of their life is going in.

 

* Does coaching really benefit?

Ask anyone who has experienced coaching for themselves and they will tell

you that it has changed their life, that it has brought them personal

satisfaction and success, a deep sense of achievement and that they feel

energised to move forward in a positive and purposeful way.

 

* How long would someone see a coach for?

Usually a coaching relationship lasts between 4 and 12 sessions, but clients

will realise the benefits right from the first session. The coaching

relationship can of course last as long as the client wants it to.

 

* Isn't coaching just like any other therapy?

Coaching shares some similarities with therapies and counselling. It is

focused on helping clients, and being non-judgemental and non-prescriptive.

There are, however, a number of fundamental differences between coaching and

other forms of therapy.

 

* Coaching is goal-orientated

Often a goal will emerge during therapy or counselling. Coaching doesn't

begin until a goal has been identified. Although a coach may understand how

your past has created your current situation, the coaching session is

focused on where you are now and where you want to get to in the future. A

coach usually doesn't offer any solutions for the client. Coaches believe

that clients possess all the necessary resources to do, be and have anything

they want in life. A coach's job is enabling the client to uncover all their

hidden abilities and motivations so they are empowered to take positive

actions towards achieving their goals.

 

* How does coaching differ from mentoring?

A mentor will generally guide and teach someone in a specific task or job.

The mentor will draw significantly on their own experience, will pass on

short cuts and tricks of the trade to guide their student to a specified

result. The mentor will be expected to know the answers to a task-related

situation. A coach works with you so that you discover the questions and the

answers for yourself, not just for a particular task, but also for all your

life situations.

 

* What are the qualities of a great coach?

A great coach believes in the amazing abilities that people have and seeks

to draw those out of their clients. A great coach is a supporter and enabler

of people's dreams. A great coach knows how to listen and ask just the right

questions, when to challenge and when to support. A great coach puts aside

all judgements and lets their clients start with a fresh sheet of paper to

design their life.

 

Contact: Akrura (AT) pamho (DOT) net