What Coaching?
In this post I look at what is coaching and what it is not. When coaching is discussed some people may think of executive coaching, life coaching or sports coaching. There is quite a lot of confusion about what is coaching in the workplace and what coaching actually is. There are many definitions of coaching but the one I ascribe to is the International Coaching Federation’s definition:
“Professional coaching is an ongoing professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, businesses or organisations. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance and enhance their quality of life”.
Put simply for me coaching is a conversation between two people where a topic of importance for one person becomes the focus of attention for both. The core tenet of coaching is that both parties enter into the conversation and are willing participants and the coach has the permission to pursue this type of conversation. Otherwise coaching becomes an encounter where a self appointed coach interferes in another person’s life whether they want it or not.
Coaching is Not:
Coaching is not targeted at psychological illness and coaches are not therapists or councillors.
Coaching and Quakerism
I love this correlation between coaching and Quakerism:
The practice of the Clearness Committee started in the 1660′s and it met when someone in the meeting asks them to because they have a personal dilemma or situation that they need help with. The core intention of a Clearness Committee was:
“everything they say is governed by one rule, a simple rule and yet one that most people find difficult and demanding: members of the committee are forbidden to speak except in a way to ask honest, open questions. This means absolutely no advice and no amateur psychoanalysis. It means no “Why don’t you? It means no “that happened to me and this is what I did” it means no “there is a book/therapist/diet/exercise/course that would help you a lot”
Nothing is allowed except real questions, honest and open questions, questions that will help the person remove the blocks to his or her inner truth without becoming burdened by the personal agenda of the committee members. I may think I know the answer to your problem, and on the rare occasions I may be right. But my answer is absolutely no value to you, the only answer that counts is one that arises from your own inner truth”.