“Coaching is a partnership between the Coach and the Client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize personal and professional potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.” – as defined by the ICF (International Coaching Federation)
A few basic assumptions of coaching, based on the definition of Jarosz (2016)
- Clients are mentally healthy and do not suffer from mental illness that may obstruct their ability to achieve their goals.
- Clients are not empty receptacles for the coach’s knowledge and experience but are creative, resourceful, adaptive, and whole.
- Clients possess the ability and inner resources to change their thinking, belief systems, and behaviors in pursuing growth.
What to expect from a coaching session?
- a trustworthy and non-judgmental partner for your journey
- a safe and friendly environment
- deep listening and holding space for you to unfold
- many questions – designed to a.) expand your awareness and guide you to identify resources and solutions you already know but may doubt, undervalue, or treat as insignificant; b.) generate new ideas, perspectives, solutions
- identify and set realistic and inspiring goals for your personal or professional development
- exercises, tools – designed to help you include self-awareness and self-assessments in your daily practices, discover patterns and create space for new ideas, solutions to emerge
- learn about your values, beliefs, emotions, performance, soft skills and how these create your reality
- learn ways to develop new skills or unlearn old behaviors to help you live a more fulfilling life
- being challenged – when the time is right (one of the responsibilities of a coach is to take the client out of their comfort zone and into the learning zone)
- honest feedback or mirroring so that you can see yourself more clearly (yes, sometimes the coach might be the person who gives you the feedback others may fear giving)
- support and encouragement
- non-disclosure
- someone who does not tell you what to do
- a reminder of your strength and greatness, when you are too tired or overwhelmed to see it yourself
Don’t choose coaching if:
- you are not willing to make a commitment (coaching is a process that requires commitment and consistent work with yourself, which will be both rewarding and challenging)
- you are not comfortable with feedback and operating outside of your current habits, systems
- you are not willing to learn how to honestly open up about your thoughts, emotions, actions
- you are not curious to explore other perspectives than your own
- you are looking for someone to tell you what to do and take responsibility for your life
- your current life and choices feel comfortable, even if they are not fulfilling
- you are not ready to invest your time, energy, and resources into a transformation that may not always feel comfortable
Another reason why coaching might not be an answer is that another specialist could be of better help in your current situation. In this article I’ve outlined some high-level differences between a therapist, a coach, a consultant, and a mentor.
Benefits of individual coaching include (but are not limited to):
- living more in the present by cultivating self-awareness and observation
- building healthier routines and boundaries
- developing new skills
- increased ability to use strengths and overcome obstacles in achieving goals
- improved relationships
- feeling more focused and aligned
- confidence and resilience in handling difficult situations and conversations
- increased emotional intelligence
- increased performance
- finding a mission or purpose and building steps to turn it into reality
- decreased self-doubt and self-criticism
- less overthinking
- avoiding burnout
- focusing more on opportunities than fears
