There is some mystery about what professional coaching is. I asked my clients to respond to the question, “What is coaching?” Here are the verbatim responses. No editing.
To put this in context, my clients are most commonly working on a mix among balance, career building, identifying and sticking with priorities, leadership, and confidence.
Coaching is a tool to get over a hump in life –whether it be personal or professional. A coach can help direct your energy and focus your goals and break them down into achievable bites; is there to push you past your known or self-established limits – not to make you suffer, but to help you grow; helps you realize your own potential when you have run out of ideas on how to advance yourself.
Coaching is a most direct way to get feedback on my thinking and my practice in life. The coach listens, reflects back, questions, challenges and celebrates. I am always in possession of more perspective on what I’m doing and who I’m becoming after the coaching session.
Coaching is a way to proactively motivate myself by setting appointments and deadlines. It is a way to force myself to be introspective, with my coach’s help and guidance.
Coaching is an opportunity to reflect inward and do work specific to my own personal/professional development. An opportunity to work with a skilled professional who can guide me in developing my own reflective process. A win-win method for self improvement that benefits me as well as the group that I lead. While I have improved in my ability to lead, I still use the tools I have learned through coaching to critically evaluate how I’m doing in the context of how I can do better.
Coaching is the support and encouragement that you get from another who is watching from the sidelines and cheering you on, very similar to an athletic coach. Coaching is most effective when it is done by someone you trust and someone who understands you – both your strengths and weaknesses. A good coach takes a holistic view of you, and inspires you to be the very best you can be! A coach is someone who reminds you of the big picture, pulls you back from the trenches, and leads you to a different, sometimes brighter, perspective or way of doing things. A coach reminds you of your successes and won’t let you dwell on the setbacks. A coach is someone who is patient, and persistent, and knows you well enough to identify and close in on those tough subjects, while simultaneously manages to lighten your load.
Coaching is what you make of it. You can go through the motions, and get very little. But if you are truly interested in change, it can be a tool of tremendous growth. My coach is like my mirror: it helps me know more about myself and make decisions about which things I need to accept, which things I can make a quick fix or adjustment about, and what things I’m willing to invest longer term effort to change.
Coaching is listening and asking questions in a way that the coach learns the client’s aspirations, pitfalls, and areas that are calling for growth.
Coaching is being present with the client.
Coaching is being an advocate for the client to become the best that she/he can be.
Coaching is never static.
Coaching is providing inspirations, guidance, and boundaries, when appropriate.
Through coaching, the coach helps the client learn to lead, perform, evaluate, cultivate, and change; and to ask good questions, network and otherwise take advantage of collaboration and resources, and especially important: help the client learn how to help herself. All of this is an iterative process with increased maturation and growth through each iteration.
Coaching is motivated by the desire to serve others and make the world a better place.
