EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED
TO KNOW ABOUT COACHING
(BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)
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"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
William Shakespeare
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THE NATURE OF COACHING
Coaching is a unique partnership between the client and the trained professional coach. The distinct nature of this partnership lies in the fact that it is one of the only relationships in your life where the focus is entirely on YOU, with the coach having no agenda other than enabling you to find your own answers to key questions. This, in turn, allows you to get from where you are to where you want to be, both personally and professionally.
THE ROLE OF THE CLIENT
The client's role in coaching is to set the agenda; after all, it's all about YOU! Often, the client chooses to determine where they are, how they got there, where they wish to be now and in the future, and what they need to do to get there, all with the support and guidance of the coach. The client then sets the agenda by making the choices and determining the actions they need to employ in order to achieve the desired results. The client must choose to assume self-responsibility, engage in a fair measure of risk-taking to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and work in tandem with the coach towards their best end.
THE ROLE OF THE COACH
First and foremost, the coach recognizes the absolute confidential nature of the relationship with the client, and acts in accordance with that requirement. As essential, the coach adheres to the professional code of ethics in compliance with the rules set forth by the International Coaching Federation. As to their role within the substantive coaching relationship itself, professional coaches understand that the true benefit of the coaching relationship is realized when the client develops their own answers to the critical questions, and then creates a workable plan to implement the changes necessary to fulfill their goals. This is handled in a variety of ways:
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LISTENING in an extraordinary way, to hear both what is being said and what is not being said
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CHALLENGING the client to be honest with themselves in a way that others may hesitate to do;
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ASKING KEY QUESTIONS that compel the client to think differently and find answers and solutions to their life situations;
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ASSESSING the client's situations along with them, thereby enabling them to better gain a sense of self-responsibility as well as the responsibility of others;
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PROVIDING OBJECTIVITY that the client may not get in any other relationship in their life;
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SUPPORTING the client to stretch beyond their own limitations to achieve more than they ever thought possible in their lives;
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ENCOURAGING the client to accept the possibility of new ways of thinking about all aspects of their lives;
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HAVING great expectations of the client;
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ASSISTING with strategies for the client to achieve their desired results;
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PROVIDING ACCOUNTABILITY for the client to keep them on track and continue to help them move forward.
HOW IS COACHING DELIVERED?
The initial coaching session is essential in that it enables both the coach and the potential client to determine if the fit is right for an effective partnership. During that session, the coach learns a number of things:
- whether the chemistry feels right;
- the nature of the client's needs, current issues, and challenges;
- the client's expectations of the coach;
- whether the coach's area of specialty coalesces with the client's needs and goals;
- the particular style of communication and interface the client brings to the table;
- what the client believes they wish to gain from the coaching relationship;
- whether they speak "the same language";
- AND MORE!
Similarly, the client assesses the coach during this session, to ascertain:
- whether the chemistry feels right;
- whether the coach's specialty fits their needs;
- whether they're comfortable with the coach's style of communication and interface;
- whether they have an intuitive belief that the coach will "get" who they are and understand what they need;
- whether they speak "the same language";
- AND MORE!
Once the coach and client determine that the relationship makes sense to them, the coaching is delivered through consistent sessions either by telephone or in person. The client also has access to the coach via e-mail and short calls in between sessions, if needed. The client may agree to accomplish certain tasks in between sessions, or may utilize a variety of coaching tools provided by the coach to gain support in the process. The duration of the coaching relationship varies from client to client, and is determined by both parties based upon a variety of factors - there are no established time parameters. Often, clients will coach for a certain time period in order to achieve the goals they've established at that time; once that has occurred, they may end the relationship, knowing they are always welcome to return either for maintenance sessions or when and if new situations arise in their lives for which coaching would be appropriate.
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