What Coaching IS and IS NOT

Image: Jordan Sanchez Unsplash

"Will you help me with my to-do list?"
“Are you going to give me tips and tricks?”
"Can't you just tell me what to do?"

These are some of the questions I get asked when I tell people I'm a coach. Coaching is a word that is used in a lot of different ways — there can be sports coaches, voice coaches, and life coaches — to name a few. As you can imagine, they all do very different things! Coaching is also often confused with other modalities like therapy, consulting, teaching, counseling, or mentoring. However, it's distinct from all of them.

The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as "Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole."

Coaching IS an equal partnership between the coach and the client, based on an open dialogue and a commitment to growth. Coaching is present and forward-focused, and engaged in finding the client's expertise about themselves. Through working with a coach, clients can develop self-awareness, look at the perspectives they hold, and embark on a supported journey of change. It's an opportunity to explore and ignite one's superpowers.

Coaching IS NOT giving advice, taking the lead, or being the expert. I don't take clients through a predetermined program. We create change by getting curious about what is and isn’t working, focusing on strengths, and building self-awareness. Yes, we will likely look at your to-do list, your schedule, and your focus challenges, but we also get grounded in your values, needs, and goals. 

What Coaching IS:
An equal partnership
Present and future-focused
An opportunity for greater self-awareness
Focused on growth and action
Supportive accountability
Individualized for each client

What Coaching IS NOT:
Coaching is not therapy
Coaching is not mentoring
Coaching is not consulting
Coaching is not counseling
Coaching is not prescriptive
It's not advice-giving

To better understand how coaching differs from other learning modalities take a look at this document Coaching vs. Training from fellow coach Casey Moore. If you're new to coaching and unsure if it's right for you, take the free, quick Coachability Self-Test to determine if coaching is a fit for you at this time.

If you like this post then you may like The Power of Envisioning Your Future.

See you soon.

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