What is Coaching: and what it can do for you

So, I’m sure you have been hearing loads and loads about life coaching (life coach??? huh?), executive coaching, performance coaching, and coaching, coaching, coaching.

But what do you really know what it is and what it is for? What it can do for you?
Would you even know how a coach goes about coaching you?

Well, you might already have some ideas as to what coaching is, like:

You might think coaching is only for companies to “fix under achievers” or even only for big time executives or maybe you think coaching is some mystical cult like ritual.
You might even that its some sort of guru based mumbo jumbo – and in some cases you might be right!
But let’s take a look at what it really is and what it can do for you.
There are a lot of different views and a lot of different opinions of what it is and how to go about it, such as:

Mary Connor and Julia Pokora, the authors of Coaching and Mentoring at Work say:

[su_quote cite=” Mary Connor, author of Coaching and Mentoring at Work” url=”http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00GSCMTYO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3626&creative=24790&creativeASIN=B00GSCMTYO&linkCode=as2&tag=digoyoes-21″]Coaching is a learning relationship which helps people to take charge of their own development, to release their potential and to achieve results which they value[/su_quote]

The ICF or the International Coaching Federation defines coaching:

[su_quote cite=”International Coach Federation” url=”http://www.coachfederation.org/need/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=978&navItemNumber=567″]as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today’s uncertain and complex environment. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. [/su_quote]

Whew!

Both of those definitions are great and I do believe in them but they’re really abstract don’t tell me all that much about what coaching really is. Now, keeping with my KISS philosophy (keep it simple stupid), My view of coaching is much simpler and much easier to understand.
[su_quote cite=”Eduardo Arellano”]In it’s essence, Coaching is a guide to get you from point A to point B, focusing on the present and the future.[/su_quote]
Ok, so what does that mean. Well, it means that if you have a goal or objective that you desire to achieve or that you want to increase your performance in a certain area like on the ski slopes or at work or you really need to make a change in your life or career and you just can’t seem to take the first step or even to commit to the change. Coaching will allow you to achieve that goal or make that change through self-awareness and personal responsibility or in other words coaching will make you more aware of what it is that is holding you back and what it is you need to get you going and make you responsible for it.

Now, this doesn’t mean that the coach is going to be taking you by the hand to glory land.
What their going to do is help you to raise your self-awareness by asking you questions which allow to come up with your own ideas, your own solutions and your own direction to achieve what it is you set out to do.

Ok , so first they going to help you discover what it is you really want and define it clearly, in other words find out point B

Second, they help you assess where you are right now. In other words help you outline point A

Third, they’ll help you discover what the best course of action is for you in your particular situation.

[su_note note_color=”#fdf2f9″]What’s good for me might not be necessarily good for you.[/su_note]

Again, they do this by asking the appropriate questions that bring about self-awareness and a good coach will push you out of your comfort zone and get you to discover the answers with in you and that are appropriate for you.

Fourth, They going to help you discover the actions necessary to get you going and achieve your goals. Not only that but you will create appropriate steps, set a time frame to do them and set ways to measure the outcome of those actions.

This is probably the most critical step as this is going to increases your personal responsibility and your accountability for the achievement of your goals.
and this folks is the key to your success.
You gotta own it you gotta live it and you gotta love it!

Finally at your next meeting you will review the actions you took and what the results were. From that review you begin again to outline further actions that need to be taken to get you where you want to go. And so on and so on

[su_note note_color=”#fdf7fc”]Remember, the coach isn’t going to give you loads and loads of advice.[/su_note]
They are there to raise your self-awareness of your situation and the steps you need to take personally to achieve your goal.They there to help you to figure out what you need and whats best for you. And 9 times out of 10 times, you already know, you just need a little prodding.

And that folks is Coaching in a nut shell, in a very small nut shell.

To find out more about coaching (life coach, business coach) and personal development or to participate in the ongoing personal development debate, drop me note or two and let me know what you think, would like explained, what you would like to know about or even if you need help on something, just let me know.

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