Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. It is a method of achieving set goals, where the coach through dialogue helps the coachee (client) to correctly set a goal, to find the best way to achieve the goal and reveal hidden inner potential in a person. Coaching is not training or preparation – it helps and guides individuals to find their own solutions to their problems. In this article, we will explore what coaching is, its principles, types, and benefits.
What is Coaching?
Coaching has been defined in many ways. The essence of coaching is to help a person change in the way they wish and helping them go in the direction they want to go. Coaching supports a person at every level in becoming who they want to be. It builds awareness, empowers choice, and leads to change. It unlocks a person’s potential to maximize their performance. Coaching helps them to learn rather than teaching them. Coaching has traditionally been associated with sports, but in recent years, it has become applicable in every area of life, including business and personal life.Put simply, coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. While there are many different models of coaching, here we are not considering the ‘coach as expert’ but, instead, the coach as a facilitator of learning. Good coaches believe that the individual always has the answer to their own problems but understands that they may need help to find the answer. Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.
Principles of Coaching
Coaching is based on five principles:
- The coach does not say how to achieve success but asks questions through which the client himself finds the solution to his own tasks.
- The coach helps individuals find their hidden capabilities and achieve their goals.
- Coaching is based on dialogue between the coach and coachee.
- Coaching requires learning, going through a course, and getting certification.
- Coaching helps individuals unlock their potential and maximize their performance.
Types of Coaching
There are two types of coaching:
- Internal coaching: This type of coaching is done within an organization where a manager acts as a coach for the team he/she already knows.
- External coaching: This type of coaching is done where the coach is not part of the organization or line management structure but is an expert in the field in which coaching is required.
Benefits of Coaching
Coaching has several benefits for both individuals and organizations:
- Improved performance: Coaching helps individuals improve their performance by unlocking their potential.
- Increased motivation: Coaching creates a genuinely motivating climate for performance.
- Better communication: Coaching improves communication between managers and employees.
- Increased job satisfaction: Coaching increases job satisfaction by providing timely feedback, recognition, clarity, and support.
- Improved problem-solving skills: Coaching helps individuals develop better problem-solving skills by unlocking their hidden capabilities.
Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance by unlocking an individual’s potential and maximizing their performance. It focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. There are two types of coaching: internal coaching and external coaching. Coaching has several benefits for both individuals and organizations, including improved performance, increased motivation, better communication, increased job satisfaction, and improved problem-solving skills.By following the steps outlined here, you can turn your passion for coaching into a successful career and make a meaningful impact on the lives of your clients
