What is Coaching?

The whole field of coaching as a social-science, seems still to be very much in formation. Even so, it appears to me that those in the field are generally in agreement on the following. This list, of course, is not conclusive nor exhaustive, but merely a sample.

Coaching is not self oriented.

In coaching, the coach lives for the success of the coachee; his own success and happiness is to help the client achieve success.  He exists, not to play, but to enable others to play better, not to be the star, but facilitate stars to rise. In many respects, coaching is like teaching.  Yet, while coaching definitely impacts the future and outcomes of the client, it is at the same time very much a present-oriented relationship, providing accountability and focus so that the coachee may recruit all his greatest energies toward doing his very best in the present–on the way to the future. A coachee wins because through coaching he is empowered to gather his own resources, and to focus them in such a way as to reach his focus. The coach wins because he has equipped and empowered his coachee to succeed.

Coaching is not mentoring.

In coaching  a good coach need NOT be an experienced person in the area of his coaching (as opposed to “mentoring”). Coaching, in fact, is more about giving feedback than giving tips and advice. It is more about generating awareness, than about giving pre-fabricated answers. It is all about helping the client discover his own best course of action at a particular moment in time.  The perspective of coaching  is that the person probably has all the approach answers he needs, right within himself, provided that he focus on the right clues.

On the other hand, a mentor gives perspectives, advice and tips based on his own personal experience, some of which may fit for his mentoree, some of which will need to be adapted.  The mentor will prescribe not only the course of action, but also the actual goal and purpose of moving in that direction. Thus, unlike coaching, mentoring assumes right and wrong, better and best. Coaching, on the other hand, seeks to help the coachee explore and venture toward what is best for him, given his vision, values, skill and motivation.

Coaching harnesses latent energy.

Both in the present, as related to his behaviors and attitudes, as well as toward the future, related to his perspectives and objectives, coaching exists so that all movement is harnessed toward the objectives that the coachee himself has defined.  Truthfully, his objectives may be short of his full potential, so that he will need to revise them, once arriving. Yet every successful move toward a goal will be progress, and will be recognized and affirmed by the coach. Such encouragement is very motivational.

Coaching motivates character formation as well as successful behavior.

Sometimes success will be measured as the achievement of the goal; sometimes it will be seen as achievement of character and wisdom, which themselves are essential for the realization of larger goals and purposes. Coaching will equip the coachee to reframe even short-term losses in such a way that his activities are seen as gainful toward his larger objectives and purpose.  There is no loss, only gain.  In fact, in good coaching, there is no failure, only opportunity.