What is coaching?

Coaching is a form of learning, where a person - the coach - supports someone else - the coachee - to create learning and self development for the benefit of the coachee.

Coaching is normally a conversation or series of conversations one person has with another. The coach intends to produce a conversation that will benefit the other person in a way that relates to the coachee's learning and progress.

Coaching may consist of two people talking in a room, this is known as offline coaching. On line coaching occurs where one person may be observing another person doing something eg. chairing a meeting.

COACHING IS NOT:

Structured training eg classroom learning;

Therapy, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy;

neither is it a way of getting someone else to solve your problems for you.

What you can expect from your coach:

Your coach will listen to you with a genuine curiosity to understand who you are, whatyou think and generally how you experience the world. Your coach will reflect back to you, with the kind of objective assessment that creates real clarity. During conversations your coach will encourage you to rise to challenges, overcome obstacles and get into action. Because the relationship is based on trust and openness, the contents of your discussions will confidential.

What your coach will expect from you:

Your coach will encourage you to stay committed for the coaching process. This means showing up for sessions, taking your own notes where appropriate and keeping agreements you make during sessions.

Your coach needs you to be open to the potential of coaching which means contributing to conversations honestly and openly; for instance if something isn't working then your coach needs to know. If you know why a problem is occurring, say so.

The strength and power of coaching relates strongly to the level of openness and trust between the coach and the coachee.