What is coaching?
Coaching is a unique and distinct profession. A coach helps you to:
- Solve problems
- Reach goals
- Design a plan of action
- Make decisions
In addition to these areas, the coach “stays with” (coaches) the client to:
- Implement the plan of action, working through the inevitable changes and any obstacles
- Maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life
- Keep looking ahead to take advantage of opportunities that are just now formulating
- Bring out your personal best, keeping focused on your needs, values, and vision
The International Coaching Federation defines coaching in the following way:
“Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.
Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.” (ICF website, 2006)
The International Coach Academy (ICA), from whom Dennis received his certification, says that, “A coach offers many things to the client during the coaching process such as:
- Support to discover the answers within him or her self
- Clarification of values
- Co-creation of a plan for how to achieve what the client really wants
- A sounding board for new ideas
- Support in making life changing decisions
- Challenge to expand their views beyond their perceived limitations
- Direction
- Acknowledgment
- Encouragement
- Resource of information” (International Coach Academy, Certified Professional Coach Progam, What is Coaching? Page 2)
