Here I define and outline some of the benefits of coaching in general, and describe how it differs from related disciplines.
Coaching
Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual that supports the attainment of desired results, as defined by the individual. It is most often done via phone, but can also occur in person. How often in life do we have someone whose specific job is to make sure we remain true to what WE want? When you are acting authentically, and in line with your purpose and values, you will not only be happier and more productive in your own life, but your stronger foundation will enhance your ability to lead others in your own unique way.
Depending upon your personal goals, the coaching relationship can provide you with the following:
- Clarification of your personal purpose, wants, values and visions
- Support in overcoming obstacles (including self-placed barriers) to creating the life and lasting legacy you desire
- Guidance in utilizing strengths and recognizing developmental opportunities
- Accountability for remaining true to yourself and your visions
- Action and results that move you into a refreshingly new range of possibilities
Coaches come from a broad range of backgrounds, and the best fit for you depends upon what you seek to achieve. You may wish to have someone who has first-hand experience in a specific industry area (although in that case you may really be seeking more expert advice than coaching–more on this below), you may wish to have someone who has training and experience in human transformation processes (these interactive processes may be applied across a range of life situations), or you may be seeking someone who has both.
Some of the following explanation of how coaching differs from many common forms of therapy, consulting and mentoring is from the International Coach Federation website.
Therapy/Counseling
I’ll spend a little time outlining the differences between therapy and coaching because the two are frequently confused. While I believe that my formal training in counseling enhances my coaching significantly, I do not currently conduct counseling/therapy.
Coaching clients are at a point where they’re willing to accept responsibility for their outcomes, and are ready to define and work toward what they want out of life. It supports personal and professional growth and development based on individual-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. While many forms of therapy focus on the “why,” coaching places greater emphasis upon the “how”–how will you get to where you want to go? Where necessary, coaching also engages in some forms of self-exploration that aren’t as common in therapy, such as clarifying sense of purpose and values.
Individuals can benefit greatly from coaching if they’re relatively high functioning, and have already sought (or are currently engaging in) therapy where it may be necessary. I’ve had both therapy and coaching, and have found them both very useful in different ways. If any of the following seem to describe you, counseling/therapy may be a good option to explore prior to coaching:
- I have, or believe I may have, a mental health condition (includes substance addictions) that still impacts my life significantly, and that hasn’t yet been addressed with a counselor/therapist or psychiatrist.
- I often find myself blaming others for my problems or current condition.
- I have unresolved past trauma issues that continue to impact my functioning; I need to work through and let go of them before I’m ready to move forward.
Coaching generally places less emphasis on improved emotional/feeling states. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. Coaching emphasizes action, accountability and follow through; and any efforts focused on the past are intended to form a more powerful foundation for this action–e.g., gaining clarity on one’s purpose, values, strengths and tendencies for “blocking” oneself.
If you’re wondering which styles or models of counseling bear some similarities to coaching, the closest is probably solution-focused brief therapy. Reality therapy and cognitive-behavioral approaches also have some commonalities. Career counseling in general also draws from many of the same knowledge bases as coaching. Note, however, that this opinion may be biased per my own coaching style and knowledge base. Some coaches, for example, have found ways to incorporate elements of Gestalt into their work. The human transformation disciplines continue to evolve, sometimes blending models and techniques.
Consulting
Consultants may be retained by individuals or organizations for the purpose of accessing specialized expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, there is often an assumption that the consultant diagnoses problems and prescribes and sometimes implements solutions. In general, the assumption with coaching is that individuals and teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks. I occasionally share specialized expertise in a consulting fashion, generally following the client’s permission to do so. This is why I utilize both “coaching” and “consulting” to describe the services I offer.
Mentoring
Mentoring…is guiding from one’s own experience or sharing of experience in a specific area of industry or career development…Coaches are not typically mentors to those they coach. Because coaching is a transformative process that can be applied across a range of situations, it is not necessary for the coach to have industry-specific experience to add great value for a client.
