A Brief Introduction to Coaching
There are some definite guidelines on what is and is not coaching.
Coaching is about many things. However, principally it is about change. It is about developing emotional intelligence and conscious awareness. In business, coaching is a leadership behavior that lies at the opposite end of the spectrum to command and control, and in effect addresses the whole person, not just ‘the role’ and business issues.
Coaching has many benefits, far too many to mention within this document. Each participant in the coaching alliance creates and holds the agenda, making every alliance uniquely designed to serve only the success of the participant.
The process is diverse and expansive. It can cover a breadth of issues, such as dealing with the immediate obstacles that are preventing growth, personal communication, and impact as well as building the vision and plan against a life’s dream and goal.
In summary, coaching is about the marriage of a persons’ potential with performance. The context is to allow people to learn rather than teach them.
Coaching is not appropriate for the following:
-People with dependencies such as drugs and alcohol
-Therapy for people who have suffered abuse
- A shoulder to cry on
- People who are abusing others
- People who are experiencing mental illness
- Counseling
Therapists in some of the above fields deal with events that have happened in the past. Coaching is specifically about the present and the future.
Whilst reference to past events is the normal practice within a coaching relationship to apply background and context, a Coach unless declaring otherwise, is NOT qualified to deal with any past emotional trauma or turmoil that is preventing the participant from moving forward.
