What is Coaching?

Learning conversations to help you unlock your potential.  A simple definition and one I like is:

Performance = Potential minus Interference

So I like to think of coaching as helping you find your own set of keys to unlock your potential.

For a more formal definition, The International Coaching Federation describes coaching as:

"An ongoing partnership designed to produce fulfilling results.  Coaches help people improve their performance and enhance the quality of their lives.

Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customise their approach to individual Client needs.  A Coach seeks to elicit solutions and strategies from the Client; Coaches 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 alread has." 

Benefits of coaching include:

  • gaining a fresh perspective on your personal challenges and opportunities
  • enhanced thinking and decision making skills
  • improved interpersonal effectiveness
  • increased confidence

Reaons for working with a Coach include:

  • there is something at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity) and it is urgent, compelling or exciting or all of the above)
  • a big stretch is being asked or required and it is time sensitive
  • you have a desire to accelerate your results
  • you want to alter your direction in life or work
  • you want to be a more effective communicator to improve relationships and personally relevant goals
  • you have a lack of clarity and there are choices to be made
  • work and life are out of balance and this is creating unwanted consequences
  • you want to identify your core strengths and how best to leverage them
  • you want work and life to be simpler and less complicated
  • you need and desire to be organised better and more self-managing