What is Coaching?

There are many ways to describe Coaching, and you may have encountered a type of coaching from a parent, teacher, grandparent, sports coach or teacher whom we could identify has had a positive influence in our lives and may have used Coaching and coaching skills with us.

My Definition of Coaching.

“I believe Coaching is about helping individuals perform at their best through the individual and private assistance of a person who will challenge, stimulate and guide the person on their journey.”

Others describe it like this:

“Coaching is unlocking a person‘s potential to maximise their performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.”

John Whitmore: Coaching for Performance – quoting Timothy Gallwey

“My definition is a simple one that conceals complexity. The coach works with clients to achieve speedy, increased and sustainable effectiveness in their lives and careers through focused learning…Behind this definition are six important principles.  

1. The client is resourceful. 
2. The coach‘s role is to spring loose the client‘s resourcefulness. 
3. Coaching addresses the whole person – past, present and future. 
4. The client sets the agenda. 
5. The coach and the client are equals. 
6. Coaching is about change and action.”

Jenny Rogers: Coaching Skills a handbook

What is the foundation for Coaching?

Coaching begins with the understanding that everyone who receives Coaching has within them some yet untapped potential. This potential will help the individual either recognise they already have the skills within them or identify the process they need to adopt to gain these skills.

The core principles of Coaching are that it is non-critical, non-judgemental and confidential. It is based on a relationship between the Coach and Coachee.  The connection needs to be supportive, trusting, non-directive, a relationship of equals, holistic, encouraging and ethical.

For Coaching to work, it has to have at its core the recognition that the person receiving Coaching needs to develop their awareness of their situation and, once this has been achieved, accept responsibility to move it forward.

John Whitmore identified these two key elements critical in people developing through Coaching; awareness and responsibility (Coaching for Performance). He states that these two elements are crucial to effective Coaching and that the process used, in his case the tGROW model, only works when these are applied.