What is Coaching? An Interview With a Certified Coach
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Coaching used to mean one thing . . . sports.
I grew up playing volleyball and basketball. My kids have played soccer most of their lives. We are very familiar with coaches.
In order to play a sport, you need a coach. A sports coach is a teacher, a cheerleader, a vision caster, a strategist, an encourager, a corrector, a developer, a goal setter, a doctor, a consoler, a manager . . .
Sports was the only context I knew for coaching.
So, what has changed? Now, everywhere I turn, people are talking about coaching.
What’s all the hype about coaching, and is all life coaching the same? Is life coaching the same as sports coaching? Can anyone be a coach? Can I be a coach?
In order to find out the answers to these questions—and more—let’s talk to our See Beyond staff member, Rod. Rod is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and has over 1300 hours of leadership coaching experience.
See Beyond: What is coaching?
Rod: This is a question that people often ask me.
Most people seek out a coach to get help solving the problem they are currently facing. They might feel stuck or be seeking insights to see beyond the "thing" that is holding them back. Having a coach means trusting someone to help them notice their current mindset. Then, the person can move forward with actions that come out of the discoveries, new perspectives, and applications of their own learning.
Another way of seeing it is coaching is helping someone to pause, reflect, learn, and grow instead of their typical pattern of go, go, go.
Here is the International Coach Federation’s definition:
“Coaching is a thought-provoking and creative partnership that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential, often unlocking previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership.”
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See Beyond: How is coaching different from sports coaching?
Rod: A sports coach is the expert in that specific sport and gives specific advice and training to the athletes. In reality, a better term for this is “mentoring,” since the sports “coach” is providing his expertise and pouring into the lives of these players.
Coaching does not offer advice and coaching does not tell others what to do. Coaches do not share their wisdom or experience with those they coach. Instead, they help the individual to explore the topic or process their learning by asking thought-provoking questions. This increases the individual’s ownership of their own learning, their own discoveries, and their own action steps that will move them forward.
See Beyond: What are the greatest benefits to being coached?
Rod: Many people enjoy having someone safe with whom to process their hopes, dreams, values, and next steps that will move them forward. Here are a few examples:
For those who are looking for growth, coaching brings clarity on where to start and what to do next. For those looking for change, coaching brings the accountability needed to move ideas into action. For those who desire awareness, coaching provides new discoveries. And for those desiring more intentional community, coaching provides purposeful dialogue within a relationship.
Some individuals want to be coached because they are a leader or starting a leadership role. Others want to be coached because they are feeling stuck or need to process some aspect of their life. Others might be facing a transition and want to unpack the learning that will help them move forward.
Coaching is beneficial for those who desire growth and are seeking forward movement.
Want to learn about how coaching could work for you?
Check out a coaching demonstration video on our Coaching services page here.
See Beyond: If someone is interested in being coached in an area of their life, how should they go about finding a coach?
Rod: Anyone can call themselves a “coach,” so it’s worth finding someone who’s been certified. Those certified with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) have at least 60 hours of training, at least 100 hours of coaching practice, and have been thoroughly evaluated by ICT for proven competency skills in coaching. All this ensures that you are getting quality coaching that doesn’t dump advice on you, but rather uses proven methods to skillfully facilitate your thinking and get you moving forward.
Beyond finding someone who is certified, it’s important to find someone who feels like a good fit. Coaching is an ongoing dialogue in the context of a relationship, so it’s ideal to consider the chemistry. Most coaches offer a free introductory session, so you can check out the connection before committing to a series of coaching sessions.
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See Beyond: Is all coaching the same?
Rod: Not at all! Coaches have a variety of styles and techniques they use. Inside coaching, coaches have niches. This is where a coach has a particular passion or interest in coaching certain aspects or situations of life. Here are a few examples:
Strength-Based Coaching can help identify and enhance current strengths and explore new ways to grow in them or find new options of expression.
Transition Coaching can help navigate the ambiguity and confusion that often comes along with life transitions or role transitions, like cross-cultural moves or beginning to lead locals in a new country.
Executive Coaching can help those who are managers or top-level leaders in a company. Oftentimes, they want to address a specific issue or business dynamic.
Leadership Coaching is for anyone who is formally or informally leading others.
New Leadership Role Coaching can help with the transition from a previous role and the growth/adjustments needed to step into a new leadership role.
Life Coaching can help unpack and bring new awareness into many life topics. These might include exercise, relationships, boundaries, and personal growth.
Team Coaching can help a team establish their mission, vision, ground rules, decision-making process, and strategy to achieve their team goals.
Group Coaching can help a group that wants to focus on a topic. That topic might range from stress management to career development to emotional intelligence. Individuals learn from each other as they are guided by the coach.
Parent Coaching isn’t about passing on a parenting philosophy, but rather helping parents discover their own. It’s encouraging and adds non-judgmental support to a normally very lonely role.
There are many types or niches of coaching, but the ones listed above are the most common.
Watch our coaching demonstration video and see what coaching is like.
See Beyond: To conclude, what do you most love about coaching? How has it changed your life?
Rod: I used to be known as a good listener. It seemed that people enjoyed talking with me and that they felt “heard,” but I noticed they often didn’t move forward with the topic that was concerning them. After I took my first professional coaching training course, I realized there is a better way.
I find it very motivational and inspirational to partner with someone in owning their story and choosing growth. Coaching has also changed how I listen and how I lead people.
In the past, I felt the pressure to offer solid or relevant advice to fix other people's issues. Now, I don’t feel that pressure, but instead enjoy the process of asking thought-provoking questions that prompt deeper reflection and discovery. This is what true learning, development, and transformation is all about!
