Did you know that this week is International Coaching Week? International Coaching Week (ICW) is a weeklong celebration that educates the public about the value of working with a professional coach and acknowledges the results and progress made through the coaching process. This week is sponsored by the International Coach Federation (ICF), the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.
As an ICF certified coach, I thought I would support International Coaching Week by spending the week sharing a little bit about my chosen profession and answering some of the questions I most often receive about coaching.
What is professional coaching? I get this question a lot! Often times, when I tell people I am a leadership coach, they get a little confused. People often associate the title of coach with sports or health and fitness. That is definitely a form of coaching, but professional coaching is a bit different.
The International Coach Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”. Coaching is really about facilitating change that will lead to desired results. Ultimately, coaching is about helping you achieve your goals and to continue to develop and grow.
My specialty, Leadership Coaching, is designed specifically to help leaders develop and grow in their leadership. Each leader I work with brings their own unique experience and knowledge to the table and therefore each leader’s development needs are unique when compared to others. Coaching allows leaders to be developed in the ways they need most, rather than trying to utilize a once size fits all approach. it provides an environment in which you can intentionally develop your unique strengths and be mindful of those areas of development that have the potential to undermine your influence.
How is coaching different from therapy, mentoring, or training? I’ve often had people tell me that coaching sounds a lot like getting therapy or just having a really great mentor. While coaching may use some of the same communication processes (asking great questions) it is very distinct from mentoring, training and therapy.
Coaching is not therapy, although coaching uses some of the same communication processes. Coaching is about creativity, performance and action. It focuses on the here and now, while therapy deals with resolution and fixing issues of the past or healing the client emotionally or mentally.
Coaching is not mentoring. Mentoring is one, more experienced person, giving another person advise or suggestions based on their own experience, while coaching is about the client’s experience. It’s about enabling the client to create and develop their own best practices, connections and resources.
Finally, coaching is not training. Training is defined as the action of teaching a person a particular skill or type of behavior. While, at times, coaches may provide some information, the goal of the coaching relationship is to support those they coach in developing their own skills and knowledge
What are the benefits of coaching? I believe there are many benefits to working with a coach. As someone who has worked with several coaches over the last five years I can tell you it really is something that can transform your life. Some of the benefits I have seen from coaching are clarity, confidence, enhanced decision-making skills, self-awareness, and shifts in my mindset. Don’t take my word for it though – there have been numerous studies done about the effectiveness and ROI of coaching and they all say the same thing. Coaching can be a game changer. Coaching can help drive engagement and retention with employees, it can help increase productivity, it can make training even more effective and it can increase your skill level. A study done by MetrixGlobal found that “coaching produced a 529% return on investment and significant intangible benefits.”
Those are the questions I most get asked about coaching. The best way to really understand what coaching is and the benefits you can receive from it is to actually experience coaching yourself. Since it is International Coaching Week and I am committed to educating others about coaching, I am offering five people a free 30-minute coaching conversation. If you are interested in receiving one of these free sessions click this link to apply. I will select five people at the end of the week. I can’t wait to share the gift of coaching with you!
