Module: What is Coaching?
An ICF accredited tutorial introducing the history and current foundations of coaching. Recommended learning for anyone considering coach training.
Coaching is similar, yet quite different, to other methodologies!
As a coach you will be an advocate, a sounding board, a cheerleader, an accountability partner, a truth teller and a supporter.
Coaching involves a dialogue between a coach and a client with the aim of supporting the client to reach a goal. It blends the best concepts from business, psychology, philosophy, sports and spirituality. But, while coaching borrows heavily from those practices, it is a distinctly different support role to that of a consultant, therapist or mentor. The coaching we teach at ICA is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) and aligned with the ICF Core Competencies.
As a coach you will help your clients to discover the answers within themselves. During this process the coach will help a client clarify their values, beliefs, feelings, perceptions and ideas, and will hold a safe space for them to identify their barriers, challenges, strengths, knowledge, and skills. Opportunities for shifting limiting beliefs or reframing perspectives will be identified.
Part of being a good coach is knowing when and when not to coach. If the client needs therapy or consultation then the job of a coach is to refer to the appropriate colleague.
COACHING IS DIFFERENT TO THERAPY, CONSULTING OR MENTORING
One of the most difficult things for students new to coaching is to "unlearn" what they think coaching is. CONSULTING, TRAINING, and THERAPY are all common backgrounds for students of coaching, so the very first thing you need to do is understand how these things are different to coaching skills.
A consultant will typically be called into a company or organisation to solve a specific issue or problem. Often they will be specialists in this area and have provided very similar advice and expertise for other organisations. A good consultant will always have a "coach approach,' but nonetheless, they are driving the solution, and in fact, it is expected that they will save the problem they have been brought in for.
A Trainer will typically conduct some sort of Training Needs Analysis to identify a skills gap. They will then deliver training designed to close that gap by providing participants with specific skills and knowledge. Although coaching methods intersect with many Adult Learning Principles (such as experiential learning, self-directed learning, and transformational learning) the fact remains that more often than not, in a Training context, the Trainer is the person driving the session.
One of the biggest differences between Therapy and Coaching is the fact that coaching does not tend to focus so much on the past. Coaches are not looking so much for why something occurred, but rather at what it is their client wants to achieve and how they can best get there. Having said that, there are many forms of therapy that do take a future focussed approach (e.g., solutions-focused psychology); however, even with these forms, there is a critical piece of the coaching formula missing - that of accountability.
WHICH PROGRAM?
Find the program and certification options best suited to your coaching goals, budget and timeframe for completion.