What is Coaching?

Coaching is creative collaboration. At the core, it is about individuals and organizations identifying purpose and living out of that purpose. Coaching is based on discovering, clarifying, and achieving the client’s expressed interests, goals, and objectives. A coach uses questioning, intuition, and a variety of assessment tools to assist clients in analyzing and solving their challenges. A coach provides a place for clients to be held accountable to themselves and honors the client as the expert in his or her life.

Life Coaching

Why do people hire a life coach? People typically hire a life coach because they recognize a gap between where they are and where they want to be in some area of their life. They are tired of struggling to figure it out alone. They recognize the benefits of partnering with an unbiased supporter who wants them to maximize their personal and professional potential and enhance the quality of their life. According to a survey of coaching clients by the Coach Federation, "sounding board" and "motivator" were the top roles selected for a coach. Clients are looking for a coach "to really listen to them and give honest feedback." The top three issues for which clients seek help are time management, career, and business.
  

Business Development Coaching

Like life coaching, business development coaching focuses on identifying purpose and living out that purpose.  The focus simply is adjusted to the professional realm; specifically, the organization’s challenges, vision, and goals.  Business coaching can help clients start a business or improve their current business by identifying problems and coming up with innovative solutions.  A business development coach can help organizations achieve goals faster and implement change with more ease.  The benefits of hiring a business development coach include objectivity, a fresh perspective, and a structure for accountability.

The Power of Coaching

While watching the movie Akeelah and the Bee, the story of an 11-year-old girl in South Los Angeles who has a gift for spelling but whose chaotic and working-class environment threaten her aspirations, I was reminded of the power of coaching.

After winning the school spelling bee, Akeelah’s principal asks an English professor at a nearby college to help Akeelah prepare for the more prestigous regional spelling bee.  When Akeelah first meets her coach, she is anxious to get to work studying and memorizing words.  Instead he asks her to read and reflect on the following quote by Marianne Williamson:

In his wisdom, her coach knew a shift had to occur in her "being" before she would be ready to bring her vision of winning the National Spelling Bee to life.  Through this coaching partnership, Akeelah comes to own her brilliance and goes on to win the National Spelling Bee.  What brilliance are you waiting to own?