About coaching

Coaching is the process of helping people (whether individually or in teams or as an organization) to be the best they can be. As per John Whitmore Coaching is unlocking a person's potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them."

As a process, coaching aims to better utilise the client's (the one being coached, also called the coachee) strengths and resources, to come up with innovative solutions and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) action steps which help the client to achieve his/ her objectives across different paradigms. It involves use of tools which are basically sets of questions along with certain exercises. These enable a client to think through his situations better and come up with action steps which are practical.

A coach is generally not a subject matter expert. He is a facilitator of learning. A good coach believes that his role is to help his clients find answer to their own problems- something which they have within themselves- but may need help to find.

How Coaching works

Coaching works through self-discovery and providing clarity and alignment. It raises awareness and brings forth unknown ideas and options, helps in maximizing performance and potential and brings about a lasting change in behaviour. It encourages immediate actions and enhances responsibility and accountability. It acts as a catalyst for change, is result-oriented and addresses specific client needs.

“A life coach does for the rest of your life what a personal trainer does for your health and fitness.”
- Elaine Mac Donald

Why Coaching works

Coaching works because it helps us enhance our thinking and get rid of our limiting beliefs and perceptions. It adds to our perspective and gets us out of our comfort zone and face challenges better, leading us to realize our true potential.

“Coaching works because it's all about you. When you connect with what you really want and why- andtake action-magical things can happen.”
- Emma-Louise Elsey

Impact of Coaching

A coaching session can lead a client to either of three things:
1
Awareness
(where one becomes better aware of situations or possibilities)
2
Acceptance
(where one accepts some qualities/ traits / situations etc.)
3
Actions
(which one can take to move closer to his objectives)

Coaching has been found to have a very positive impact across clients on various issues across business and non-business situations. Multiple studies have concluded that coaching has strong benefits for the client. Amongst others, a well conducted coaching session has a catharsis effect on the client. It generally leads to a clearing-up of thoughts and helps identify the challenge being faced by the client in clear terms. That in itself is quite a relief in many cases. Besides the solution gathering stage could include drawing ideas through the rational thought process of the conscious mind or a peek into our subconscious mind to come up with innovative solutions. Often it leads to solutions that one does not realise exists. The process of making action steps SMART and recording them, significantly improve the probability of actions being taken. This combined with a proper establishment of accountability acts as a motivator, leading to actions being taken in a systematic manner and ultimately moving towards desired results.

From an individual's perspective, coaching helps in:

  • Developing self-awareness
  • Improved relationships
  • Improved quality of life
  • Better use of skills and resources
  • Increased openness to personal learning and development

Coaching - An Overview

A Short Presentation on Coaching