What is Coaching?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) 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 for those who want to develop, grow and live a more satisfying and impactful life. It is a tool that allows people to see more clearly their potential and exploit it to the full; it helps people make the best choices for themselves, feeling good about these choices. My clients tell me that being coached is an energizing experience; they find their own way to use their time more effectively, they rediscover the inner strength that makes them be more authentic so that they have more positive impact in their jobs and in their personal life. They are also more at peace with themselves, less frantic and more assertive. I truly love witnessing the changes that happen when people find their own standing and sail towards their brightest future…”

When I ask around & share the incredible testimonials from those who I have coached, most people think or say, “I don’t need coaching…but I might know a guy who could use some coaching…”

Coaching is not what someone else could ‘use’ or ‘need’.  Coaching is the unique opportunity to learn how to flourish, to learn how to live a life of fulfillment.  If we were to score on a 1 to 10 scale each segment of our lives (our marriage, relationships, work, play, parenting, etc.), what numbers would we see?  Are we living life to the fullest? Coaching is a gift.  It is the place to discover what a 10 looks, sounds, tastes, feels and LIVES like!  Can you imagine that?

Coaching has transformed my life and the lives of my clients.  It is an opportunity to learn & develop the know how to live your most fulfilling life, to live in the present (the land of the now here rather than the land of nowhere), to discover the power of choice, to laugh & live more…Now who doesn’t want some of that?!

Coaching is a unique, highly interactive (co-active) relationship in which you lead the way. You are known to be creative, resourceful, and whole. The coaching relationship is a conversation that fills the gap between where you are now in your life and the things you want in your life. It creates an opportunity to learn more about yourself, become more aware of what you want in life, and move forward into action towards what you desire. It is a place to move forward towards your goals and deepen your understanding of who you are along the way. We design an alliance and a space and time for listening and using powerful tools to equip you towards a more fulfilling life.

This professionally facilitated life change adventure is a radical shift from therapy, mentoring, and consulting. Therapy/counseling is a medical paradigm–a paradigm of pathology. It is about diagnosis, treatment, fixing, solving, advice giving, and looking to the past. Coaching is a paradigm of possibility starting in the present, looking towards the future, embracing the present. It is about vision, values, achievement, action. There is nothing to fix for nothing is broken, no advice to give for the client is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole.

Coaching is above the horizon.   It is about creating.  It is about inspiration, creativity, possibility.  It is about functional people moving from “Ok” to “GREAT!”  Where as therapy is below the horizon.  It is about treating.  It is deep, dysfunction, disorder, deficit and where things go wrong.

The coach encourages you to get on the bike while walking along side you until you can ride on your own. Whereas the therapist will ask you to approach the bike and ask how it feels and ask if you have any prior associations with bikes, and the mentor and consultant will ride the bike for you, write instructions on how to ride the bike, and hand their report to you.

Now here are 2 video’s.  The ‘right brain’ version of what is coaching & the ‘left brain’ version of what is coaching.