What Is Coaching?

Coaching is often seen as something that the coach does to the client. It’s also seen as a process. However, in addition to coaching being an act, and a process, it really is a relationship.

The coaching relationship is one where the coach and client work together, to enable the client to achieve positive change, in any area of their life.

The 7 Key Aspects of Coaching Relationships

Every coach will have their own style of coaching, using their own techniques and processes. However, all coaching will generally share these 7 key aspects.

1. Facilitating – The coach will help bring about the client’s change, but the client does the work and takes the action.
2. Not wholly directive – While some coaches may take a more directive approach than others, he or she isn’t totally directive. The coach facilitates the client’s thinking, to help the client identify their own solutions and actions.
3. The client comes to know themselves – This occurs from exploring values, needs, desires, emotional or mental blockages, skills, and thought processes.
4. Goal setting - All coaching relationships will involve setting goals for the client and evaluating progress towards reaching those goals.
5. Action – The coach helps the client to commit to taking action towards creating the change they seek.
6. Positive change – Coaching assists the client to achieve real, lasting change. However, the coach also benefits from the relationship by sharing in the client’s growth and development.
7. Supportive - The coach supports the client in developing their own strengths and achieving positive change, without judging or creating unhealthy dependencies.

How is Coaching different from Mentoring?

Coaching and Mentoring are similar.

Mentoring involves a relationship where the mentor has achieved the success that the mentee is seeking. The mentor passes on knowledge, skills, and experience and opens doors of opportunity for the mentee.

However, in a coaching relationship, it isn’t necessary for the coach to have achieved what the client is seeking to achieve. It’s more important that the coach understands the client’s mind, in order to facilitate the client’s thinking towards achieving their own success.