The movement of coaching from the arena of sport to the arena of business was perhaps a little less obvious. However, coaching in the business world has become the business buzzword of today and numerous people are jumping on the bandwagon in terms of advertising themselves as coaches, often cheapening what is definitely a professional process of self-development for executives and managers within the business environment.
A coach should not claim to have all the answers.
Jill Hamlyn, MD, The People Business
Paralleling the rise in interest in this arena there has been much written on the subject of Executive Personal Coaching, with many varying attitudes and opinions. Alongside the positive effects, as an article in the June edition of the Harvard Business Review notes, there are many damaging effects of coaching if the process is not conducted properly. However, this interaction can also be the most accelerated self-development programme for any executive in today`s business environment.
There is much more to coaching than meets the eye, or the mind, and it is virtually impossible to present an article in the form of a list of what coaching is or what it is not or even what it should or should not be. The magic inherent in a coaching session as well as in the lingering after-effects cannot be limited by words. The uniqueness of each situation and encounter defies any kind of attempt at defining or drawing a boundary around the term "coaching".
Who can be a coach?
As difficult as it is to define the parameters of the essence of coaching, there are certain core characteristics that are present in a coach and in the structure of a coaching session. In the interests of shared experience, they will be set out here.
To be an executive personal coach, a person should have substantial experience in business management, appropriate qualifications and an unlimited passion for people development. He or she has honed skills in both the practical and theoretical arenas as an active coach, facilitator and mentor, and is able to condense some of that experience into a coaching session in order to light the way for the person being coached.
Each coaching session is unique because each individual is unique. There is no coaching formula, it is something that has to be lived. The decision to come for coaching signals an acceptance of proaction rather than retroaction on the part of the individual. Within a session, coach and individual define and find the "what", then work on either changing or accepting it and, most importantly, moving forward into opportunity. There is a clear solutions-driven process in the coaching session.
A coach should not claim to have all the answers which, in itself, would presuppose that all the questions are known. Context is everything and understanding the person in that context is of utmost importance and what they are going through at that particular time and in that particular place.
Choices for the coached
The individual being coached is given the option to accept, reject or challenge the opinion or viewpoint of the coach and in doing so, the parameters of the solution become defined. The space to question the coach is important, as is the space for the coach to ask questions. A genuine interest in people is vital.
Of course, the economic factor must be mentioned. Coaching adds value. Through coaching, real opportunities in the right contexts are discovered. People grow, which has a knock on effect in their environments. These positive effects are not only confined to the business arena, but spread to all aspects of a person`s life. In my experience for every person coached, there is an experience of immediate benefits. This type of change is positive, exponential and far-reaching.
By its very nature, coaching is an experiential commodity. In order to tap into the "wow!" and to encounter the magic that is part of every coaching session, people should make sure they choose a coach who suits them the best - someone with the right business expertise, superior interpersonal abilities, and an understanding that can make a difference to their personal "bottom line".
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