What is coaching?
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as:
Partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Coaching takes the set of mental models you are using to make decisions and unpacks them. It makes the unconscious conscious by shining a light on internal narratives and thinking patterns that frame your world. It gives you agency to intentionally decide what outcomes you would like and how to best pursue those outcomes. It then helps you fine-tune your mental models so they produce those results.
Coaching is about getting better outcomes with less effort. It focuses on both the "being" and the "doing".
Partnering in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires clients to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Coaching takes the set of mental models you are using to make decisions and unpacks them. It makes the unconscious conscious by shining a light on internal narratives and thinking patterns that frame your world. It gives you agency to intentionally decide what outcomes you would like and how to best pursue those outcomes. It then helps you fine-tune your mental models so they produce those results.
Coaching is about getting better outcomes with less effort. It focuses on both the "being" and the "doing".
How does coaching compare to consulting or mentoring?
Consider this oversimplified yet useful analogy, originally shared with me by Susan Carlisle, a dear friend and mentor.
Let's suppose you want to learn to ride a bike.
A consultant is an expert in bike riding. They’ve already mastered the bike riding process and figured out the most efficient way to do things. They will typically assess what you’ve been doing so far and provide you with a detailed manual on how to do it correctly, complete with a step by step process.
A mentor has been riding a bike for quite some time and is there to share what they know about the process. They want to see you be successful and are willing to spend time with you, sharing their lessons and experiences along the way.
A coach offers a different type of relationship altogether. They ask questions to identify what you already know and dispel what's holding you back. They run alongside you while you're learning - encouraging, challenging, and acknowledging you every step of the way - and when you're ready to ride solo, they let go and cheer you on from behind.
Having experience wearing all three hats, I find myself blending these modalities to best serve my clients.
Consider this oversimplified yet useful analogy, originally shared with me by Susan Carlisle, a dear friend and mentor.
Let's suppose you want to learn to ride a bike.
A consultant is an expert in bike riding. They’ve already mastered the bike riding process and figured out the most efficient way to do things. They will typically assess what you’ve been doing so far and provide you with a detailed manual on how to do it correctly, complete with a step by step process.
A mentor has been riding a bike for quite some time and is there to share what they know about the process. They want to see you be successful and are willing to spend time with you, sharing their lessons and experiences along the way.
A coach offers a different type of relationship altogether. They ask questions to identify what you already know and dispel what's holding you back. They run alongside you while you're learning - encouraging, challenging, and acknowledging you every step of the way - and when you're ready to ride solo, they let go and cheer you on from behind.
Having experience wearing all three hats, I find myself blending these modalities to best serve my clients.
How does coaching compare to therapy?
Here is a comparison diagram by Sebastian Slovin. Since the focus of each is different, I have successfully worked with clients who are seeing therapists in parallel - the work is complementary.
Here is a comparison diagram by Sebastian Slovin. Since the focus of each is different, I have successfully worked with clients who are seeing therapists in parallel - the work is complementary.
Source: Sebastian Slovin