Coached for Life — Deccan Herald

As coaching is gaining increased acceptance, some glaring misconceptions remain.

While there are different types of coaches, life, executive, leadership, wellness, spiritual…. ultimately, they all are one. It is about Life, though life coaching itself is seen from a narrow context.

What is coaching?

1. The good news is we are discovering the power of coaching.

• Coaching looks at ‘maximizing personal & professional potential’ (ICF), as such overall wellbeing. Almost all of our corporate training is to maximize our potential at work. It ignores the fact we are much more than what we are at work, and what we are outside work influences us when at work, big time.

This holistic approach to life is one of the unique features of coaching

• Coaching can help to ‘future-proof your success’, VUCA or otherwise. Interestingly self-sponsored clients look for career advancement as one of the key goals of coaching.
• “A coach is your cheerleader, strategic partner, and your voice of reason and accountability partner”… not a teacher, mentor (subject matter expert), or advisor.
• “Coachability” of the client is very critical. Also choosing the right coach.
• When is a good time to hire a coach? When everything is fine, that is the best time to hire a coach. ‘Prevention is always better than cure’. Wellness is better than healing, medication.

Set goals, SMART, PURE & CLEAR, as Sir John Whitmore may add. Also be open to go beyond the set goals to manifest magic.

2. What is NOT Coaching? The confusion regarding coaching with other options remain.

And that is not in the service of the client/coachee.

• “Based on the initial analysis, the coach shortlisted industries and areas that I could explore” — this is not coaching, but anything else (counseling, mentoring, etc). A coach does not shortlist for the coachee, but partners with the coachee to help the latter to shortlist.
• “Three to four sessions for goal setting” looks a stretch, though one of the four key components of the coaching process.
• “Weekly two hour sessions” — too close that the coach could end up controlling? Is one session in 21 to 30 days a good frequency?
• “assignments were allocated” — a coach does not do that. A mentor or trainer may.
• “A coach offers bespoke solutions that help build your personal brand and executive presence in limited time to create the right impact”. This is not pure coaching either. Only an expert provides ‘bespoke solutions’, not a coach.
• Let us also not overdo this ‘learning & unlearning’ bit.
• Let us be clear whether we want a coach or a mentor/guide/consultant or therapist. All have their important roles to play. A coach assumes the client is complete, has all solutions. That is not an easy place to start with. But then…

we were always Divine, having chosen to just ignore it.

https://www.deccanherald.com/living/living-front-page/coached-for-life-737799.html