Who is a coach and what is the meaning of a coach’s activity?

What is coaching and its brief history

In today's organizations, coaching has become a buzzword. But where did this term come from? The English word "coach" comes from the Hungarian "kocsi", which translates as "cart" and literally means "from Cox". Koks is the name of a small Hungarian town where horse-drawn carriages and carriages were once manufactured. The word was supposedly associated with teachers or trainers who, like a cab driver, directed their students along the path of knowledge based on their own experience.

However, there is another hypothesis about the origin. Previously, rich families during their travels took a guide with them, who rode with them in a carriage and helped them navigate the road. This option better reflects the phenomenon of coaching. After all, this is how a good coach behaves. He does not aggressively “pull the reins”, as a cab driver does, but simply stays nearby and carefully guides the “student” to the goal, helping him to reach his potential.

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Coaching is about partnering with clients and sharing a thoughtful, creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
— International Coaching Federation (ICF) However, let’s put the labels aside. Coaching in its purest sense has always existed. And it was unknowingly practiced by emotionally and spiritually developed people—those who truly trust and respect others and believe in their potential. And those who are willing to spend their time listening, supporting and pushing a person to become better than they were.

Coaching as a discipline and profession is a relatively new phenomenon. Until 2000, no one in the scientific community had mastered coaching to the PhD level (as a Doctor of Philosophy degree is designated in the West). And its first application in the business environment occurred only in the 1980s by Mr. John Whitmore, executive chairman of Performance Consultants International.

Whitmore worked closely with Harvard University professor and tennis player Timothy Gallwey, author of Tennis as an Inner Game and Work as an Inner Game. Gallwey challenged traditional coaching methods in sports. He argued that the role of a coach is not to hone technique, but to help a player remove or reduce internal obstacles to performance and reveal his natural abilities.

Gallwey, Whitmore and many others who now work in the business arena began in the field of sports. However, sports coaching remains rooted in old models and, for the most part, is still instruction-based. After collaborating with Gallwey in the USA, John Whitmore founded the Inner Game organization, within which he formed a team of coaches supporting Gallwey's position.

They also believed that the key to successful coaching and increased performance was removing internal barriers, learning, and enjoying the process. Today they have become the leading representatives of business coaching and defined it as follows:

“Coaching unlocks a person's potential and aims to maximize their performance. He doesn’t so much teach as he helps to learn.”

The essence of coaching is to increase awareness and responsibility. Regardless of who it is designed for: an individual, a team or yourself. Mindfulness increases engagement, interest, and learning. Responsibility comes from conscious choices that lead a person to self-respect, confidence and self-motivation. Both awareness and responsibility are states of mind. And the last one is the key component. Knowledge and experience are important for performance, but none of these are as important as state of mind. This is exactly what coaching works with. A coach redirects attention to future possibilities, helping to leave past mistakes and any limiting beliefs behind.

This approach also takes into account a person’s individuality and uses his unique qualities. No two people are the same internally or externally - we all think and act differently. And in the past, these differences were often tried to be controlled, standardized and leveled - for ease of management. Simply because people from management believed that they knew better what was right.

Standardization was the key to growth and success in the 1900s, when mass production boomed. This provided economies of scale and ease of management. However, this approach had its side effects, including excessive control, which contributed to the development of a culture of blame and criticism. Hence the low involvement and interest of employees, dissatisfaction and stress in the workplace, lack of choice and responsibility. Ironically, this made the work ineffective.

Over the past few years, senior executives around the world have begun to recognize the benefits and opportunities that quality coaching brings. Many choose to work with a professional coach, and some learn coaching principles and skills on their own to maximize their team's professional potential.

Many business leaders have finally realized the true transformational impact coaching has on people and organizations. Traditional hierarchical structures are gradually being replaced by coaching style. This is a new management culture that allows you to integrate meaning and purpose into your activities. And also maximize the levels of awareness and responsibility of employees, their faith, joy and passion for work.

Organizations are gradually starting to unlock the potential of their employees and allow them to see the world more holistically. Integrity and purpose are the holy grail for organizations of the future. This is a higher level of productivity and a better world.

Description

Each of us is capable of being better and more effective in all areas of life.
And we are talking not only about professional growth and career success, but also about everyday affairs. We can gain new knowledge faster, organize our lives better, manage time more optimally, manage finances more effectively, relax more productively and get more emotions from vacationing with our family. In an effort to become better at something, we waste a lot of time searching for areas for development, collecting information and analyzing our successes. There is almost no time left for the process of improvement itself. Therefore, a coach comes to the rescue - one whose professional activity is devoted to studying and implementing the best strategies in work, education, personal effectiveness and other areas.

Coaching is a type of professional activity aimed at helping people achieve their goals in any area of ​​life. A coach is an expert who specializes in getting his clients to their goals quickly. He knows what steps to take, what books to read and what to pay maximum attention to. Thanks to this, a person who uses the services of a competent coach comes to success much faster.

To do their job well, a coach must be a good expert in a particular field of activity, as well as have a number of other skills that help him interact effectively with clients. In particular, he must have knowledge in the field of pedagogy and psychology in order to identify the client’s strengths and weaknesses, helping him to make efforts in the right directions.

Where did the concept of coaching come from?

Historically, there have always been “trainers” in society. In some circumstances this person was the city priest, in others it was a shaman, and in others it was an elder (father, grandfather, uncle). Before the phenomenon of coaching (or coaching) progressed to its modern state, the term "coach" was used primarily in the arts (drama coach), athletics, and corporate settings. Many managers hire outside consultants to act as mentors who can provide an unbiased and objective look at the company's state of affairs.

Coaching is now seen as a valuable and convenient service for the general public. Thanks to the emergence of "formal" training available to future coaches, anyone can now find a personal and well-trained coach to help them achieve their goals and desires. In your personal or professional life.

What is coaching in simple words?

Coaching is a professional relationship that helps a person achieve results in life, profession or business, giving them the opportunity to bridge the gap between where they are and where they would like to be. A coach or trainer forms a partnership with his clients, during which he helps them design the life they want, as well as identify their potential and resources, thanks to which they can achieve their ideal and begin to lead a purposeful, fulfilling life. By creating clarity, the coach moves the client's attention to action and accelerates progress. It helps you achieve greater focus and awareness of all available opportunities.

The founder of the ILCT coaching project, Patrick Williams, described coaching as follows:

“Powerful human relationships, where trained coaches help people not to overcome their past, but to design their future... A coach helps the client create his vision and goals in a particular area of ​​​​life, as well as create several strategies to achieve these goals. A coach recognizes each individual's strengths and recognizes their responsibility and ability to make their own decisions, while providing support and unconditional positive regard."

— “Therapist as Life Coach” (2007)

According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF):

The coach honors his client and recognizes his competence in work or life in general. The coach assumes that each client is a creative, resourceful and whole person. Based on these provisions, the coach’s responsibility is as follows:

• Find out and clarify what exactly the client wants to achieve and agree on an action plan with him.
• Encourage client self-determination.
• To obtain from the client his own solutions and strategies.
• Maintain client responsibility and awareness.

All this helps the client to significantly advance in his views on work and life, improve leadership skills and unlock his potential.

What is the coaching philosophy?

The fundamental premise of the coaching philosophy is this: Man has immeasurable resources of energy, wisdom, ability and creative genius waiting in the wings and always ready to be put into motion. We all have the ability to create the life we ​​want. And by collaborating with a coach, this can be done faster and easier. It helps us harness these resources and facilitate the process of change and realize our potential.

Many of the basic psychological theories (the work of Adler and Jung, for example) and current concepts (positive psychology and solution-focused therapy) are precursors to coaching. Rather than focusing directly on pathology, these psychological concepts focus on changing behavior—by increasing awareness and choosing desired future outcomes. And also by solving current problems in life. In this case, a person is seen as the creator and artist of his life.

Basic philosophy of life coaching:

If there is a gap between where you are now and where you would like to be, then that gap is the place for life coaching. Why struggle on your own when you can get what you want in a much shorter time, with outside support and the right tools?

Coach training

Courses

International Academy of Expertise and Assessment (IAEO)

In this course, you can obtain the profession of a strategic coach remotely in 1-3 months. Diploma of professional retraining established by the state. Training in a completely distance learning format. The largest educational institution of additional professional education. education in Russia.

Modern Science and Technology Academy (SNTA)

At the modern scientific and technological academy, you can receive a state diploma in the specialty “Coach”. Training is conducted by correspondence using distance technologies. Duration of training: from 3 months.

Universities

Moscow Humanitarian University, Moscow State University

Psychological support of human life and society (Faculty of Psychology, Pedagogy and Sociology)

University of Russian Innovative Education

Psychology (Faculty of Humanities and Management)

Russian New University

Psychological counseling (Institute of Psychology and Pedagogy)

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

Psychology (Philological Faculty of RUDN University)

Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov

Psychology (Faculty of Psychology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University)

How does coaching differ from psychotherapy and other areas of help?

Professional coaches know the importance of identifying the characteristics and ethics that differentiate coaching from counseling, therapy, mentoring, or even friendship.

Although coaching and psychotherapy have some similarities, therapy often focuses on the influence of the past on the present, healing psychological dysfunction, and relieving emotional pain. The therapist is considered the expert and the person who has the answers to questions about what is best for the client.

Coaching focuses on the present and future, the client's own strengths, life goals and desires. A coach works with clients to create opportunities and enrich their lives. Based on the belief that every individual is whole and gifted, coaching assumes that the client is able to determine what is best for him. The trainer only works with them - helping to maximize the personal and professional potential of the applicant.

How to choose

Executive coaching is essential to improve performance.

Competent coaching work will never give a finished result: the client himself must find answers to pressing questions.

The coach, in the process of coaching for managers and for other categories of employees, will ask a sufficient number of questions that are necessary to find the exact solution for the client.

For high performance coaching, the personal abilities and qualities of the coach must be taken into account.

This:

• openness;
• desire to communicate;
• presence of personality strengths;
• patience;
• the ability to listen to another person;
• intelligence;
• readiness to study;
• desire to learn new skills.

High performance coaching is possible if the coach meets professional requirements.

Even if he has confirmed certificates, it is not a fact that the results of his work will be effective.

Sometimes the coach and the client are not suitable for each other.

Practice is the best way to improve the effectiveness of executive coaching.

In order for a coach to help solve problems, it is recommended that several conditions be met.

• The presence of the client's desire.
• Respect for a personal trainer. If the coachee does not respect the coach and recognize his authority, nothing will work.
• Trust in a personal coach is necessary. If the client has even a drop of mistrust, then the efforts of the personal trainer and the money spent will be in vain.

Coaching is a way for a person to understand and comprehend hidden abilities.

Such abilities can be easily realized in any field of activity.

Counseling is necessary for people who want to achieve success and learn to overcome difficulties.

Why has the coaching industry become so popular?

We live in a time when the field and practice of coaching is expanding and evolving. The demand for coaching arose when business leaders began to need it. They began to seek help in resolving issues in their professional and personal lives.

Additionally, as companies began to downsize and change and baby boomers entered their 50s, coaches were hired to help people cope with the changes and get back on track. Since then, the profession has continued to grow and develop. Why? It's simple: because it works.

In 2014, a study was conducted on behalf of the International Coaching Federation. It showed that of those people who have ever sought coaching:

• 80% became more confident in themselves;
• 73% noticed improvements in interpersonal relationships;
• 72% improved their communication skills;
• 70% showed improved performance;
• 61% noted improvements in business management;
• 57% have become better at managing their time;
• 51% demonstrated improved team performance;

Of all the people surveyed, 99% indicated that they were “mostly or completely satisfied with working with a coach and the results obtained,” and 96% said they would repeat the experience.

Currently, about 10% of the population is negatively affected by mental illness or problems from the past that need to be addressed in order to move forward. The rest of the population (90%) who are not candidates for psychotherapy can benefit from coaching to help them make their dreams come true and achieve a more fulfilling life.

Top 7 books on coaching

1. Coaching. Basic principles and practices of coaching and leadership. Author: John Whitmore
2. The inner strength of a leader. Coaching as a method of personnel management. Author: John Whitmore
3. Coaching. How to turn the conscious into the unconscious in the work of a coach. Author: Maria Iliff-Wood
4. Life in the flow: Coaching. Author: Marilyn Atkinson
5. Coaching agile teams. A guide for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches and Project Managers during times of transition. Posted by Lissa Adkins
6. A complete guide to the methods, principles and skills of personal coaching. Author: Julie Starr
7. Effective coaching. Lessons from a coach trainer. Author: Miles Downey

Lately, everyone has been trying to understand the nature of coaching. Therefore, we present below a number of definitions of this concept that we were able to find.

However, before doing this, I would like to emphasize that during the study a huge number of definitions were found. And very different: from classical coaching and coaching psychology to team and executive coaching. It's possible that all of this is a symptom of an unregulated industry.

However, there is still a point that warms the heart: there are some common features between all these definitions. And perhaps at some point in the future, coaching will become a more standardized discipline, like a real science.

10 definitions of coaching

1. “Unlocking a person's potential to maximize their performance. It doesn’t teach, it helps you learn” (John Whitmore, 2003).
2. “A collaborative, solution-oriented, results-oriented, systematic process in which a coach facilitates enhanced performance, life experiences, self-directed learning, and personal growth in the client” (Anthony Grant, 1999; basic definition provided by the Association for Coaching since 2005 ).
3. “A professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or group of people in which participants strive to achieve results dictated by goals set by the individual or team” (ICF, 2005)
4. “The art of making things easier, learning and developing others” (Miles Downey, 2003).
5. “Coaching is directly concerned with improving performance and developing skills through training or mentoring” (Eric Parsloe, 1995).
6. “Coaching psychology is about improving a person's well-being and performance in their personal life and career; it is based on coaching models originating in adult and child learning techniques or psychological approaches” (a group of psychological coaches from the British Psychological Society).
7. “Coaching is the development of a person's skills and knowledge in order to improve his performance and lead to the achievement of organizational goals. Coaching is aimed at high performance and improving the quality of work, although it can also affect a person's personal life. It usually lasts for a short period and focuses on specific skills and goals” (CIPD, 2009).
8. “Psychological skills and techniques that are used in one-on-one relationships to help someone become a more effective manager or leader. These skills are typically applied to specific problems related to the present moment... so that the client has them in his arsenal and can always use them (Bruce Peltier, 2010).
9. “Team coaching is a powerful alliance that aims to develop and enhance the quality of human learning, as well as the effectiveness and ability to achieve goals” (Laura Whitworth et al, 2007).
10. “Coaching is about empowering people to make informed decisions and opportunities to become leaders in their lives” (Karen Weiss, 2010).

Interestingly, while trying to find definitions, we came across the following interesting statement from Bruce Peltier:

“The coach should be able to give coaching a good working definition and articulate the difference between coaching and psychotherapy.”

While this may seem like an obvious proposition at first glance, the wide range of definitions that exist present a real challenge for coaches who want to give their practice a “good working definition.” If only it were that simple...

Life coaching is a synergistic relationship between a professional accredited coach and a client, designed to harness the latter's full potential. Just as Olympic athletes would not be able to fully train without the additional support, passion and insight of a coach, many of our time's most successful business people, as well as professionals, executives and entrepreneurs, turn to the services of a life coach to take their lives and careers to the next level. or business.

Part consultant, part motivator, part psychotherapist, and part friend, coaches work with managers, entrepreneurs, and people to help them identify and achieve their goals—in their careers, their personal lives, or both.

Why does life coaching work?

“A coach has the opportunity to look at things from the outside. And shed light on difficult situations. Often this person can act as a sounding board, give advice, help develop skills and motivate.”

— CFO Magazine

An article on public administration presented the results of a study that compared self-paced learning and life coaching combined with training. The study found that self-guided practice increased productivity by 22.4%, while training combined with weekly life coaching increased productivity by 88%. And that's why:

1 Responsibility . Most life coaches call clients three times a month. These scheduled calls encourage clients to do more than if they were doing everything themselves. Think about it: if you work out at the gym with a personal trainer, you'll push yourself harder than if you worked out on your own. When working with a professional coach, clients set bigger goals, take more decisive actions, and even think bigger.

We ourselves are responsible for our own development. The coach trusts his “students” and holds them accountable for progress in their thinking, learning or actions that will subsequently lead to the goal. There are joint development activities developed and agreed upon from the very beginning. No accusations or judgment from the coach.

2 Expertise: A trained life coach knows how to help you set the right goals, earn more money, and structure your personal and professional life. He knows how to achieve greater productivity with less effort. Thanks to the help of a coach, a person gets more in less time.

3 Reporting . A well-trained coach will know the right words to use to give you natural motivation. When working with an experienced life coach, there is no place for intimidation or cajoling tactics. As a rule, coaching is most effective when the coach calls his coachee once a week. Therefore, the client has a whole week of time to change something in his thinking and take some action to achieve his goals. The call usually takes from 30 minutes to one hour. For the client, such a practice is as challenging as it is inspiring. As a rule, a call from a coach is eagerly awaited.

4 Speed . Most people find that with the arrival of a life coach, positive changes in their lives come faster.

5 Understanding . The coach feels the individuality of his ward and tries to take this into account when taking certain measures, and also develops his “self-awareness”.

6 Actions . To fully grasp the meaning of this term within the framework of coaching, it is worth familiarizing yourself with such concepts as brainstorming, action design or planning, responsibility and control of activities.

Who turns to life coaches?

Entrepreneurs, executives, big businessmen, actors, musicians, creative people, managers, startupers, specialists and even housewives - they all achieve their goals with the help of a life coach. If you are not where you would like to be, and there is a gap between these places, then this gap is the field of activity for a life coach. Not only will a coach help you close the distance between what you want and what you really want, but it will also help you overcome limiting beliefs.

What does a life coach usually work with?

• defining and achieving goals, solving problems;
• planning - in business, career and life;
• correcting blocking beliefs and fears;
• lack of order in affairs;
• formation of financial security and independence;
• balancing business and personal life;
• making key decisions and developing strategies for success;
• working with communication skills;
• problem solving;
• building strong relationships;
• breaking the glass ceiling;
• assistance in promotion;
• searching for the optimal area of ​​work or business;
• searching for the ideal partner/love/relationship;
• exit from the vicious circle;
• formation of important life changes;
• starting a business;
• business development;
• achieving your dream life;
• identification of core values ​​and interests;
• satisfaction of personal and emotional needs;
• assistance in organization;
• making money;
• freeing up free time;
• creating a more fun and fulfilling life;
• much, much more...

Specifics of the profession

Coaching is divided into several types according to aspects of application:

Personal Performance Coaching

• career coaching, including assessment of professional capabilities, assessment of competencies, career planning consulting, choice of development path, support in job search
• business coaching organizes the search for the most effective ways to achieve company goals; work is carried out with company managers and teams of employees
• life coaching consists of individual work with a person, which is focused on improving his life in all areas (health, self-esteem, relationships).

According to the training format, coaching can be face-to-face or part-time (via telephone and Internet), and according to the number of participants - individual and corporate. Individual coaching is used to develop top managers and company executives, support managers in adapting to a new position, and accelerate the development of talented employees.