Find Out ‘What is Coaching?’
Coaching evokes images of someone on a pitch’s side-lines firing a team up to give a great performance. But today, the term Coach has been co-opted by the business community. Nevertheless, some of the core objectives have remained the same.
Indeed, a coach is still primarily focused upon assisting their protegé in reaching the pinnacle of greatness. And to achieve their full potential — their Personal Best. If you are still wondering ‘What is coaching?’, then read on to see how it applies in today’s business environment.
What is Coaching?
A good coach will inspire his or her team to be their best. A good coach will help you to achieve your goals. In particular, they will help you define your learning objectives. They will also ensure you have all the tools you need to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself.
Meanwhile, coaching psychology draws upon the time-honoured practice of helping a client determine their route to success. And it is not by dictating steps, but by assisting the individual in realising they are a product of their choices. Ultimately, the coach becomes redundant. That is because the client becomes aware that they are the architect of their future. And that they can construct events to their specifications. Rather than being swept along in life’s current with the possible chance of being dashed upon the rocks.
Captain Derek Moore, Field Artillery Officer, confers with his coaches at the Olympic Training Center. He has wrestled for 16 years. After becoming a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program, his unit allowed him to focus on wrestling to prepare for the Olympics.
Coaching Psychology Creates Balance
Modern business coaching training is all about collaboration, about solutions, about achieving a personal best professionally while still maintaining a healthy personal life. The definition of coaching is ‘to prompt or urge with instructions’. And good coaching is all about positivity. Encouraging the individual to reach their goal mainly through self-motivation and self-realisation.
A coach in today’s business world will have extensive experience in the field on which they train. Specialisation is the key to optimising your coaching experience. And it has never been easier to find someone who understands your niche. The best training comes from someone who has been where you are. That makes them uniquely qualified to advise on your situation and possible career/life choices.
One-on-One Training Gives Ultimate Results
Individuality is the key to making this one-on-one approach work well and garner excellent results. A good coach can discern the personality and working style of a client. As a result, they can tailor a course of action to help the individual achieve their goals. That’s the real beauty of individual coaching as opposed to learning in a group. It creates a safe space for learning.
In a group, you could have 12-20 people all vying for the tutor’s attention. And some inevitably will have stronger limelight-grabbing personalities. Plus, the sheer numbers would dilute the message delivered. These are obvious benefits gained from one-to-one coaching, but there are other considerations at hand.
The sessions can move at the pace determined by the learning achieved.
Someone who is quick would move through the objectives faster than a slower, more measured learner. Neither method is right nor wrong, they simply reflect different styles of learning. Ultimately, they will both reach the desired end goal. And the benefit of a single person classroom is that nobody is unhappy with the rate at which they progress. That is because they are setting the agenda to suit their personality and learning style.
A seasoned coach can also utilise materials and situations that the student brings along. For example, areas they wish to focus upon. These will prove far more relevant and, therefore, more valuable to the student. With undivided attention, the coach can proceed at precisely the speed which suits the client. We have all attended courses in which we ‘Got it’ right away. Then we were bored to tears waiting for the others to catch up. Conversely, you may also have experienced the stomach-churning panic as everyone nodded enthusiastically at a concept you hadn’t grasped. With individual tutoring, better ways to learn to present themselves.
The relationship between coach and client is a unique one.
It takes its cues from the personalities involved, the common objectives, and desired outcomes. A coach can be many things to an individual. He could be a sounding board to try out ideas upon. A cheerleader to encourage them forwards. And a challenger to push them into action. A good coach will know which of these personas to assume to ensure the client accomplishes their objectives. What is coaching? It is a seasoned professional helping you to be the best you can be.
To discuss how one of our UK Grocery Executive Coaches can help you to achieve more, please contact us.
Action: For even more useful content on coaching, check out our ultimate guide on Coaching Skills.
