Over the last year or two at Evolution we have seen a significant increase in the number of clients seeking coaching and it’s probably not a coincidence that every newspaper and magazine I pick up seems to be full of articles about the benefits of Life Coaching, Business Coaching and Executive Coaching etc.
So you may be wondering what exactly coaching is and how it might help you.
Coaching is a way of bringing about individual improvements in performance to help people move towards their full potential.
There are 3 distinct types available:
- Non-directive coaching stems from the assumption that the person being coached has all the answers and can solve his/her own problems. The coach’s role here is to facilitate the process through rapport building, good questioning techniques and reflection. The client retains responsibility for his/her actions.
- Semi-directive coaching assumes that the person being coached can solve some of his/ her own problems by drawing on existing knowledge and experience but that sometimes, his/her performance could be further enhanced if they were introduced to new information and increased tools and techniques. The coach’s role here is to facilitate the process through rapport building, good questioning techniques and reflection as above. However, the coach will also offer information and skills training to increase the bank of knowledge and experience on which the client can draw. Semi-directive is likely to be more challenging than non-directive coaching but the client will still make all the decisions about which action to take and will therefore retain responsibility for the outcome.
- Directive-coaching assumes that the coach has the answer and that he/she will work closely with the client to hone their performance. This is often used in sports where the coach will direct – for example – the exact tilt of the head for a sprinter or the specific grip used by a golfer. The drawback to this method is that, whilst the client takes responsibility for his/her actions, he/she has less responsibility for the outcome. When a football team loses who gets fired – the player or the coach?
At work, it can be used to help people hone their business skills or their management style. Training courses can also address these issues by challenging a manager to consider new ways of doing things but coaching allows that learning process to be more tailored to the individual’s needs.
Coaching can also be used to develop teams with each member of the team taking part in some group activity, getting some feedback (from team members or possibly through some form of psychometric testing) and then engaging in the normal one to one coaching process. A semi-directive approach here allows unwanted behaviours to be challenged and can be used to resolve conflict between team members.
On a personal level, Life Coaching helps people to establish which areas of their life lead them to feel happy and fulfilled and which areas could benefit from some change. Coaches work to give the client the confidence to make changes safe in the knowledge that they have thought through all the options.
Relationship or Couples Coaching is aimed at helping couples to look at their relationship and choose ways of growing together and establishing shared goals. This is often used by couples who are not in crisis and who don’t need counselling but who want to make sure that they stay happy together. Couples coaching is also appropriate for couples considering marriage as it gives them the opportunity to explore what they want from the relationship before making a commitment.
At evolution we specialise in semi-directive coaching – all of our coaches have other areas of business expertise, all are qualified NLP practitioners (at least), all have hands on management experience and a background in business. In addition, all of our coaches are experienced management trainers.
Some of our coaches also have a background in therapy (counselling or hypnotherapy) so are able to bring an additional area of understanding to the coaching relationship. We will always work hard to match you to the most appropriate person for your needs.
We work to develop individuals, couples and businesses. Call us now to discuss ways in which we can help you to unlock your potential.