What is coaching?

He Coaching Is a continuous professional relationship between coach and coachee that helps to obtain extraordinary results in the life, profession, business or business of the people.

The term coach comes from the name of a fifteenth-century carriage used in Hungary for long trips. It was characterized because it was very comfortable for travelers.

In that same century, the term was adapted to English as a coach and Spanish as a car. In England, in addition to using it to denominate this type of vehicle, began to apply to appoint the teacher who, during the time of the trip, carried out the tasks with the children.

In the nineteenth century, it began to be used in English universities to refer first to academic teachers and later to sports. Already in the twentieth century began to use the term for certain educational programs, and is that, since the 1980s when it begins to be considered as a profession with training and specific applications.

We can consider coaching as a counseling process to help a person or group of people in the Decision-making processes And overcoming. It aims to reach the maximum of its possibilities in different areas of life, such as work or personal.

It is a training process that seeks to empower people at all levels and empower them in their lives. Facilitates The learning And promotes cognitive, emotional and behavioral changes that expand the capacity for action in function of the achievement of the proposed goals.

Characteristics of coaching

Through the coaching process, the client deepens their knowledge, increases their performance and Improves your quality of life ". We can see how it is especially related to sports activity, especially in its constant search for performance improvement And the achievement of significant achievements.

From the sports field it will also be used in business and trade activities, clearly oriented towards these ends.

Differences between coaching and psychology

Sometimes coaching is confused with Psychology, however they are two totally different terms, although the two can be used in an integrative way adapting it to the specific needs of each client.

A first relevant and determinant differentiating aspect is that Psychology is a science. For its part, coaching is basically a methodology or approach for personal development in different areas that is based on the knowledge and strategies developed mainly by the field of Psychology.

Although coaching uses the thoughts, emotions, attitude and motivation in its application just as Psychology does, it does not address the possible Mental illness That the person may suffer.

Psychology for its part is dedicated to the study, diagnosis and treatment of these pathologies although it does not do it exclusively and there are different areas of application.

Finally, we can point out another aspect that can help clarify the difference between coaching and psychology. The latter aims at solving self-limiting problems, generally generated in the past, while coaching focuses on positive achievements and a vision for the future.

Coaching Features

As we have seen, Coaching is an individualized process that adapts to each person according to their reality and their particular goals.

Based on its definition we can name a series of characteristics that define the process and can serve us to better understand this term and the objectives it pursues:

• Is personal . It is a process centered on the person and therefore it is necessary to make a diagnosis and an individualized plan of action. It must be adjusted to the needs and possibilities of each situation or individual.
• Focused on results . Coaching helps to focus on goals and solutions, not problems. Look to the future and look for ways to move forward instead of focusing on the drawbacks that have appeared in the past.
• Explicit . It is imperative that the communication between coach and coachee be clear, concrete and explicit.
• Requires active involvement and involvement of all parties But always from the voluntariness to achieve the motivation of the change.
• It is more than a directed process . A fundamental aspect is the bond of trust and empathy Which is generated between the parties that will be the basis throughout the process.
• Confidentiality . It is important to ensure throughout the process and above all what is covered in each of the sessions.
• Guarantee . It is necessary that stable (economic, personal, etc.) guarantees exist that allow the coaching process an efficiency and functional independence in a determined period of time.

The coaching process

In the coaching process there are different phases that although they respond in a generic way to the same stages, there are variations depending on the schools or orientations. There are also differences depending on whether the context is individual, team or organizational.

But the ICF (International Coach Federation) indicates a series of common guidelines. The process begins with the Setting target That is wanted to be achieved and is finished when this objective has materialized.

A series of phases are established taking into account that it is not necessary to follow this order in all cases:

Phase 1: Context generation

The initial phase is considered. In it the coach explains what the process and its general frameworks, includes a part of training in the process and methodology that is used.

On the other hand, the coachee sets out its goals and expectations. The objective of this phase is to create an environment of mutual trust. This first phase can be specified in:

• Make contact.
• Creation of a relationship and first agreement on the objectives.

Phase 2: Observation and Inquiry

It is about obtaining information about the current situation of the coachee with the aim of understanding it, detecting beliefs, clarifying objectives, etc. Specifically:

• Assessment of individual initial situation.

Phase 3: Feedback

On the one hand it is a matter of summarizing and understanding the current situation of the coachee to contrast it with what the coach has understood and on the other hand with this information return increases his level of awareness about his situation, which can lead him to value new possibilities . This phase is concretized in:

• Feedback With the information obtained.
• Second agreement of the objectives (already a first agreement was made in the first phase).

Phase 4: Action Plans

Design, evaluation and implementation of different alternatives to achieve the objectives. Specifically:

• Carry out the intervention itself.
• Evaluation of the process. In the case that the evaluation is negative, it is returned on the previous steps to carry out the process again.

Phase 5: Follow-up Feedback

The evaluation is made on what has worked well, on possible improvements or modifications and the level of overall satisfaction with the process. It also establishes bases or guidelines to implement in the future.

• It is the formal end of the coaching process.

Characteristics of the coach

In addition to the necessary knowledge in this matter and the methodology to be used, it is important that the person who is going to perform the functions of the coach thinks and acts in a positive way.

It also takes into account a series of attitudes that will contribute to the effectiveness of the process:

1. Balanced personality. It implies qualities such as psychological and affective maturity as well as personal security and common sense.
2. This attitude allows understanding the needs and particularities of each coachee. It refers both to the variety of tools that must be available for use in the process, as well as to the different angles from which to perceive a problem and its possible solutions.
3. Needed to spread enthusiasm and motivation in the coachee to promote processes of personal improvement.
4. Understood as much as the availability of time and resources as respect and fulfillment of commitments made
5. Personal and professional security. You should work with trust And firmness, acting to diminish the appearance of any potential damage.
6. Permissive or non-directive attitude. This attitude is what differentiates a coaching process from the leadership . It allows you to delegate responsibility to the coachee so that he is the one who makes the decisions and decides where he wants to go.

Types of coaching depending on the scope of application

There are several areas in which you can apply a coaching process and depending on the goals you want to achieve. Here are the most common contexts:

1. Personal Coaching . It is a process for personal and / or professional development whose main objective is to improve the coachee's quality of life. It develops people's potential to achieve coherent goals and changes in depth.
2. Business Coaching . It focuses on achieving efficiency in the results and at the same time motivate and achieve the satisfaction of the workers of the company or organization.
3. Executive Coaching . Executive coaching focuses on optimizing executive performance in its various phases of leadership. It is a process framed in the workplace, structured and with indicators of the work environment that combines the expectations of the executive with those of the company.

Benefits of Coaching

Numerous studies show the effectiveness and benefits of coaching at different levels.

An academic research paper by Suzy Wales in 2010 explored the experiences of a group of managers who participate in a coaching program.

On the one hand the research concludes that coaching substantially increases the effectiveness of the links between personal development, management development and the effectiveness of the organization on which the process is applied.

On the other hand, it becomes clear that personal qualities such as self-awareness and self-confidence contribute to Increase assertiveness , Understanding and stress management . Finally, it concludes that the good communication Is essential throughout the process to make it effective.

Another research conducted in the United States in 2006 in an educational center indicates that the coaching process can be a means to raise the level of education because it contributes to improve professional development and encourages the transmission of greater learning by the teacher To the student.

On the other hand Marshall J. Cook, professor and coach of the University of Wisconsin, lists a series of characteristics that are concretized in the following benefits of coaching:

• Helps Develop Employee Skills: It is important to understand that one success engenders another and instill self-confidence that leads to high levels of motivation and performance in many tasks.
• Helps to diagnose performance problems: If the person does not perform with optimum efficiency you have to find out the reason for reaching the solution.
• Helps correct unsatisfactory performance. Search for alternatives and Solutions .
• Helps diagnose a behavior problem.
• Encourages productive labor relations
• Focus your attention on providing advice: The coach can and should be a guide of the person through any obstacles that may arise.
• Provides opportunities to raise appreciation: Provides natural opportunities to praise good work and effort.
• Stimulates self-coaching behaviors: Providing counseling to meet a challenge teaches the person to understand how to address similar problems in the future.
• Improve performance and attitude: By allowing the coachee to take responsibility and take the initiative in their life, work, relationships, etc.

Bibliography

1. KILBURG, R. DIEDRICH, R. (2007) The Wisdom of Coaching: Essential Papers in Consulting Psychology for a World of Change. U.S.
2. COUTU, D. KAUFFMAN, C. (2009) What Can Coaches Do For You? Harvard Business review.
3. WALES, S. (2010) Why coaching? Journal of Change Management.
4. RODHES, C. BENEICKE, S. (2006) Coaching, mentoring and peer-networking: challenges for the management of teacher professional development in schools. Journal of In-Service Education
5. CLUTTERBUCK, D. (2003) Creating a Coaching Climate. The Coaching and Mentoring Network.
6. BRITNOR, A. (1999) Coach, Mentor... to What? The Coaching and Mentoring Network.
7. BRITNOR, A. (1999) Coaching and Mentoring - A Strategy for Success. The Coaching and Mentoring Network.