At the heart of coaching is the ability to pull out from people clear thinking, higher achievement, inspired vision, leadership and increased performance. Traditional mentoring (or training or advising or consulting) PUTS IN advice, content, information. Coaching by contrast PULLS OUT the capacity people have within*
By pulling out the capacity people have within:
Finding the right coach is crucial in the success of the relationship and in achieving the desired outcome. Almost anyone can call themselves a coach, so it’s important to know where to look for a great coach and a good place to start your search for a reputable coach would be finding one with an accreditation. There are many organisations offering accreditation for coaches, some of the well known ones are, AC (Association for Coaching), ICF (International Coaching Federation), WABC (Worldwide Association of Business Coaches) or EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council).
Whoever you decide to work with, it is really important that you meet up for a ‘chemistry’ session to make sure you are well matched, if you find yourself feeling at ease with the coach in your initial session and you are already opening up and telling them things that you wouldn’t normally divulge to someone then this is a very good sign that this is the right coach for you. Trust your gut instinct and go with who you feel most comfortable with, likewise the coach is meeting you to ensure they are a good fit with you so don’t be offended if they decide not to work with you, they are doing you a favour in letting you know that they are not the best coach for you or that coaching isn’t the right intervention for you at this time, a good coach doesn’t automatically take on every client that comes their way, they will always assess the match of coach and client and your reasons for wanting to be coached.
(*Ref. Financial Times Guide – Business Coaching – Anne Scoular)
