What is Coaching?

"Coach" is a word that evokes a variety of images, usually associated with a sports field or arena and the victorious lifting of a trophy or bracing camaraderie in the midst of defeat. So, what is coaching in business? Well, it's a little the same and a little different. Let's get into it.

First, anyone can call themselves a coach. The field, which has surged into popularity over the last decade, is not regulated. The International Coaching Federation is broadly recognized as the authority on professional coaching, and credentials coaches who have been educated in the science and practice of coaching, demonstrated skill in the core competencies of coaching, and spent hours and hours honing their craft with real clients.

At the heart of the practice, coaching is a process of discovery where client and coach partner together to achieve a goal determined by, measured by, and achieved by the client. In the context of business, these goals often include improving leadership skills, navigating complex organizational dynamics, improving performance, honing a new strategy, or managing a challenging team or leader. Some clients come to Sparkhorse to meet more specific challenges, like facing a difficult project, managing the balance between the personal and professional, or settling into a new role. But if determining the focus and achieving the goal rests with the client, what does the coach do?

Coaches use knowledge of human behavior, leadership, organizational dynamics, change theory, neuroscience, and more to galvanize the partnership. Fueled by the wisdom of their own experience and learning, coaches ask insightful questions, offer keen observations, and act as a sounding board, a mirror, a thought partner, an advocate. Coaches maintain a lack of attachment, which allows the client to drive the conversation and the client alone to determine the best path forward. The coach's job then is to help the client prepare for the journey along that path, identify potential pitfalls, play devil's advocate, uncover hidden worries, concerns, and possibilities, and offer a light to illuminate the steps ahead.

Unlike a colleague, friend, or mentor, a coach does not offer advice unless it is specifically requested and, even then, will only do so sparingly. Coaches believe that clients are creative, resourceful, and whole. The coach doesn't seek to substitute their judgment for that of the client, but respects the client's own instincts, talents, and insight. Further, coaches maintain unconditional positive regard for the client. To put it in simple terms, there is no room for judgment in the heart and mind of a coach. We are a safe space to put your fears, worries, doubts, and failures, and a safe place to celebrate your brilliance, your wins, your achievements, and your progress. Finally, everything you tell your client goes into the vault that only the two of you can access. No drama, no gossip. No nonsense.

The ICF holds clients to a set of core competencies as well as a set of ethics which all certified coaches hold dear. To read the details of what the ICF expects from its coaches, visit https://coachingfederation.org/credentials-and-standards/core-competencies.