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What is Coaching?
(See more on this subject at the How Coaching Works page.) Coaching is a collaborative partnership that focuses on the client's success. A coach works with clients to increase their self awareness, identify and deepen their values, discover what compels them to make changes in their lives, examine their life/work balance, develop clarity and focus, create structures for accountability and achieve desired outcomes. A coach works with clients to recognize perspectives and context, and make informed choices. In each meeting, the client chooses the focus of conversation while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the client into action. Coaching accelerates the client's progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are today and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be tomorrow. Who Hires a Coach?Executive coaches are hired by either an individual executive or by an organization that wants to help one of its executives realize his or her potential. Coaching is for people who want to change their lives, both personally and professionally. When an organization hires a coach to help one of its executives, the organization provides detailed information to the coach about its dynamics and the context of the executive in the organization. How Does Coaching Improve Healthcare Leadership?Because of their experience with consultants, who come into healthcare organizations when there are problems and often "downsize," some in health care believe coaching is employed only with problematic individuals. In our experience in health care, we find that we are called into an organization to assist executives and managers for whom senior management has great respect for their leadership potential. They seek out the coach because they are aware that these leaders need guidance in various areas to realize their full potential. Clinicians who have been promoted from hands-on patient care to leadership positions often also benefit greatly from the coaching relationship.
Coaching helps these leaders manage through this change and develop behaviors that make them more effective, and able to accomplish much more through the people they lead. What Are the Benefits of Coaching?
Why Does Coaching Work?To inspire genuine change and achieve higher levels of performance, people must be approached as the individuals they are. Clients work with the coach to create a safe environment with absolute confidentiality. As leaders move up the corporate ladder there is less opportunity for direct and honest feedback from colleagues and co-workers. A coach is a neutral party with only the success of the client on the agenda.The coach provides a unique, objective, outside perspective on the client, which is one of the keys to the effectiveness of coaching. How Does Coaching Work?In general, coaching is conducted over the telephone in scheduled weekly sessions held three to four times a month. For busy physicians and executives this cuts down on travel time, allowing clients to call in from anywhere in the country. In addition, clients always have unlimited e-mail access to the coach. In-person meetings can also be arranged. What's the Difference Between Coaching and Consulting?Both consulting and coaching aim to support organizational changes. Traditional consulting offers solutions and advice. Coaching enables clients to find their own answers. A coach is an expert is in the domains of conversation, communication, interpersonal skills and emotions, whereas a consultant is an expert in a particular subject or field. Coaching is based on relationships while consulting is informational. Consultants gather and analyze data in order to write reports and make recommendations for specific problems, whereas coaches are forward-looking and work with individuals before, during and after organizational change. Coaching is holistic in its approach, enveloping all facets of life. Is There a Difference Between Coaching and Therapy?Both coaching and therapy make requests of the client to be introspective about who they are, their relationships and their world. However, therapy examines the roots of the way of being and analyzes clients' histories in an effort to heal and uncover. Coaching, on the other hand, works in the realm of creating through discovery. Therapy asks "Why?" coaching asks "What do you want?" "Who will you be?" "How will your life be different and what has to happen for you to get there?" Coaching is action- and solutions-oriented with a concentration in forward motion. Is the Coaching Relationship Confidential?Absolutely. There are no exceptions, even when the company is paying the coaching bill. Must the Coach Have Direct Experience in My Industry or Situation?No. Coaches are skilled in the coaching process and are experts in asking powerful, thought-provoking questions. How is Coaching Different from Talking with a Friend, Co-worker or Family Member?Coaching does not take the place of important relationships in your life. A coach is a non-judgmental, neutral party who works alongside you to provide a different perspective, committing entirely to your success and focusing only on what you want to accomplish.
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