Understanding Professional Coaching

Webster's dictionary defines life coaching as "an advisor who helps people make decisions, set their goals or deal with problems."  For the sake of this article I am chaning life coaching to professional coaching.

I am trained as a life coach but I choose to focus on executive/leadership/team coaching in the business arena. Much more effective to have my life coaching training when working with business people as it allows for the essence of the peron to show up which impacts the best change that is desired. All great leaders of people lead from their heart and care about others first and then do what needs to be done to be successful with processes, procedures, etc.

The word I have a problem in this incorrect definition is "advisor" as we are NOT advisors - leave that to consultatnts. Professionally trained coaches rarely, if ever, play the role of advisor. It is a valuable role but it's not the role of professional coaches.

Mentors give advice. Consultants give advice. Teachers and experts in all fields give advice. Not professional coaches.  Why not? These others experts, mentors, consultants, educators are characterized by a knowledge differential.  As the ICF says, "the knowledge of one person is desired by another; so the one who has it offers advice to the one who desires it."  Mentor to apprentice; teacher to student; master to novice; physician to patient; athletic coach to player; consultant to business owners or leader. In each of these examples, the one desiring growth for example seeks advice from the one with the expertise. This can bring wisdom and success as these advisors work from the outside-in. Professional coaches do exactly the opposite; they work from the inside-out. The knowledge comes from the person(s). The coach doesn't have the knowledge the client is seeking, they know the client has the knowledge within them or within the team and it comes out through coaching. The clients each have unique life paths, experiences, education, culture, etc. which isn't offered from the coach. Deeper meaning and more impactful change is allowed to evolve. Great quote on this "the purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out."

The coach draws out the purpose, the vision, the strengths, talents and meaning behind what needs or wants to change.  Coaches question, being genuinely curious about what may be discovered, we question and we listen and then we question again. Coaches are the experts on questioning, listening, probing, prodding and then reflecting, clarifying, reframing and challenging. Think about detectives arriving on a crime scene.They arrive on the scene and ask questions, probe, search, look for clues until finally something of importance shows up or is discovered and they can start working on solving the case. We coaches approach our clients like detectives seeking to discover what really is going on and what the importance of the requested change is. We guide our clients in this process, help them create action plans and accountability processes.

I hope this information gave you some clarity of the difference between coaching and advising.