According to the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) coaching is an art…
“that of helping a person or a group to develop and enhance their professional, relational and personal potential in the realization of their projects and to take their rightful place in the relationship they have with themselves, others and their environment”
Another definition is
Coaching is a process of development and learning in which the coach partners with the client (called coachee) in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to significantly improve their potential and to achieve personal and professional goals.
Important considerations
Equality and roles
It is essential to understand that coach and coachee operate at the same level. Together they are equal partners in the process. However, the roles of coach and coachee are different:
- The coach is the encourager/stimulator/enabler and as such does not provide (technical) advice. The coach usually asks questions that lead to new insights and perspectives.
- The coachee is the one who identifies solutions to his/her/their own problems or issues, defines goals and finds the ways to achieve those, encouraged by the coach.
Professionalism
I believe that my clients deserve nothing less than professional coaching. That’s why I followed and successfully completed a training course certified by the EMCC to be able to call myself practitioner.
Success factors
The success of coaching depends on several factors. Among other things it is very important that:
- coachee is intrinsically and seriously motivated to undergo coaching
- coach and coachee click with each other
- coach and coachee agree a code of conduct and behave accordingly
Please note
Coaching is not therapy! People who need therapy will look for a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist.