{"id":3861,"date":"2022-09-02T15:32:09","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T15:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coachingoutsidethebox.net\/staging\/?p=3861"},"modified":"2025-01-13T15:03:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T15:03:15","slug":"what-coaching-is-and-isnt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coachingoutsidethebox.net\/staging\/what-coaching-is-and-isnt\/","title":{"rendered":"What Coaching Is and Isn’t"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Definition of Coaching: Understanding What is Coaching (and What it is Not)<\/h2>

by Lucia Baldelli<\/p>

Despite the popularity of professional coaching and the high demand of coaching services for leaders, teams and organisations, I still bump into clients that have misunderstood what coaching is and expect something completely different. At times we can be asked to give a solution or advice, sometimes we can be invited to take responsibility for an organisational change, other times we might be asked for feedback about the people we coach\u2026 Have you ever experienced any of this? The aim of this article is to bring some clarity to what coaching is and isn\u2019t, and how it is different from other service professions. We will unpack its definition and dive deeper to really understand what we are supposed to do or not do in a coaching relationship.\u00a0 We will also understand how it applies to coaching individual clients (life coaching, executive and leadership coaching) and systems (team and organisational coaching).<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Why is it Important to Define What Is Coaching and What Isn’t?<\/h2>

I feel that bringing clarity to what coaching is, to our role as coaches, and making it part of our practice with a new client is essential to start in partnership<\/strong>. There are different ways to bring value to our clients and they might need different interventions at different times, so starting with clarity about who you are and what you do or not do means avoiding confusion or unmet expectations later during the relationships. For this reason, I believe it is equally important to clarify what coaching isn\u2019t.<\/p>

In an individual coaching relationship – e.g. if you are coaching a leader or an executive – this means setting clear expectations about who will have to find the answers, who will have to change, who is going to do the work in the room and outside of the room, who will be accountable for it<\/strong>. Failing in doing so might lead your client to lean on you as the expert, the one with the right answers, the one that will save them and solve the problem for them.<\/p>

In an enterprise coaching relationship – e.g. if you are working as an internal or external team coach for an organisation – this is also about establishing if you are engaged to be a mentor, a facilitator, a teacher, a manager, a consultant. And, even within the boundaries of a specific supporting role, it is about clarifying how you live that role and how you provide value to your teams and the wider organisation. Failing in doing so might lead you to be in the wrong stance and your teams might push back when that happens: e.g. you advise when they need to co-create, you challenge when they do not have the answer, you teach when they already have the skills.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

What if we do not bring this clarity from the start of the engagement? We are not starting with the right foot! By failing to explain what coaching is and isn\u2019t to our clients we\u00a0 are creating the conditions for misunderstandings, disappointment, push backs and we are not being transparent on our approach and philosophy of coaching.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThinking of starting your coach training?\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFast-track your journey to becoming an ICF certified coach with our support every step of the way!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What is Coaching?<\/h2>

What is coaching then? Coaching is indeed a relationship<\/strong> between a coach and a (team or individual) client. The relationship goal is defined by the client. The coach does not solve the client\u2019s problem for them or tell them what to do but supports and challenges the client to find the answers within themselves as well as understand how they need to change to be successful. The coach uses skills, tools and techniques to facilitate the client\u2019s thinking, discovery and forward movement in a way that leaves choice and full accountability to the client both in the room and outside of the room. The coach\u2019s goal is to enable the client\u2019s growth in a way that is sustainable after the coaching relationship comes to an end.\u00a0If you want to explore how to build a coaching relationship<\/a>, you can read more in our article.\u00a0<\/p>

There are different types of coaching and most of them have become buzz words: life coaching, executive coaching, leadership coaching, team coaching, enterprise or organisational coaching, business coaching, performance coaching, etc. They still describe a relationship but the focus<\/strong> of the coaching is different for each specialisation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Definition of Coaching by ICF<\/h3>

The International Coach Federation<\/a> (ICF) defines professional coaching as \u201cpartnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>

Other definitions of Coaching<\/h3>

Other coaching bodies have defined coaching.\u00a0<\/p>