What is Coaching?

Coaching has been around for a long time in the world of sport. It was Thomas Leonard who transposed many of the ideas from sport into personal development. Leonard was a pioneer and visionary in the world of coaching. He founded two of the main training organisations: Coach U and CoachVille.

There are many definitions of coaching. Dave Buck followed Leonard as CEO of CoachVille and this is his definition:

Coaching is inspiring an individual or team to produce a desired result through personalized teaching, expanding awareness and designing environments.

Coaching is personal development. Whereas counselling and therapy start from a place of dysfunction, coaching emphasises our potential and possibilities. Like the athlete we are on a journey of fulfilment in life. A coach is there to help improve our motivation and guide us to overcome the obstacles.

Coaching is a partnership. Two people whose only focus is your success. You phone or email your Coach weekly and together, you determine what it is you want to accomplish personally and professionally and how to get there. It works much like a personal trainer, except instead of working on your body you are working on your life. The coach keeps you on track and spurs you on. You also get to where you want to be quicker because of the tools, techniques and expertise they bring.

Why Does Coaching Work?

Coaching works because of three unique features:

Synergy: Client and coach become a team, focusing on the client's wants and needs and accomplishing more than the client would alone.

Structure: With a coach, a client takes more actions, thinks bigger and gets the job done, thanks to the accountability which the coach provides.

Expertise: The coach knows how to help people attract more, make better decisions, and restructure their professional and personal life.

Back to top