The 21st century is an era of new professions. Each year, new words related to professional activities appear in dictionaries. Coaching has become one of those terms. Although this profession officially emerged at the end of the last century, for many, the question of what coaching is remains a mystery. What kind of profession is it, what international standards exist, and what is the philosophy of the Coaching Federations? We'll explore all of this in today's new article.
What is Coaching: History in Simple Terms
A coach is a profession of a new generation, but with historical roots. If we dig deeper, Socrates can be considered the first coach. He was the first to ask powerful questions to discover the truth. Socrates used introductory, guiding, and concluding questions in his method. Of course, these were just the beginnings of coaching. Later in history, we find other mentions of coaching:
In the 15th century, in the Hungarian town of Kocs, carriages were produced, which in Great Britain were called "coaches."
By the 16th century, the word “coach” meant a way of moving from point A to point B.
In the 19th century, British students called a tutor or teacher who helped them prepare for exams a "coach."
In the early 20th century, "coach" began to refer to a sports trainer, and the term was mostly used in sports terminology.
In the 1950s, "coach" became synonymous with consultant and mentor.
In the 1980s, coaching as a methodology began to be applied in business.
In the 1990s, coaching solidified as a separate profession.
1995 saw the founding of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
In the 21st century, coaching has become a popular profession in many countries around the world. According to ICF, as of 2024, there are 51,718 certified coaches operating in 143 countries and regions.
What is Coaching According to Coaches
To understand what mathematics is, we turn to a mathematician. To find out what coaching is, let's turn to coaches. History knows many prominent coaches engaged in both theory and practice. One of the standout figures in the world of coaching is W. Timothy Gallwey. He began his career as a tennis coach and is now a well-known business coach. He unveiled the essence of the coaching approach in his first book, The Inner Game of Tennis, first published in 1974. According to him, coaching is a methodology that helps unlock a person's potential. This is necessary to maximize performance. Later, Gallwey added that coaching is also a way of interacting between people, a way of thinking, and a way of being. British race car driver and coach John Whitmore agrees with Gallwey, but with some modifications. In his view, coaching helps release hidden potential to achieve maximum results. The founder of the London School of Coaching, Miles Downey, compares coaching to art. He believes that coaching is the art of improving effectiveness, performance, learning, and self-development. Thomas Leonard, the founder of the International Coaching Federation, considered coaching a co-developing relationship.
On the official ICF website, coaching is defined as:
Coach, Consultant, Mentor: What's the Difference?
The question of what coaching is often arises due to confusion between professions that work with people's potential and abilities. A coach is sometimes mistaken for a psychologist, consultant, mentor, tutor, teacher, etc. So, what's the difference?
Coach vs. Psychotherapist
Psychotherapy focuses on the past, while coaching focuses on the future. People turn to a psychotherapist to solve problems related to past traumas. A coach, unlike a psychotherapist, can help the client address the past. In the past, the coach helps find resources to create a positive future.
Coach vs. Mentor
A mentor is more experienced in the area that interests the client. Essentially, mentoring is the transfer of knowledge and experience from the mentor to the client. The mentor helps set a goal and advises on how to achieve it. A coach does not necessarily need to understand the client's topic, while a mentor does.
Coach vs. Consultant
A consultant helps find solutions to problems and achieve goals, but unlike a coach, a consultant gives recommendations and offers ready-made solutions. A consultant operates based on generally accepted effective solutions, whereas a coach works with the client's individuality and internal resources.
Coach vs. Trainer
Sometimes a coach is confused with a trainer because "coaching" translates to "training" and "coach" to "trainer." However, a trainer gives specific instructions on what to do, while a coach helps the person find the most effective solution on their own.
Types of Client Requests in Coaching
The most common client requests can relate to different aspects of life:
Life Coaching — requests concerning the client’s personal life.
Business Coaching — requests related to the professional sphere.
Executive Coaching — requests from leaders and executives about scaling and strategy.
Leadership Coaching — requests from managers and executives regarding the development of leadership qualities.
Career Coaching — requests related to work and career.
Coaching Education — requests related to child-rearing and interaction with children.
Coaching also has different formats:
By the level of change (developmental coaching, behavioral, and transformational).
By the number of participants (individual, group, and team coaching).
International ICF Coaching Standards
Sir John Whitmore once said that being a member of the ICF is a great honor and privilege. The ICF not only accredits and certifies professional coaches, maintaining the quality of coaching worldwide, but also helps people better understand coaching and its value.
Philosophy, Goals, and Values of ICF
The main goal of the ICF is to ensure the growth of value for its members, maintain the reliability, effectiveness, and quality of coaching worldwide. The ICF philosophy is based on respect for the personal and professional experience of the client. Every client is a creative, whole, and resourceful person.
For effective coaching, a trusting relationship is important, and thus the personality of the coach is crucial. A coach must possess empathy, a mission, a philosophy, and a commitment to continuous self-development. That is why the ICF and other major coaching federations do everything to provide quality education for the profession, conduct coach certification, monitor professional development through mentoring and supervision, and organize support programs in the profession, which are also accredited. Thanks to such a large system, both clients and coaches find themselves in a safe professional space since violations of Ethics and professional standards can indeed lead to the cancellation of the coach's certification. International standards currently require a certified coach's qualification, which they receive after passing official certification. This is why companies seek out qualified coaches (ACC, PCC, MCC), and clients are willing to work specifically with certified coaches.
Conclusion
What is coaching? Every coach answers this question in their own way, and this itself offers many answers. Coaching is a different way of thinking. Not everyone who goes through training becomes a coach, but everyone benefits from the process by improving their understanding of themselves and those around them.
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