What Is Coaching Anyways?

When you look up the noun coach in a dictionary, you will likely find two definitions.

First, coach, as a means of transportation: a horse-drawn carriage, a bus or a trailer. The second meaning refers to a person: a sports instructor or trainer, as well as a private tutor. None of those definitions require further clarifications. Unless you are Yuri the trainer that trains talking to detective Jaque Clouseau that is.

However straightforward the above definitions are, none of them refers to a role of a professional coach I have become or the one you are perhaps considering hiring.

According to the International Coaching Federation, coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”(coachingfederation.org)

In other words, professional coaching is an alliance formed between the coach and the client in order to turn the client’s wishful thinking into actions. Interestingly, both the coach and the client create the coaching experience. Depending on the coach’s approach and personality, as well as the client’s goals and learning and communication styles, coaching can morph into various shapes and forms: verbal or somatic exploration, connecting the dots, brainstorming, strategizing, reflecting, and many more.

So, is coaching a misnomer, or does it have anything to do with a means of transportation or Yuri the trainer?

Surprisingly, it does. Just like with the horse and the carriage, a professional coach and the client work together. It is the client’s journey, but the coach ensures the client reaches their destination safely. And just like with the sports trainers, professional coaches help their clients to reach their dreams and be at the top of their game, but it is the client who does the training and wins the Olympic gold.

Contrary to the common belief, there is enough of gold for all of us, as long as we are ready to go for it.