Question

What is Coaching?

Answer

Coaching is a professional relationship between two individuals (the coach and the client) that assists one individual (the client) in achieving personal and/or professional goals in an accelerated manner. By nature, it is very similar to athletic coaching -- the coach supports the client in manifesting his/her highest potential and in attaining agreed-upon goals. Coaches are hired to assist someone in changing jobs, clarifying a vision, improve communication skills, realize a dream, grow a small business, climb the corporate ladder, etc. A coach encourages, confronts, challenges, questions, and above all, consistently honors, respects, and unconditionally supports a client in growing and achieving his/her goals. The coaching relationship is a transformational process that inevitably results in growth for the client.

Executive coaching comes in two forms:

Executive Enhancement -- High functioning executives participate voluntarily; they review their performance with the impartial executive coach to identify areas in which they want to change. They then use the consultations to help them carry out the change process. Issues such as learning how to cope with the information technology revolution, learning how to do business on a global scale, surviving and functioning while business reorganizes, often contribute to executives' problems-on-the-job.

Executive Remediation--A valued executive who exhibits a problematic behavior pattern is requested to participate by a superior. The executive may need help in such areas as: gender relations on-the-job, relations with authority, cultural diversity competency, leadership style, etc. Those executives who are able to "let go" of their resentment or anxiety generated by the coercive basis for theconsultations, eventually bring up the performance issues responsible for their receiving executive coaching. Executives who remain resistive are helped to withdraw from the relationship in a way that least affects their job status.

The company usually pays for the service; however, occasionally an executive requests, and pays for, the service.

5/11/98

John E. Glass, Ph.D., is a sociological practitioner with over 11 yearsexperience as a consultant, educator, counselor, educator, and researcher.He is on the Board of the American Academy of Sociological Practitioners, on the faculty of the Institute for Integral Development, a member of the Sociological Practice Association, and a member of the International Coach Federation.
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