The most common misconceptions about coaching

I'm a coach, I will not tell you what to do

I can't think how many times I heard people, especially on social media using the term "coaching" is the context of teaching people how to do something or giving advice about the best strategies to achieve desired goals. Before taking in a new client there are few myths around coaching that I always debunk. If you're considering coaching, it's important to understand what it is and what it isn't. By clearing up these misconceptions, people can get the most out of the coaching experience.

Here are a few of the most frequent ones:

• Coaching is only for people who are struggling. This is a big one! Coaching is beneficial for anyone who wants to improve their performance, achieve goals, or unlock their potential, make a career shift. Even high performers can benefit from a coach to help them reach the next level.

• Coaching is the same as therapy. This myth can be actually dangerous, coach should never take the role of therapist when the client struggles with mental health issues. In such situations coaching can be great addition to the work done in theraphy and enhance the progress, but coaching can't replace therapy. Professional coaches are trained to spot situations when the client may be struggling with serious mental health issues and should refer to a specialist.

• Coaching is the same as mentoring. There's a distinction between these related fields. Mentors share their own knowledge and experience to guide someone. Coaches, on the other hand, focus on empowering the client to find their own solutions and develop their own skills.

• Coaching is a quick fix. Developing new habits and achieving goals takes time and effort. A good coach will be a partner in this journey, providing support and accountability along the way. In a separate post we dive deeper into the topic of habits and efficiency of coaching.

• The coach tells you what to do. This is more like instruction, not coaching, and I agree, coach sounds better than "writing instructor" or "weight-loss instructor" but there is a fundamental difference in the way an actual coach work with a client and receiving instructions how to do something right. An effective coach uses powerful questions, active listening, and other techniques to help the client discover their own solutions and develop their own roadmap for success.

• Coaching is only for executives or business professionals. Coaching can be valuable for anyone, regardless of their profession or stage in life. There are coaches for students, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and people looking to improve their personal lives, or transitioning into a new role.

  
  

So what is coaching?

Coaching is a supportive, collaborative relationship that helps you unlock your potential. The International Coaching Federation (ICF), a leading organisation in the field, defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." Through powerful questions and active listening, a coach guides you to discover your own solutions and develop a roadmap for achieving your goals. It's not about giving advice or telling you what to do, but rather empowering you to find your own path to success.

You might be asking yourself: "Could I benefit from coaching ?". The best way to find out is by booking a discovery session to see how does a coaching session look like.