Get yourself a coach!

Today I had the opportunity to coach and mentor one of my colleagues - I am lucky that I get to do this within my job and enjoy being able to challenge, question and expanding others thinking. I use the word mentor here as for me there is a difference. In this particular role I was mentoring more than coaching.  Coaching is what my Masters research was based on and I am fascinated by how coaching can have such a powerful impact on  persons development. Some of the following paragraphs are taken from my thesis - explaining the concept of what a coach is (mainly within the educational sector , however I easily see how this transfers to any business). 




It is important that a definition of coaching is clear, and the difference between coaching and mentoring identified. Coaching has been frequently described as a  partnership to support individuals to reach goals through targeted and focused conversations, focusing on improvement (Aguilar, 2013; Connor & Pokora, 2012; Knight, 2009; MacLennan, 1995; Morel, 2012; Munro, 2016; van Nieuwerburgh & Passmore, 2012).  Another widely adopted definition for coaching is a one-to one conversation focused on the enhancement of learning and development through increasing self awareness and a sense of personal responsibility, where the coach facilitates the self-directed learning of the coachee through questioning, active listening, and appropriate challenge in a supportive and encouraging climate (Knight & van Nieuwerburgh, 2012; International Federation of Coaching 2017; Munro, 2016; van Nieuwerburgh, 2012).  

The notion of personal responsibility of the coachee is a central feature in the definition of coaching. Coaching needs to be a process that helps someone else to increase their awareness of their own performance.  Effective coaching enables the coach to unlock a coachee’s potential in a way that enhances their  performance (Blackman, 2010; Breakspear, 2017; MacLenna, 1995; Whitmore, 2009), and provides a learning relationship that helps people to advance themselves (Connor and Pokora, 2012). The importance of a  coachee taking personal responsibility, by having a willingness to engage in the process of ongoing self awareness and to change practice through learning, has also been identified (Aguilar, 2013; Knight, 2009;  Whitmore, 2009). MacLenna (1995) and Rock (2006) argued that the outcomes are likely to be more  successful when coaches are personally involved within the action.  

Included in a definition of coaching is the concept of coaching being a process. Coaching cannot be done in a single session because it takes time for the coach and coachee to develop a coaching relationship. The  relationship needs to be focused on the development of a learning relationship, where the coachee is  responsible for the improvement of their practice and identifies and removes internal barriers to achievement (MacLennan, 1995). This aim of the process is supported by Cox, Bachkirova, and Clutterbuck (2010), who described coaching as a “human development process that involves structured, focused interaction and the use of appropriate strategies, tools and techniques to promote desirable and sustainable change for the  benefit of stakeholders” (p. 1).

Personally I find the key difference between coaching and mentoring is the role between the coach and coachee. Given that a  mentoring relationship emphasises the expert and novice, a mentor is considered to be someone to learn from. In contrast, in the coaching relationship, a coach is someone to learn with and allow peers to work  alongside each other (MacLennan, 1995; Munro, 2016; Veenman & Denessen, 2001).

So what does all this mean for us? Basically a coach is someone that you do form some sort of working relationship with, who can question, prompt and allow you to extend your thinking. We all know that we all the have the answers to the questions we ask ourselves - but a coach can help us narrow our ideas down, clarify our thinking and allow us to move forward. A good coach helps us to stop getting into a rut and doing the same thing over and over again (see last weeks post about this one!) 

I've always had a coach of some description - whether it be for sport or for anything where I have set myself a large goal. I'm capable of setting goals and then putting steps in to make it successful for myself - but still need a coach to push to think outside of my comfort zone, to see things in another light, to ask myself the hard questions. 

So ask youself where you are at the moment - and seriously think about if working with a coach is something you should do. Sometimes it may just involve a coaching conversation and that's all it needs. Sometimes you need on going support or sessions. Nothing is right or wrong. Do what works for you. 
But if you seriously want to keep growing, advancing and developing into the person that you are becoming - find a coach. 

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