The main focus of a Certified Professional Coach is the setting of goals, creating outcomes, and managing personal and professional changes according to the client needs or desires. A better way to understand the coaching process is to distinguish it from other professions, the following comparisons are provided by ICF.
It’s NOT Therapy
Therapy professionals deal with healing pain, disfunction and conflict between individuals or relationships. COACHING, on other hand, supports personal and professional growth with the main purpose in creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals.
It’s NOT Consulting
The consultant professional diagnoses problems and prescribes solutions, sometimes helping implement these solutions. In contrast, during the COACHING PROCESS, the individual or team being coached is capable of generating their own solutions toward their goal, or area to improve, with the professional coach support. The coach provides the framework and leads the coachee through a discovery-based approach to attain the goal.
It’s NOT Mentoring
A mentor can help a pupil understand and master an specific task or topic. A mentor will help you develop skills and provide direct guidance. On the hand, a Coach will focus on the client, understanding his needs or wants, and work together to come up with a growth plan and execute it.
The mentor is an expert in a specific area, who provides wisdom and guidance based on their own knowledge or expertise. Mentoring may include advising or counseling, and also coaching. In contrast, the COACHING PROCESS does not include advising or counseling, it is focused directly on the individual. or group, setting and reaching their own objectives.
Summary
COACHING includes a relationship between the Coach and the Coachee (client) where the main focus is on the client’s goals or desires. Both, Coach and Coachee work together, creating and implementing strategies. The Coachee is the main protagonist, directing their own journey towards their objectives and carrying on the actions leading to the main goal or wanted results.
