A coach is not a guru, a confessor, nor a psychologist. A coach is someone who accompanies you, so that you can find the answers within you.
The urgent leaves no time for the important.
It is a coaching principle -if not the principle- that we all have the necessary resources to achieve our goals. This is why coaching is not based on adding, but on drawing from the coachee.
A coach does not guide nor give advise or opinions. What a coach does is basically to mirror. To mirror by means of open non-direct questions, which help organise and clarify goals, priorities, and the actions to achieve them. Tha answer lies within the coachee.
After knowing this, people in executive positions (the majority of them with excellent analytical qualities and decision-making skills) tend to wonder what coaching is useful for, given that the coach will only ask question; and one can already do that.
And it is true.
Partly.
The first one is investing time in reflecting on what I want; something very important that many of us forget to do amongst so many responsibilities and everyday activities.
The second one is to verbalise it. This helps slow down the thought process, increase the focus, and avoid getting lost within your thoughts.
Furthermore, by talking, you can hear yourself, which increases your awareness. What I’m saying does or doesn’t make sense, it’s urgent, not that big of a deal…
The coach does two things: actively listen and ask questions to explore what you want, what is going on, what is missing or not needed, what options you have, what depends on you, what you can do to achieve it…
Some questions will lead you to confirm and reinforce your ideas. Others, will encourage you to look at things from a different perspective, and even reassess the situation in a new way to get away from the hamster wheel we tend to find ourselves when doing this mental exercise alone.
Sometimes important aspects that were hidden arise. Other times, something clicks and completely changes the equation, the way of seeing things; and consequently, it changes the solution.
And finally, by not doing two things that are very common in conversation, judging and advising; the coach helps the coachee go beyond their thoughts, explore different options to find the best answer and the solution to their situation, depending on their own viewpoint.
Coaching provides a safe space for reflection. As a coach, it is wonderful to watch what happens in that space when people feel free to think, explore, and decide.
In times of uncertainty, great complexity, and constant change, it is important to find a space to stop and reflect, decide your priorities, goals, and what to do to achieve them.
Develop your abilities of leadership, strategy, and team management focused on people.
I have worked for both national and international clients from very different sectors. You can see some here:
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