The ICF  Definition of Coaching 

Professional Coaching is an ongoing professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, business or organizations. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life.

In each meeting, the client chooses the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the client into action. Coaching accelerates the client’s progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future. ICF member/credentialed coaches recognize that results are a matter of client’s intentions, choices and actions, supported by the coach’s efforts and application of the coaching process.


The ICF Philosophy of Coaching

The International Coach Federation (ICF) adheres to a form of coaching that honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:

  1. ✤Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve

  2. ✤Encourage client self-discovery

  3. ✤Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies

  4. ✤Hold the client responsible and accountable


In a simpler terminology

Coaching is about helping people in creating changes in their life and career through the process of self learning; it helps people in achieving greater height in their journey to success.

What is coaching ?


All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.



~ Walt Disney ~

A coaching session may be conducted in weekly or fortnightly basis, with each session lasting about 60 minutes. The time created in between the scheduled coaching sessions is intended for client to do self reflection and to work on specific actions that support the achievement of his or her goal. The duration of the coaching relationship varies depending on the individual client needs and preferences, usually a three month commitment is recommended for sustaining long term changes in client life.


Coaching can be equally effective in person or over the telephone. Telecoaching is effective over the phone because there are fewer distractions for either party; the client is likely to share more information sooner because of the anonymity factor. It is the most convenient method of meeting and is accessible despite geographical location.

How does coaching work ?

Anyone who wishes to achieve greater height, feel happier, get unstuck & move on in life will certainly benefits something from coaching. Having your own coach is the greatest investment you can give to yourself! The individuals seeking coaching tend to have a history of success and are committed to improving aspects of their lives. They may be frustrated by something that is getting in the way of their success and want to get input and feedback from their coach. People hire a coach to make a change, reach a goal, solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity.

Who hires coaches ?

helping client to move forward and establishing what is important to them by clarifying their values and life purpose. With the client’s input the coach co-creates value based goals, leveraging on client’s strength and wisdom, the coach co-creates a action plan with the client. Through collaboration, the coach supports the client to achieve these goals.


A coach offers many things to the client during the coaching process such as:

  1. ✓Support to discover the answers within him or her self

  2. ✓Create awareness of current disempowering beliefs

  3. ✓Clarification of values and life purpose

  4. ✓Co-creation of a plan for how to achieve what they client really wants

  5. ✓A sounding board for new ideas

  6. ✓Support in making life changing decisions

  7. ✓Challenge to expand their views beyond their perceived limitations

  8. ✓Direction

  9. ✓Acknowledgement

  10. ✓Encouragement

  11. ✓Share resource of information


Coaching is about the “How” & the “What” and not the “Why”. Coaching is focused on your strengths not weakness and the future not the past. So “why” things happened in the pass is not important as the whole idea is forward thinking and forward action. One of the most important ethics of a coach is to be non-judgmental and be confidential with the conversation. So it will be a very safe environment for client to create a trusting relationship.

Coaching is ?

Training

Training is used when a person is lack of knowledge and is done by a teacher/trainer to a student basis; whereas in coaching, a coach need not to be a subject matter expert as client know best their life situation and subject discussed.



Counseling / Therapy

Counseling/therapy mainly help clients to resolve emotional or interpersonal barriers issues that is hindering their progress. The questions used are mainly focus on the pass to help client understand. Obviously the client has to be experiencing some problem in life before seeing a counselor. Whereas in coaching, what matter most is what can we do from this present moment onwards to create the life we want. The client may not necessary having some problem in life, they could be just wanting to get more out of life.



Consulting

A consultant is usually used in business world where he/she is a specialist in a given specific area and they normally give direct recommendations and provide solution to client. Once the problem has been resolved, consultant will leave. Whereas coaching supports the client in drawing their own wisdom and experience by using discovery based approaches in moving client forward.



Mentoring

Mentoring is normally done by a much more senior person whom had experienced certain similar journey/success in a particular field. He/she will then share his experience in solving the similar issue. Whereas coaching works on any issues brought about by client and will help client to explore possibilities rather than their fixed way of thinking.

Coaching is not same as ?