What is Executive Coaching ?
The term "coaching" is derived from the French word "coche," which originally referred to a horse-drawn carriage. The concept of a "coach" as someone who guides or trains others evolved from this idea. Just as a carriage (coche) transports people from one place to another, a coach helps individuals move from their current state to a desired state or achieve specific goals. In essence, coaching involves providing support, guidance, and direction to help individuals or groups improve their skills, performance, and overall development.
Three levels-executive coaching
Doing: This is basic coaching. You have a general idea of how to get from point A to point B but need someone to guide you, taking you by the hand to maneuver and achieve a specific goal. For example, consider a professional athlete aiming to qualify for the Olympics. This level of coaching would include a series of physical and mental exercises designed to optimize performance. The athlete follows instructions with minimal independent thinking.
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Learning: At this level, you are not only guided from point A to point B but also learn how to navigate and evolve independently. This can be seen as a higher level of coaching, ensuring that when faced with a similar situation in the future, the coachee knows how to act and succeed. Using our previous example, the athlete would learn the fundamentals of training, nutrition, resting and the impact on their body and performance. This knowledge enables the athlete to create their own training program in the future.
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Transforming: This level of coaching ensures that you never take the same path in a similar situation again. You gain a deep understanding of why you behave a certain way and the coaching makes it impossible to revert to old patterns. This process often involves addressing underlying and more profound issues that need to be resolved.
Returning to our ambitious athlete, they have all the tools and understanding to excel but still struggle to reach the desired level, which might be unrelated to physical training. There may be a deeper transformation required, possibly involving emotional struggles or challenges in working with a team that may be rooted in past experiences. This calls for a systemic approach, examining how the coachee relates to themselves, others, and the world.
While this categorization is somewhat artificial and doesn't fully capture the essence of coaching, each session and coaching journey typically integrates these three levels. A successful coaching process is co-constructed, based on:
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The agreed-upon goal
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Developments that occur throughout the sessions
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Insights that emerge during the coaching
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The coachee's feelings and their resistance to change
As such, coaching is inherently unpredictable, despite some consistent elements. Each coaching experience is tailored and unique, with no "one-size-fits-all" approach. Coachees should be prepared for unexpected discoveries and insights.
In a nutshell: my beliefs and values
You can be anything as long as you understand what is keeping you from getting there !
You are in charge of your future !
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It doesn't matter what happened in the past, it is what you will do with the rest of your life that's important!