Coaching defined with 5 misconceptions

Coaching Misconception #1: I know what coaching is

Usually followed by a description of consulting, therapy, mentorship and rarely actually coaching.

The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as "Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential."

To break it down:
📌 "Partnership" - you design practices and actions together - your coach won't tell you what to do, and they won't sit around waiting for you to come up with something

📌 "Thought-provoking process" - your coach observes how you think and learn and bring an outside perspective, to provoke a thought and expands your mindset

📌 "Creative process" - it's not a cookie cutter, formulaic process. Every person is different - you and your coach come up with creative practices that maximize your personal & professional potential. What works for you may not work for others

📌 "Inspire action" - your coach isn't there to tell you what to do - they can't, they don't have power over you. They are there to inspire and motivate by showing you what you can do

Coaching Misconception #2: Coaching is like therapy and consulting

Coaching, therapy and consulting are separate professional services which are often confused. They can be very complimentary. However, each requires different training and experience. You need to understand the difference to hire the best person for your goals:

📌 Therapists
- Medical professionals who can diagnose clients
- Require licensing and are bound by significant regulations
- Goal: Fix a mental health problem; Heal
👉 Core client question: Why am I the way I am? Usually focused on past and present

📌 Coaches
- Not medical professionals - can't diagnose; Coaches assume client is whole and complete or working with a therapist on any mental health topics
- Professional coaches go through rigorous training and many choose to get certified by a body such as the International Coach Federation
- Goal: develop mindset; remove limiting beliefs; stay in action
👉 Core client question: How do I use who I am to achieve my goals? Usually focused on future and present

📌 Consultants
- Unlike coaches and therapist, consultants focus on a problem, not on a person
- Have expertise (or access to expertise) and have significant experience
👉 Core client question: What is the solution to my problem?

Coaching Misconception #3: Getting a coach is admitting I am weak and I can't handle things on my own

This misconception, I've heard in way too many conversations and it often came up toward the end, when people ran out of explanations. It also reflected my own view until a few months into my coaching training program, so I get it. What eventually helped me break this belief were two points:

👟vs.🩴 Saying hiring a coach is a weakness, is like saying that running with a high performance sneaker instead of flip flops is a weakness. Of course you can run in flip flops, but why would you choose that? Sneakers allow you to focus on where you're going instead of on how, when, and where you might fall flat on your face

📌 Hiring a coach by the definition of coaching (please refer to misconceptions 1 and 2) means you can solve your own problem, however you have made a choice to do so faster and easier by using a coach. If this was a part of your performance review it would show you are great at prioritizing, very efficient, and with strong delegation skills. Bottom line - just because you can do something alone, doesn't mean it's worth it

Coaching Misconception #4: I can't hire a coach - it is too expensive / too time consuming / too vulnerable

Perhaps 10 years ago coaching was limited to athletes and executives. Today, coaching is much more accessible. Just a few examples of what you can find: entrepreneurship coaches, life coaches, business coaches, health and wellness coaches, coaches for coaches - and of course, growth and performance coaches. The core principles are the same; what changes are topics and background. Services also vary greatly in price, duration, frequency, etc.

🚗, 🏎, or ⛵️Picking a coach is like looking for a car - they all get you from point A to B, but you don't pay for a Porsche if you need a Camry; and you definitely don't get a car, when you need a boat. Slight detour - in this metaphor, therapists are repair shops and consultants are the GPS

📱The question then becomes - how do you find the right coach? A few places to look:
1) Your existing network - chances are you already know 2-3 coaches
2) HR - if your company doesn't already have a vendor, the HR team most likely have relevant connections
3) Google - a simple search will get you many suggestions - try a complimentary session or five. if not a good fit they will usually be happy to send you to someone who may be

Coaching Misconception #5: The value of a coach comes from their success in what I'm trying to achieve

Success in your goals is neither necessary nor sufficient to make a coach great. You can have a coach who hasn't done what you do, but is amazing at driving out your potential; OR you can have a very successful person who is a sub-par coach - you might as well use them as a mentor or consultant.

A person who is successful in your field AND is a great coach can be super impactful… which is rightfully reflected in their price tag.

If you don't want to pay the mark up, want an unbiased and objective view, or can get the expertise elsewhere, then you just need a way to measure a coach's skills and potential ROI. My criteria are:

⚖️ Coach training - qualifies them as good at what you're hiring them for
⚖️ Client testimonials - highlight the coach's greatness - watch for clients' growth, learning, and mindset shifts
⚖️ Personal fit - you'll be working on stuff that's hard and your attention is best spent on doing the work, not on adjusting to a coaching approach or communication style. Find someone you are excited to work with
⚖️ Trust and Integrity - coaching is confronting and vulnerable - if you don't trust your coach, results will reflect that