I’m often asked what coaching is and why it’s becoming so popular.

Coaching is a form of personal development. The coach accompanies the client to success, by using mostly questions, and not giving directions. This way, the client gets to his/her own solution, without being pushed.

Why is it becoming so popular?
Because it’s based on encouragement and listening. When was the last time that someone really listened to you, without jumping to say “Oh, you should hear MY story!” and when you asked for advice, helped you find your own?
That’s what a coach does.
Also, because it’s based on the encouragement of human potential, it produces tremendous results.

How do I coach?

Coaches like to use the terminology “Coaching Model”, but I like to describe it as just the way I work with people. I balance “soft” emotional support with a clear structure. I’m pragmatic and focused on results, but also look for sustainability.

It shows how the client starts at the bottom, building a strong base of Self-Worth. I believe it is the most important that the client begins to work on him/herself with an authentic belief that “he can make it” and does not rely on the coach to do the journey instead. A second component of this base work is a positive outlook on the self, since I propose my coaching to individuals who start at “good” and work their way to “extraordinary”, and not to individuals who have issues with themselves or wish to “fix” something.

This step is normally touched during the first coaching session, and can also be a contract component. If we do not establish a strong starting base, the results will not show.

The second step of the spiral is “Structure”. This is where I as a coach create a frame for the client to operate and he fills it with his experience. This stage is usually the most pragmatic and encompasses the use of tools or assessments.

The third step is “Support”, where I as the coach encourage and enthuse the client to get what he set for. In a coaching contract this would come up after the first month or so, when the client gets out of the “honeymoon phase”, the initial excitement wears off and he starts to show excuses. This is different from the first phase of “Self-worth” because it builds strong ownership and accountability rather than self-confidence.

The fourth stage is “Synergy”, where the client got some initial wins and we work on expanding the area of success, reapplying what worked and getting resources for what did not work. This is again a pragmatic area of work where the we work on external factors or wins.

The four stages also connect on another level – the first and third work on the emotional, while the second and fourth work on the realistic, pragmatic side.

This is also a reflection of my own personality and need for balance. And the fact that we start with the emotional shows my strong belief in getting the “soft” side worked on first before moving on to results.

“What if I want to work with you, as a coach?”

That’s wonderful and thank you for thinking of me to walk with you through this journey.

I mostly coach as part of my (full-time) job, so my no.1 priority is being an Internal Coach for the company I work for. However if you’d like to have a chat, feel free to contact me and I’d love to hear more about you.