From the International Coaching Federation:

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

The client chooses the focus of the 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 the client is now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future.

Coaching works because it brings out the best in the client. The client is the expert in their own life. The coach is trained to support the client in creating strategy, goals, solutions and action plans. Coaching works by integrating these unique features;

Partnership: Client and Coach form a relationship of trust. This partnership exists to focus on the client's goals and agenda.

Self-discovery: With a coach the client is encouraged to explore the values that bring meaning to the goals, increasing motivation and commitment.

Structure: The coaching relationship provides the forum for developing strategy, setting goals and implementing action plans with maximum productivity.

Accountability: The client is inclined to take more action, reach farther and achieve bigger with the accountability and objectivity provided by the coach.

Entrepreneurs

• Turn vision to reality
• Start a new business
• Increase sales or profits
• Introduce new products or services
• Prioritize and focus resources

Professionals

• Filling a practice or relocating
• Skill enhancement planning
• Recognition, presence and visibility
• Advancement or shift in career

Managers and Executives

• Team building and leadership
• Project planning and execution
• Meeting targets and goals
• Implement changes

Individuals

• Career and transition
• Lifestyle management
• Relationship building
• Fitness and weight loss
• Quit smoking

• Overwhelm in the Information Age
• Desire for Meaning and Fulfillment in Life
• Willingness to Invest in Growth and Advancement

• Therapy brings understanding and awareness to the clients past (healing). Coaching focuses on building vision and moving toward the future (growth).


• Consulting provides temporary or intermittent solutions or advice from an expert. Coaching provides ongoing support, developing strategy to make changes based on the awareness the clients holds. Coaching assumes the client is the expert in their life and conversations are advice free.