The term “coaching” in today’s world has gotten very complicated and misunderstood. In my youth, a coach was the guy who yelled at you from the sidelines if you were in any kind of sport. Today, we hear about coaching in a wide variety of areas, such as sports, music, relationships, spiritual development, leadership and even “life coaching” in general.
My particular coaching training is in the area of executive coaching. This is not counseling or prescribing, and it certainly isn’t yelling. The role of the executive coach is to help the client identify and develop his or her strengths in many arenas of life. This is done through a process that, at times, looks like a “dance”, where it can be hard to discern which partner is in the lead position.
In most coaching engagements, the coach starts with the premise that, at some level, the client already possesses the answer he or she is seeking. In other words, the client is the expert and the coach’s role is to draw out that expertise in order to help the client grow. This is different from a consulting engagement, in which the consultant is the expert and prescribes a course of action for the client to follow.
“The client is the expert and the coach’s role is to draw out that expertise in order to help the client grow”
So, who could benefit from coaching? Just about everyone that is doing well and wants to do even better. Generally, in a coaching relationship the client is not in great pain personally or professionally. In those crisis situations, the client is better served by the services of a counselor or consultant. In contrast, the coaching client is really okay but is looking to do better and grow more in a specific area of his or her life.
I have coached clients that grew in their spiritual journey, health and fitness, mental edge and creativity, strategic process, life balance and so on. As you can see by these examples, executive coaching can address the whole person, but approaches from the perspective that the client is the expert.
People hire coaches to:
Start home businesses
Prepare for retirement
Switch to living on a single income
Carve out more time for their families
Many clients are navigating transitions:
Empty-nesting
Moving on after a divorce or the death of a spouse
Many work with coaches to:
Improve time management
Become more organized
Lose weight and improve health practices
Couples hire coaches to:
Strengthen their relationship
Enhance their parenting skills
Business and ministry leaders hire coaches to:
Strengthen their leadership abilities
Improve the performance of work teams
Establish healthier company cultures
Improve their bottom lines
Whatever the life or issues, all coaching clients hold a deep desire for richer, more fulfilling and more God-honoring growth in their lives.
Learn more about Convene’s Executive Coaching
You will find a variety of coaches that can meet with you in person or online.
About the Author
Matthew gained a broad range of experience in the hospitality industry before leaving to join a company that provided computer systems to that industry. Matthew quickly became a principal at Merchants Systems, increasing sales exponentially while developing and executing a business plan that led to multi-state operations.
Matthew is passionate about business and helping leaders live the abundant life God has planned for them. To learn more about his coaching practice and connect with Matthew, head here.