​

What is Coaching?

 

Coaching is….

 

”A collaborative solution-focused, results-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of work performance, life experience, self-directed learning and personal growth of the coachee.” 

Association for Coaching, 2016

 

Put simply, coaching is a challenging yet supportive partnership which facilitates you to shape up  your future goals, highlight what you might need to change, identify the steps you need to take, and recognise how you might overcome barriers to get there. All set within an optimal yet realistic timeframe of achievement to help you to measure your own progress.

 

Why coaching?

 

Sometimes we know what we want to achieve, but we put obstacles in our way either through our own personal beliefs “I would never be able to do that”, or through our situational beliefs “It is impossible to progress in this company”,  through our circumstances “It’s not the right time, life is too busy”, or through our inherited beliefs that are related to acceptance “ I need to stay on this path to please  x, y, z”

 

Often we know that something isn’t right in our lives, but we are not sure what it is. We are just mildly aware of a slightly nagging feeling whirring away in the background that life isn’t quite as I want it to be.

 

It is not unusual to be on a particular path, but not be certain that it is the right one.

 

There are also times when we are very aware of what is getting in our way. We know that we need to develop skills, competences or knowledge in a certain area in order to progress, but we feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. These could be in areas such as communicating confidently, public speaking, and other interpersonal skills that hep us to develop in our careers.

 

How does coaching help?

 

Your coach will encourage you to formulate a vision of what you want to achieve, facilitate you in identifying the obstacles in your way, challenge you to reality test those barriers and stimulate you to seek solutions to help you to grow.  You will be cheered on as you progress, and be facilitated in problem solving and encouraged not to give up when things get in your way.

 

As humans we employ a myriad of ways of talking ourselves out of operating within our full potential, and giving ourselves “an out”. Your coach will not allow you to continue to sabotage your own progress in these ways.

 

 

What is coaching for?

 

You are hitting obstacles in your career progression

You are wanting to pursue an alternative career or life path

You are seeking to develop skills in confidence, communication, and public speaking

You recognise that to progress any further you need to refine your emotional intelligence in areas such as: conflict resolution, relationship building, anger management, assertiveness and confidence

You may have fitness or body goals that feel out of your reach

You have no idea what future you want or which direction to take

You are approaching, or past graduation and you have decisions to make but somehow you just can’t work out what to do next

 

This is not an exhaustive list, these are just some examples, essentially coaching can support you with any area of life that you want to change or improve.

 

 

Nine things to expect from a  coaching programme

 

1.     You will be in a confidential, 1:1 relationship

2.     You will not be advised or told what to do

3.     You will identify your own vision of what you want to achieve, and this is what drives the ongoing coaching relationship

4.     You WILL be challenged

5.     You will be cheered on as you make the changes that YOU have identified

6.     You will be teased out of your comfort zone

7.     Your self limiting beliefs (some of which you may not be aware of) will be explored and challenged

8.     You will focus on sustainable behaviour change

9.     You will be supported throughout, and even when challenged this will always be with respect. This is what you are signing up for!

 

A note on ‘performance-ism’, ‘perfect-ability’ and failing well

 

These are made up terms that I use when working with individuals who can only measure their self worth through their formal, externally observable achievements (academic success job titles etc).  It is an inevitable experience of living that we will encounter setbacks and dare I say it failure as we progress through life.  Some people are so afraid to ‘fail’ that they become frozen and can’t move beyond a certain point, and paradoxically this holds them back from achieving their full potential. In life it is a symbol of emotional intelligence to learn to fail graciously. To reflect on our setbacks and what we can learn from them, and the opportunities that failing can create. This is how we grow and develop our resilience, and is an area that we will explore and challenge if we encounter it as a barrier during your coaching programme.

 

 

A word about coaching and coaching psychology

 

Any individual can train to be coach and offer coaching/coaching skills. However, coaching psychology defines a coaching professional who is trained in psychology and psychological interventions.  A coach who is informed by coaching psychology can delve deeper and offers the potential to uproot any deep seated difficulties which may be in the way of you achieving your full potential. 

 

As a qualified and accredited psychotherapist, my coaching style is also informed by the theories of psychological, behavioural and cognitive models of human development. If we encounter a barrier that is rooted in earlier psychological disturbance, or traumatic experiences, I can help you to overcome these barriers using psychotherapeutic methods. However, this will always be discussed with you, for you to make the choice if you wish to explore these areas of difficulty, and any changes will be reflected in our re-negotiated coaching contract.

 

You can find out more about embarking upon the personal performance programme of coaching on the personal performance page.

 

 

Nicola is a qualified and highly experienced coach, whose individual coaching services have  evolved into inspiring others to train as coaches, and the delivery of bespoke ILM endorsed coach training programmes within private, health & corporate sectors. Nicola has extensive experience of introducing coaching into medicine and training Senior Consultants in coaching skills, and delivers stimulating and dynamic 1:1 personal coaching programmes at an individual and corporate level. If you are seeking coaching training, you will find out more about Association for Coaching accredited coach training programmes at Nine Teaching.

 

Nicola Forshaw, Director, MA, Bacp Reg. (Accred.)