Coaching

When someone initially hears the word “coach”; sports are usually what people think of first. Visions of some of the legendary greats like John Wooden, Vince Lombardi or Connie Mack leap to the forefront of one’s mind. The next thing that comes to mind is often what is referred to as “executive coaching” and “life coaching”.  Yes, coaching can be about life planning, let’s be honest, your life is interconnected to anything and everything you would like to accomplish. That said, coaching can cover so much more than just those few topics. Other areas of expertise are about running a small business, team building, sales mastery, time management, leadership, conflict management and change management are but a few.  

The great thing about coaching, is that outside of sports, the term “coach”, is thought of in the context of helping someone to create positive change. Coaching is about coming alongside of someone and creating a thought-based relationship that helps the client/coachee, create clarity about what they want; then helps them to facilitate the change that will create their plan and move to action in order achieve their desired state.

The goal of a coach is to help someone achieve his/her full potential.  It is one area in life that centers around what you “want”!  What do you want to do, to accomplish, to buy, to teach?  What legacy do you want to leave your children, your church, your community?  The list goes on and on. 

Coaching is not consulting; it is not like your relationship with a typical manager who tells you your goals and sets the agenda for your meetings.  In coaching, the client sets the agenda.  The coach is there to guide you and hold you accountable to the solutions, strategies and action plans that you ultimately created. The role of a coach, is to help move the client from their current state to their desired state.

Coaching is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the country, second only to the industry of information technology.  This is both a great thing and a bit concerning. There are plenty of great coaches out there that have years of experience and thousands of hours coaching.  That said, at this point anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a coach.

Brian has chosen to become certified by International Coach Federation, ICF. This organization provides guidelines and lifelong learning opportunities to the coach.  There is a credentialing process, including many hours of classroom training, mentor coaching; even a signed code of ethics agreement and a test that must be passed.