Coaching connects at the deep personal level of beliefs, values and vision. It is not advice giving or mentoring. Instead it uses a philosophy that believes you already have everything you need; the talent, the abilities, and the answers. A coach’s job is to walk with you, and help you find these answers.
Coaching used to be about showing and telling in order for us to change our thinking and behaviours. Our interactions would involve telling, answering and giving advice. We have been culturally conditioned to use this directive approach, but it leaves a person reliant on others. It is now about discovering; a non-directive approach.
Think of a sports coach and an elite athlete. They perform at a level that their coach will likely never have been able to, yet how does that coach help the athlete improve? They ask questions. Not about the skills, but about how the athletes are thinking, about the play, what they believe about their teammates, their competition and how they are relating to them.
