How can Coaching be useful, and for whom? Let me share some thoughts on these questions with you. In short, I would say Coaching involves in its core definition a holistic approach for self-development. Especially Systemic Coaching is taking into consideration, as the name suggests, the whole surrounding of a person, concerning a very specific question or challenge. We are asking: which roles are a) my personal mindset, belief and value system, b) the for this issue relevant people, and c) my context playing in this specific challenge I am facing? Sometimes we might make a big personal change mentally, but can be “blocked out” in realizing it practically by our system not “complying” to the changes, because it has been neither involved nor considered. Coaching consequently CAN:
-- help you to get in touch with at some point in your life forgotten or abandoned needs and personal resources / strengths / competences -- help you to structure thoughts / ideas / different elements relevant for your personal and/or professional life -- help you bringing your personal and your professional roles together -- help you to make difficult decisions -- give you impulses for seeing new perspectives -- help identifying, questioning and reframing your own thought patterns = in short: support you in your self-development Coaching IS NOT: -- the magic pill for everything -- a simple “business motivation seminar” -- a treatment method for mental health issues
Unlike a lot of therapy approaches, Coaching is not centering on understanding the “problem” or challenge in all its aspects, with all people involved and in its full detailed history. It is rather goal-oriented, taking the person “as they are” – focusing on finding and articulating your own, individual goals (depending on your specific challenges), and on identifying possible ways you could pursue to fulfill them. I especially like the fact that in “good” Coaching, you will find no “one for all”-approach, no from-beginning-to-end-already-finished frameworks. It is, on the contrary, all about finding the solutions that are right for you personally. That means: the client is the expert of their own life; the coach is the expert for the path to uncover the client’s personal truths. One gotta love this empowerment approach! It is basically saying: Every person carries the base to their own personal solutions already in themselves – as seeds or as full-developed paths, sometimes overgrown by the jungle of everyday life requirements. Can’t we all relate to this? But beware: Often, especially when changing your behavior or thought patterns, Coaching can provide the insight and understanding, BUT the work itself in changing, reframing, and growing needs to be done by yourself. To summarize: Coaching can be a powerful resource for everyone who is interested in strengthen their self-confidence or -awareness and their personal decision-making competence in accordance to their very own values, wishes and needs.