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There are many ways to define coaching and its role in personal development. It’s easiest to begin an understanding by stating what it is not. Coaching is not consulting, training, or therapy, and coaches do not believe that life is a problem that needs fixing. At its most fundamental level, coaching is a successful relationship, a catalyzing relationship that accelerates the process of great performance. It’s about individuals’ and/or organizations identifying purpose and living out of that purpose; to enhance one’s life, developing personal strengths, creating patterns of success, and building reserves. The successful coachee develops changes and sustains them because he or she is actually different, not just doing things differently.

We can go on to further define coaching as a collaborative partnership between a coach and a willing individual that connects at the deep personal level of beliefs, values, and vision. It is an interdevelopmental relationship that develops both the coach and the coachee, although the coach’s development is a natural result of the interaction (not the focus of the connection) as he/she learns more about the individual. The coaching interaction is different from many other interactions in that the wisdom and brilliance of the coach and coachee are included and honored in the overall process.

Coaching is a generative, ever-evolving relationship. Because you begin a coaching conversation where the coachee is at the moment, the coach can never foresee exactly what will emerge from a particular interaction. Professional coaches who are trained according to principles set forth by the International Coach Federation provide a framework from which to work, but the true essence of any coaching conversation is unpredictable. The coach’s focus is on connecting with the coachee in a way that provides an environment of motivation, inspiration, and above all else, trust. With trust, the coachee can be open, honest, and vulnerable without concern, which is the point where the best coaching and results occur.