The main problem with our profession is not the ignorance that exists in the market, is not those clients who come to us not knowing what is coaching, is not the “intruders” who call themselves coaches, nor schools that mix Coaching with NLP, Enneagram, or other disciplines without any distinction. No, all these examples are mere symptoms of a deeper problem.

WE are the main problem. It’s called our “methodological inconsistency.”

Today, all coaches virtually have come to an agreement about what coaching is. All of us can assume, with nuances often irrelevant, that coaching definitions such as the ICF  or those of other associations and institutions, exist in the world of coaching.

However, this apparent consensus is dangerous, since we have not yet agreed on how to do what we say we do. Almost  90% of the description of coaching’s definition did not include methodological aspects, or show preference for mixing it with other methodologies like consulting, advising, training, positive psychology, or others.

The Wellcoaches video titled “How Coaching Works” has the same methodological problem.

For many coaches it is imperceptible, or irrelevant, the fact that the coach of the video has a toolbox through which he guides the client, allowing him, even to save the coachee´s life, with a network that cushions his dangerous fall from the ladder.

However, regardless of whether the stages or phases described in the video are essentially correct (meeting to explain the problem or objective; clarification of what is to be achieved through a vision exercise; determination of the action plan and the journey itself that would lead to “success”) the way to proceed for this video coach may be methodologically inconsistent and inefficient in the coaching profession.

This is the coaching definition of the video that explains how the coach works: “Coaches provide instruction and mentoring to their clients, and help them set goals, define an action plan, and navigate the path until they reach their goals. Coaches facilitate learning and help clients put the learning into action”  

If the essence of coaching methodology is instruction and mentoring, then how, in methodological terms, does our profession differ from other advising or training professions?(or, at most, does coaching would become some sort of advice or training?)

 This issue is not trivial at all.

 At another time I will expand on this methodological problem and will explain the historical, theoretical and ethical roots of “Non Directive Coaching” as a coherent and efficient approach of coaching.

Also, I’ll discuss any type of coaching that may ignore the importance of methodological issue itself becoming the process of coaching – by contrast, inconsistency, and deficiency.

Meanwhile, I open the debate.

Several coaches, highly committed to the profession, will serve as National Leading Collaborators representing these Hispanic countries:

• Claudia Castellanos (Argentina)
• Raul Pacheco (Chile)
• María Mercedes de la Fuente (Costa Rica)
• María Corral (Ecuador)
• Patricio Herrera (Spain)
• Damian Glodvarg (USA)
• Mercedes Jahn & Oriana Tickell (Mexico),
• Javier Barbero (Paraguay)
• Carla Villacorta Torres (Peru)
• Aurea Beltran (Puerto Rico)
• Sylvain Daudel (Dominican Republic)
• Edgardo Zimarioff (Uruguay)

Included in the magazine relaunch is the inauguration of a News-Site where readers can access free articles, information about events, conferences, publications and other relevant events in the world of hispanic coaching.

The principal goals of Coaching Magazine International:

1. to recognize the seriousness, legitimacy and the great contribution that coaching is offering to professionals, businesses and society in general
2. to further strengthen the coaching profession
3. to offer a worldwide media connection to all hispanic people

Coaching Magazine International will use dialogue and the power of the written word as the tool to strengthen the coaching profession and disseminate practical knowledge for personal development.

The magazine will serve as the main platform for dialogue between different practitioners of coaching within the hispanic world, contributing to the distribution and investigation of the various specialties of coaching in personal, professional and organizational areas.

Coaching Magazine International’s readers believe in the importance of raising consciousness to develop our confidence, and act responsibly in environments of pure freedom as a source of extraordinary and sustainable development. Coaches will choose Coaching Magazine International for its integrated vision of coaching and innovative ideas in human development.

Thus, Coaching Magazine International proudly returns with greater force in order to remain a platform for dissemination and consolidation of the profession within the hispanic world.

Visit the new magazine at http://www.coachingmagazineinternational.com

A few years ago, when we compared the competencies determined by the ICF (International Coach Federation) with the “old” IAC (International Association of Coaches) we saw a big difference in approaches. Today, the “new” IAC (International Association of Coaching) seems to have greater alignment and unity of approaches (See table below).

A curious fact is that Thomas Leonard was the founder of both associations, which indicates that the gap is caused by the evolution of each institution, or by the natural need for “differentiation” to win market share. Thus, systems of certification of the ICF and the “old” IAC arrived in different conception of coaching.

However, the ICF and IAC are not the only ones who have determined what would be the core competencies in coaching. So, just to take one more example, the ‚Äö√Ñ√∫Association for Coaching‚Äö√Ñ√π has also identified a competency framework “(AC Competency Framework) that involves the coach, the client, and the relationship between both of them. If we add to this, the hundreds of national associations at the international level in each of our countries of residence, the disparity is becoming more evident.

Do you think that within disparities exist some fundamental common denominator?

Do you notice, a narrowing of the IAC to the conceptualization of the ICF?

What are, in your opinion, the most important competencies?

I’d love to hear your opinions.

“The introduction of NLP in coaching is complementary only if the coaches use it (the NLP) as a tool, and it does not prevail over the principles of coaching. However, if we concentrated in the own discipline or profession of Coaching and NLP, both basic postulates are essentially opposed.

If NLP uses the “common patterns” that any human being can apply to achieve extraordinary results (an essential basis premise of NLP), coaching uses the “particular patterns” that the individual has, for unique results that no other human being can achieve. While the NLP helps any man achieve what few (people of success) have achieved, coaching seeks to ensure that men develop what no one has succeeded yet.

In other words, NLP extracts “patterns of success” in “general” of human beings, to apply to the “particular” (an specific individual). By contrast, coaching extracted the essence and uniqueness of “particular” human beings (which an individual has that does not exist in any other individual) to apply it on itself.

For this reason, for those who have not yet understood the proper integration of both disciplines, and the healthy relationship that should take, my recommendation is listen to Socrates as an advance on the science of coaching, saying and repeating, “knowing yourself,” and let the “know others” as a tool at the mercy of this principle.”

What would you suggest, considering these ideas?
PS: full article, in Spanish: http://leoravier.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/coaching-sin-pnl-una-cuestion-de-identidad/

The acronym “GROW” (2) refers to the typical process of coaching conversation:

Goals – at this stage the process focuses on the goals that the client wishes to achieve, not only from the specific coaching session, but also in the longer term.

Reality – this is a time for exploring the real nature of the problem, ensuring that the session is not sidetracked by false assumptions, and for gathering information that will shed light on the realistic issue. It is not a time for problem solving.

Options – This stage of the process explores the possible options of behaviour or decisions that will lead to the right solution.

Wrap Up or Will – At this stage the focus moves onto what the client is going to do in terms of specific steps to reach the goal. It is also a stage of examining the potential obstacles that may arise and of discussing ways of overcoming them, and of agreeing the resources needed and the nature of further support.

For Coaching Commons readers, I have three questions:
1) How effective is “GROW” model on real process of coaching?
2) Is it useful to anyone, any purpose, and any context?
3) What are its limits (if any)?

1 http://www.alexandercorporation.com/graham_alexander.php

2 http://www.performancecoachinginternational.com/resources/articles/historyofcoaching.asp

Which do you think is the most important aspect or characteristic of Coaching in relation to any other discipline or aid process?

Although approximate, it is a significant enough fact to recognize that what people understand by self-coaching is a part of recent initiatives that have not been welcome by its potential “self–clients”.

Considering that, in very general terms, coaching is a process where a client hires an expert on the field to help him to think and develop action plans to achieve his goals, basically through question-answer. Then the basic idea of the so-called self coaching would consist on the possibility that one could ask him/herself those same questions and determine, without the interaction of a coach, his action plans to achieve those goals.

So we could say self-coaching requires:

a) Being a coach, or at least being trained on coaching technique.
b) Assuming the double roll of coach and client.
c) Following all the steps and essential requirements of the coaching process.
d) Asking questions and listening to responses – which is what an external coach would do.
e) Obtaining the same results of the process, just like the ones an external coach would obtain.

Do you believe the so-called self-coaching could reproduce a real process of coaching?

This post is also in Spanish:
¿Qué es el self-coaching? ¿Es realmente coaching?

Si buscas la palabra self coaching en Google, obtendrás un resultado de 338.000 referencias aproximadamente. Esto equivale al 0,55% del total de referencias respecto de la palabra coaching (61.000.000). Un porcentaje similar se obtiene buscando la expresión coaching yourself (243.000) con un 0,40%. Es un dato, aunque aproximado, lo suficientemente significativo para comprender que lo que la gente entiende por “self-coaching” forma parte de recientes iniciativas que por el momento no han tenido mayor acogida por parte de los potenciales “auto-clientes”.
Si en términos muy sintéticos y generales el coaching es un proceso donde un cliente contrata a un experto en la materia para que éste le ayude a reflexionar y desarrollar planes de acción para conseguir sus más deseados objetivos (fundamentalmente a través de preguntas), la idea básica del denominado self coaching, consistiría en la posibilidad de que sea uno mismo el que se haga dichas preguntas y reflexiones, para así determinar, sin la interacción de un coach, sus planes de acción, y alcanzar igualmente dichos objetivos.
De esta manera podríamos decir que el self-coaching requeriría:
a) Que uno sea coach, o al menos esté formado como tal (si esto no fuera así se vería limitado por su falta de conocimiento del propio proceso de coaching).
b) Que uno asuma un doble roll de coach y coachee permanentemente.
c) Que se sigan todos los pasos y requerimientos imprescindibles del proceso de coaching.
d) Que uno mismo se haga las preguntas y escuchas que haría un coach externo.
e) Que consiga los mismos resultados del proceso, que conseguiría con un coach externo.
¿Creéis que el denominado self-coaching puede reproducir un proceso real de coaching?