Personal coaching is both a science and an art and people in the business understand this fact. A coach is usually defined as a “people person” which is why most coaches come from professions that are “people-related.”
Professional coaches today have varying backgrounds but most, if not all of them have had experience in a profession that requires them to interact with others. Coaching obviously involves mentoring and this is why we see a lot of coaches who used to be teachers, trainers, or even therapists. To be able to excel in coaching one also has to have the desire to care for or serve others. This is the reason behind the fact that there are a lot of nurses, charity workers, and volunteer workers who end up as professional coaches. Whatever the background may be, these people become effective coaches because of their genuine desire to help others.
Since its conception as a legitimate profession, personal coaching has branched out into several areas. In recent years there have been developments of personal coaches who specialize in specific fields such as life coaching, career coaching, and executive coaching. These are just a few examples and let me give you specifics on them.
Life coaching focuses on one’s personal life. People looking to discover themselves or even those who seek self-fulfilment are usually the ones who obtain life coaches. This type also includes building one’s self-confidence, striking a balance in one’s life, as well as parenting. Another type is career coaching, and as the name implies it focuses on climbing the corporate ladder. There are also specific coaches depending on the industry you’re in. Executive coaching is catered to the people higher up in the business such as directors and officers. These courses help them develop their skills to ensure improved performance.
Most people think that personal coaching is much like going to see a psychologist wherein there are regular meetings that require you to go to his office every now and then. Contrary to popular belief, a large percentage of personal coaching is actually done over the phone.
This poses a lot of advantages for both the client and the coach. Obvious reasons include logistics and scheduling. Most people who obtain coaching services, especially business coaches, live busy lives and find it more convenient to do coaching sessions over the phone. This means that they can also do the sessions whenever they have free time and wherever they may be. There is no need for a physical meeting, thus the coach is not required to have an office. A typical coaching session lasts for around thirty minutes to an hour so doing it over the phone is definitely easier for both the client and the coach.
Among other definitions, the dictionary defines the word “coach” as someone who provides private instruction. Adding the word “personal” right before it gives a notion that personal coaching is a one-on-one thing. Continuing in this line of thought, there is also a possibility that some people might wrongly associate it with therapy or seeing a shrink. Although it may have its similarities, psychology and personal coaching are two entirely different fields.
First of all, most people seek therapy because they have problems or see something wrong with themselves or with their lives. People who obtain personal coaching do not necessarily have problems or personal flaws. On the contrary, some people who hire personal coaches are already successful and do so to be able to gain even more success. Perhaps the biggest difference is that personal coaches do not promise to give you the answers, they’re there to help you find them.
Personal coaching is a relatively new concept and people often confuse it with other things that may not necessarily be true. When one sees the word coach, the first thing that often comes to mind is sports. Well, to clear things up, personal coaching is different from sports coaching—it’s an entirely different field. It is true that team sports, such as basketball or football, require the presence of a coach to ensure that there is dynamics within the team and of course, success. However, personal coaching is quite different.
Personal coaching, which has become a legitimate profession, is geared towards the business and personal side rather than with sports. It is also aimed at success but in other fields, such as professional careers, personal relationships, or even spiritual life.