The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines professional coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Using a range of instruments, such as active listening, intuition, curiosity, feedback and powerful questions; the coach dialogues with the coachee and helps them to clarify what objectives they desire, the best strategies to reach them, the practical ways to overcome obstacles and increase self-esteem.
The responses that the coachee generates step by step to move along their path towards realization are profound, intimate, interior steps and emerge through the stimulating action of the coach.
Coaching is not therefore based on the transfer of knowledge between a passive coachee and an “expert” coach. It does not give solutions; it does not define the good or the interest of the coachee. Coaching helps people to change and transform themselves (into what they really desire), helping them to identify and overcome inappropriate mindsets, behaviours, bad habits, patterns that hinder growth and create a plan of action in reaching the goals set.
The focus always remains on action (the results are measurable). The fact that the coachee takes responsibility for the final results is essential for the coaching path to be effective.
Coaching has age-old cultural roots: Socratic maieutics. Professionally, however, people began to start speaking about coaching from the 1960s, when in the United States the coaching model used in sports began to be transferred into other spheres of work.
Coaching is now a profession known and recognized around the world, counting on more than 30,000 coaches, about 18.8% of them specialized in executive coaching, 18.3% on leadership development, 15.7% in life and personal coaching. 71.2% of coaches are members of ICF.
The global coaching market generates approximately 1.5 billion dollars.
As things stand today, it is the most effective method to develop the potential of individuals and reach specific goals.
A study by International Personnel Management Association demonstrates that while training improves productivity by an average 22%, with coaching it reaches 88% (Financial Times – Public Personnel Management, Washington, 1997).
We use the Co-Active Coaching model from the Coaches Training Institute.
The term; “co-active” refers to the fundamental nature of a coaching relationship in which the coach and client are active collaborators. In co-active coaching, this relationship is an alliance between two equals for the purpose of meeting the client’s needs.