Professional consultants introduced coaching to businesses over 30 years ago. And they continue to develop this direction. One of the leading business trainers, John Whitmore, and his colleagues first trained employees in the early 1980s. And they coined the term “performance coaching.” Life and business coaching, career, personal, business and other types of coaching are based precisely on its principles.

What is coaching and its brief history

In today's organizations, coaching has become a buzzword. But where did this term come from? The English word "coach" comes from the Hungarian "kocsi", which translates as "cart" and literally means "from Cox". Koks is the name of a small Hungarian town where horse-drawn carriages and carriages were once manufactured. The word was supposedly associated with teachers or trainers who, like a cab driver, directed their students along the path of knowledge based on their own experience.

However, there is another hypothesis about the origin. Previously, rich families during their travels took a guide with them, who rode with them in a carriage and helped them navigate the road. This option better reflects the phenomenon of coaching. After all, this is how a good coach behaves. He does not aggressively “pull the reins”, as a cab driver does, but simply stays nearby and carefully guides the “student” to the goal, helping him to reach his potential.

« Coaching“is about partnering with clients and sharing a thoughtful creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” - International Coaching Federation (ICF)

However, let's put the labels aside. Coaching in its purest sense has always existed. And it was unknowingly practiced by emotionally and spiritually developed people—those who truly trust and respect others and believe in their potential. And those who are willing to spend their time listening, supporting and pushing a person to become better than they were.

Coaching as a discipline and profession is a relatively new phenomenon. Until 2000, no one in the scientific community had mastered coaching to the PhD level (as a Doctor of Philosophy degree is designated in the West). And its first application in the business environment occurred only in the 1980s by Mr. John Whitmore, executive chairman of Performance Consultants International.

Whitmore worked closely with Harvard University professor and tennis player Timothy Gallwey, author of Tennis as an Inner Game and Work as an Inner Game. Gallwey challenged traditional coaching methods in sports. He argued that the role of a coach is not to hone technique, but to help a player remove or reduce internal obstacles to performance and reveal his natural abilities.

Gallwey, Whitmore and many others who now work in the business arena began in the field of sports. However, sports coaching remains rooted in old models and, for the most part, is still instruction-based. After collaborating with Gallwey in the USA, John Whitmore founded the Inner Game organization, within which he formed a team of coaches supporting Gallwey's position.

They also believed that the key to successful coaching and increased performance was removing internal barriers, learning, and enjoying the process. Today they have become the leading representatives of business coaching and defined it as follows:

“Coaching unlocks a person's potential and aims to maximize their performance. He doesn’t so much teach as he helps to learn.”

The essence of coaching is to increase awareness and responsibility. Regardless of who it is designed for: an individual, a team or yourself. Mindfulness increases engagement, interest, and learning. Responsibility comes from conscious choices that lead a person to self-respect, confidence and self-motivation. Both awareness and responsibility are states of mind. And the last one is the key component. Knowledge and experience are important for performance, but none of these are as important as state of mind. This is exactly what coaching works with. A coach redirects attention to future possibilities, helping to leave past mistakes and any limiting beliefs behind.

This approach also takes into account a person’s individuality and uses his unique qualities. No two people are the same internally or externally - we all think and act differently. And in the past, these differences were often tried to be controlled, standardized and leveled - for ease of management. Simply because people from the management believed that they knew better what was right.

Standardization was the key to growth and success in the 1900s, when mass production boomed. This provided economies of scale and ease of management. However, this approach had its side effects, including excessive control, which contributed to the development of a culture of blame and criticism. Hence the low involvement and interest of employees, dissatisfaction and stress in the workplace, lack of choice and responsibility. Ironically, this made the work ineffective.

Over the past few years, senior executives around the world have begun to recognize the benefits and opportunities that quality coaching brings. Many choose to work with a professional coach, and some learn coaching principles and skills on their own to maximize their team's professional potential.

Many business leaders have finally realized the true transformational impact coaching has on people and organizations. Traditional hierarchical structures are gradually being replaced by coaching style. This is a new management culture that allows you to integrate meaning and purpose into your activities. And also maximize the levels of awareness and responsibility of employees, their faith, joy and passion for work.

Organizations are gradually starting to unlock the potential of their employees and allow them to see the world more holistically. Integrity and purpose are the holy grail for organizations of the future. This is a higher level of productivity and a better world.

Where did the concept of coaching come from?

Historically, there have always been “trainers” in society. In some circumstances this person was the city priest, in others it was a shaman, and in others it was an elder (father, grandfather, uncle). Before the phenomenon of coaching (or coaching) progressed to its modern state, the term "coach" was used primarily in the arts (drama coach), athletics, and corporate settings. Many managers hire outside consultants to act as mentors who can provide an unbiased and objective look at the company's state of affairs.

Coaching is now seen as a valuable and convenient service for the general public. Thanks to the emergence of "formal" training available to future coaches, anyone can now find a personal and well-trained coach to help them achieve their goals and desires. In your personal or professional life.

What is coaching in simple words?

Coaching is a professional relationship that helps a person achieve results in life, profession or business, giving them the opportunity to bridge the gap between where they are and where they would like to be. A coach or trainer forms a partnership with his clients, during which he helps them design the life they want, as well as identify their potential and resources, thanks to which they can achieve their ideal and begin to lead a purposeful, fulfilling life. By creating clarity, the coach moves the client's attention to action and accelerates progress. It helps you achieve greater focus and awareness of all available opportunities.

The founder of the ILCT coaching project, Patrick Williams, described coaching as follows:

“Powerful human relationships, where trained coaches help people not to overcome their past, but to design their future... A coach helps the client create his vision and goals in a particular area of ​​​​life, as well as create several strategies to achieve these goals. A coach recognizes each individual's strengths and recognizes their responsibility and ability to make their own decisions, while providing support and unconditional positive regard."

— “Therapist as Life Coach” (2007)

According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF):

The coach honors his client and recognizes his competence in work or life in general. The coach assumes that each client is a creative, resourceful and whole individual. Based on these provisions, the coach’s responsibility is as follows:

• Find out and clarify what exactly the client wants to achieve and agree on an action plan with him.
• Encourage client self-determination.
• To obtain from the client his own solutions and strategies.
• Maintain client responsibility and awareness.

All this helps the client to significantly advance in his views on work and life, improve leadership skills and unlock his potential.

What is the coaching philosophy?

The fundamental premise of the coaching philosophy is this: Man has immeasurable resources of energy, wisdom, ability and creative genius waiting in the wings and always ready to be put into motion. We all have the ability to create the life we ​​want. And by collaborating with a coach, this can be done faster and easier. It helps us harness these resources and facilitate the process of change and realize our potential.

Many of the basic psychological theories (the work of Adler and Jung, for example) and current concepts (positive psychology and solution-focused therapy) are precursors to coaching. Rather than focusing directly on pathology, these psychological concepts focus on changing behavior—by increasing awareness and choosing desired future outcomes. And also by solving current problems in life. In this case, a person is seen as the creator and artist of his life.

Basic philosophy of life coaching:

If there is a gap between where you are now and where you would like to be, then that gap is the place for life coaching. Why struggle on your own when you can get what you want in a much shorter time, with outside support and the right tools?

How does coaching differ from psychotherapy and other areas of help?

Professional coaches know the importance of identifying the characteristics and ethics that differentiate coaching from counseling, therapy, mentoring, or even friendship.

Although coaching and psychotherapy have some similarities, therapy often focuses on the influence of the past on the present, healing psychological dysfunction, and relieving emotional pain. The therapist is considered the expert and the person who has the answers to questions about what is best for the client.

Coaching focuses on the present and future, the client's own strengths, life goals and desires. A coach works with clients to create opportunities and enrich their lives. Based on the belief that every individual is whole and gifted, coaching assumes that the client is able to determine what is best for him. The trainer only works with them - helping to maximize the personal and professional potential of the applicant.

Why has the coaching industry become so popular?

We live in a time when the field and practice of coaching is expanding and evolving. The demand for coaching arose when business leaders began to need it. They began to seek help in resolving issues in their professional and personal lives.

Additionally, as companies began to downsize and change and baby boomers entered their 50s, coaches were hired to help people cope with the changes and get back on track. Since then, the profession has continued to grow and develop. Why? It's simple: because it works.

In 2014, a study was conducted on behalf of the International Coaching Federation. It showed that of those people who have ever sought coaching:

• 80% became more confident in themselves;
• 73% noticed improvements in interpersonal relationships;
• 72% improved their communication skills;
• 70% showed improved performance;
• 61% noted improvements in business management;
• 57% have become better at managing their time;
• 51% demonstrated improved team performance;

Of all the people surveyed, 99% indicated that they were “mostly or completely satisfied with working with a coach and the results obtained,” and 96% said they would repeat the experience.

Currently, about 10% of the population is negatively affected by mental illness or problems from the past that need to be addressed in order to move forward. The rest of the population (90%) who are not candidates for psychotherapy can benefit from coaching to help them make their dreams come true and achieve a more fulfilling life.

Top 7 books on coaching

1. Coaching. Fundamental Principles and Practices of Coaching and Leadership.
2. The inner strength of a leader. Coaching as a method of personnel management.
3. Coaching. How to turn the conscious into the unconscious in the work of a coach.
4. Living in Flow: Coaching.
5. Coaching agile teams. A Guide for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches and Project Managers in Transition.
6. The Complete Guide to Personal Coaching Methods, Principles and Skills.
7. Effective coaching. Lessons from a coach trainer.

What is coaching: 10 definitions

Lately, everyone has been trying to understand the nature of coaching. Therefore, we present below a number of definitions of this concept that we were able to find.

However, before doing this, I would like to emphasize that during the study a huge number of definitions were found. And very different: from classical coaching and coaching psychology to team and executive coaching. It's possible that all of this is a symptom of an unregulated industry.

However, there is still a point that warms the heart: there are some common features between all these definitions. And perhaps at some point in the future, coaching will become a more standardized discipline, like a real science.

10 definitions of coaching

1. “Unlocking a person's potential to maximize their performance. It doesn’t teach, it helps you learn” (John Whitmore, 2003).
2. “A collaborative, solution-oriented, results-oriented, systematic process in which a coach facilitates enhanced performance, life experiences, self-directed learning, and personal growth in the client” (Anthony Grant, 1999; basic definition provided by the Association for Coaching since 2005 ).
3. “A professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or group of people in which participants strive to achieve results dictated by goals set by the individual or team” (ICF, 2005)
4. “The art of making things easier, learning and developing others” (Miles Downey, 2003).
5. “Coaching is directly concerned with improving performance and developing skills through training or mentoring” (Eric Parsloe, 1995).
6. “Coaching psychology is about improving a person's well-being and performance in their personal life and career; it is based on coaching models originating in adult and child learning techniques or psychological approaches” (a group of psychological coaches from the British Psychological Society).
7. “Coaching is the development of a person's skills and knowledge in order to improve his performance and lead to the achievement of organizational goals. Coaching is aimed at high performance and improving the quality of work, although it can also affect a person's personal life. It usually lasts for a short period and focuses on specific skills and goals” (CIPD, 2009).
8. “Psychological skills and techniques that are used in one-on-one relationships to help someone become a more effective manager or leader. These skills are typically applied to specific problems related to the present moment... so that the client has them in his arsenal and can always use them (Bruce Peltier, 2010).
9. “Team coaching is a powerful alliance that aims to develop and enhance the quality of human learning, as well as the effectiveness and ability to achieve goals” (Laura Whitworth et al, 2007).
10. “Coaching is about empowering people to make informed decisions and opportunities to become leaders in their lives” (Karen Weiss, 2010).

Interestingly, while trying to find definitions, we came across the following interesting statement from Bruce Peltier:

« The coach should be able to give coaching a good working definition and articulate the difference between coaching and psychotherapy«.

While this may seem like an obvious proposition at first glance, the wide range of definitions that exist present a real challenge for coaches who want to give their practice a “good working definition.” If only it were that simple...

What is life coaching?

Life coaching is a synergistic relationship between a professional accredited coach and a client, designed to harness the latter's full potential. Just as Olympic athletes would not be able to fully train without the additional support, passion and insight of a coach, many of our time's most successful business people, as well as professionals, executives and entrepreneurs, turn to the services of a life coach to take their lives and careers to the next level. or business.

Part consultant, part motivator, part psychotherapist, and part friend, coaches work with managers, entrepreneurs, and people to help them identify and achieve their goals—in their careers, their personal lives, or both.

Why does life coaching work?

“A coach has the opportunity to look at things from the outside. And shed light on difficult situations. Often this person can act as a sounding board, give advice, help develop skills and motivate.”

— CFO Magazine

An article on public administration presented the results of a study comparing self-paced learning and life coaching combined with training. The study found that self-guided practice increased productivity by 22.4%, while training combined with weekly life coaching increased productivity by 88%. And that's why:

1 Responsibility. Most life coaches call clients three times a month. These scheduled calls encourage clients to do more than if they were doing everything themselves. Think about it: if you work out at the gym with a personal trainer, you'll push yourself harder than if you worked out on your own. When working with a professional coach, clients set bigger goals, take more decisive actions, and even think bigger.

We ourselves are responsible for our own development. The coach trusts his “students” and holds them accountable for progress in their thinking, learning or actions that will subsequently lead to the goal. There are joint development activities developed and agreed upon from the very beginning. No accusations or judgment from the coach.

2 Expertise.A trained life coach knows how to help you set the right goals, earn more money, and structure your personal and professional life. He knows how to achieve greater productivity with less effort. Thanks to the help of a coach, a person gets more in less time.

3 Reporting. A well-trained coach will know the right words to use to give you natural motivation. When working with an experienced life coach, there is no place for intimidation or cajoling tactics. As a rule, coaching is most effective when the coach calls his coachee once a week. Therefore, the client has a whole week of time to change something in his thinking and take some action to achieve his goals. The call usually takes from 30 minutes to one hour. For the client, such a practice is as challenging as it is inspiring. As a rule, a call from a coach is eagerly awaited.

4 Speed.Most people find that with the arrival of a life coach, positive changes in their lives come faster.

5 Understanding. The coach feels the individuality of his ward and tries to take this into account when taking certain measures, and also develops his “self-awareness”.

6 Actions. To fully grasp the meaning of this term within the framework of coaching, it is worth familiarizing yourself with such concepts as brainstorming, action design or planning, responsibility and control of activities.

Who turns to life coaches?

Entrepreneurs, executives, big businessmen, actors, musicians, creative people, managers, startupers, specialists and even housewives - they all achieve their goals with the help of a life coach. If you are not where you would like to be, and there is a gap between these places, then this gap is the field of activity for a life coach. Not only will a coach help you close the distance between what you want and what you really want, but it will also help you overcome limiting beliefs.

What does a life coach usually work with?

• defining and achieving goals, solving problems;
• planning - in business, career and life;
• correcting blocking beliefs and fears;
• lack of order in affairs;
• formation of financial security and independence;
• balancing business and personal life;
• making key decisions and developing strategies for success;
• working with communication skills;
• problem solving;
• building strong relationships;
• breaking the glass ceiling;
• assistance in promotion;
• searching for the optimal area of ​​work or business;
• searching for the ideal partner/love/relationship;
• exit from the vicious circle;
• formation of important life changes;
• starting a business;
• business development;
• achieving your dream life;
• identification of core values ​​and interests;
• satisfaction of personal and emotional needs;
• assistance in organization;
• making money;
• freeing up free time;
• creating a more fun and fulfilling life;
• much, much more...

FAQ

How is life coaching fundamentally different from consulting, psychotherapy, sports coaching, or just being a good friend?

Consulting. Life coaching can be considered a form of consulting. However, counseling is usually more about information and experience. For example, it is possible to contact a consultant to solve a specific business problem. In this situation, you would expect the hired expert to provide knowledge and experience in that particular area.

When it comes to life coaches, they may not have experience or knowledge in a particular field. A coach is a specialist in helping you develop all areas of your business or personal life. Unlike many consultants who simply provide a solution, a life coach walks with you, helping you integrate changes, learn new skills, and create goals—to make sure what you set out to do actually comes to fruition. This is one of the reasons why coaching is so effective: it is one thing to have information, but quite another to use it and make changes in your life.

Therapy. Coaching is not psychotherapy. There is no working through past problems or traumas. They are not psychologists or psychotherapists. If you turn to a coach without solving any problem from the past, then he will not help you with this. To solve this, you will have to consult a therapist. Quite often, unresolved psychological traumas prevent us from getting what we want from life.

As for life coaches, they focus on the present and future, on the client’s goals. They help a person move forward, achieving personal and professional goals. Most life coach clients are accomplished and healthy individuals who may be somewhat stuck at a certain stage or simply want to change something in their lives. The coach is their support.

Sports training. Life coaching often incorporates the principles of sports training. For example, become the best version of yourself, do more than you think you can, work as a team and go towards the goal. However, unlike sports, coaching is not a competition. A life coach helps you win not in a competition, but in your own life.

Best friend. A good friend or two (or even three) is wonderful. However, is your friend a professional who you can trust with important aspects of your life or business? Moreover, often friends cannot tell us the truth because they do not want to risk the relationship. A good life coach will never be afraid to do this. Why then, in addition to a good friend, not also acquire the services of a good life coach?

Who seeks the services of a life coach and why?

The International Coaching Federation speaks about this beautifully:

“People hire a life coach because:

• They want more.
• They want to grow.
• They want it to be easier.

It's simple. A life coach helps the applicant implement all three points. In short time."

What are the benefits of using a coach?

• You begin to make better decisions and act more purposefully.
• You stop putting up with minor troubles.
• You have an incentive to work for results.
• You set more effective goals based on your true desires.
• You have more time and energy.

Does a life coach work more on personal goals or business/professional goals?

Usually with both. A life coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of life. This is convenient because very often problems at work affect your personal life. And vice versa. Some clients prefer to spend more time on their business goals, while others may want to focus on personal ones. How exactly you use coaching is up to you.

What does a life coach typically focus on?

He focuses on what the client wants. And where the client wants. The client's goals are the coach's goals. Although the latter may have some bold proposals that will help you reach your goal faster. Sometimes, for example, to become more successful in business, you need to do some work on your personality.

Why does coaching work?

There are several reasons for this:

• Interaction with a coach creates an incentive for work and enthusiasm in the client.
• A professional helps you set more effective goals that truly motivate.
• A person develops new skills that lead to greater success.
• Coaching serves as support. Left alone with ourselves, we risk falling into a trap and walking in a vicious circle, even if the initial intentions were the most positive. A life coach helps you go beyond this circle. Therefore, changes are achieved with less struggle and effort.
• A coach is objective and positive support. Not everyone has a friend or colleague who can provide this. If you are working on yourself alone, then try to imagine how much more useful you can do together with a coach.

Why is life coaching so popular?

1. People are tired of doing what they "should" do. And they want to do something special and more meaningful in their life. However, few are able to see exactly what they want. And even if they are capable, they do not see ways to reorient their lives. A life coach helps you do both.
2. People understand how easy it can be to achieve something that at first glance seems unattainable. A coach is not a miracle worker (well, sometimes), but he has a set of tools with which a Big Idea can become a Reality.

Can't I achieve my goals on my own?

We have been taught that “hard work and dedication” is the key to wealth, a successful life and happiness. Most believe that in order to achieve what they want, they need to sacrifice something. Some even sacrifice their health, free time or relationships.

However, these sacrifices are not required. It is possible to have all of the above. And with life coaching, you will find that you don’t have to sacrifice it to get what you want. You may have to change a few things, but those changes will ultimately result in more free time for friends and family, more money, more opportunities, and more success at work. And many coaching clients notice this.

Athletes, entertainers, CEOs and even presidents understand that they cannot do this solely through their own efforts. They realize that they need a qualified specialist or a whole team of experts to help determine the best direction, as well as provide support and feedback. Without this it is almost impossible to achieve the ideal. Not a single athlete would dare to go to the Olympics without the support of a coach. A coach provides an added benefit. Why don't you have this advantage?

Why do people who are already successful still hire coaches?

No one really needs a life coach. However, many would like to turn to him. Are you doing what you enjoy most? Do you put up with any unpleasant aspects of your life? Do you live a relatively “easy” life or do you mostly struggle with things? How are you doing with your finances? Do you have a truly strong and sincere desire for something? Most people can get a lot more out of their lives. I thought that I would start writing when I retired, that is, around 65 years old. But in the end I wrote my first book at 30! Life coaching truly accelerates work and results.

Can a client become dependent on a coach?

No. A person may need a life coach at certain times - to maximize opportunities or accelerate their personal growth. Anyone with goals has the opportunity to benefit from the advice, support and some tools that a coach provides. This is exactly what it is needed for. As for the formation of addiction, there is no need to worry. As a rule, life coaches work with accomplished, healthy and successful people. They are not therapists and should not be doing his job. If you suddenly begin to feel dependent on your life coach, consult a psychotherapist.

Can a coach hurt someone?

No. The client is always responsible for his own life. He makes his own decisions and acts on his own. A life coach only provides positive support. Sometimes a life coach can challenge a client or suggest a path that is unconventional for him. However, it is the client who will decide whether to follow the coach’s advice or not.

The coach in no way controls the thoughts, actions or life of the person who turns to him. If you feel bad after communicating with a coach or any situation related to him, let him know about it. This may be due to misunderstanding. Or maybe this person’s work style just doesn’t suit you. Try contacting someone else. The client should feel energized and motivated to act.

Can I hire a life coach for a special short-term project?

Yes. Some clients do just that. I am hiring a coach to help me work on a project. Many people who apply, having achieved their main goals, prefer to continue working with a coach. Because there are even more interesting things!

How long does cooperation with a coach last?

One month. Although usually most people, after turning to coaching, change their opinion about it - finding it more useful than they previously thought. Therefore, they prefer to work longer. There are many cases when working with a coach lasts three to six months. However, if coaching is not working, you can always stop immediately. Some coaches may ask you to sign an agreement that will include deadlines. Although most still do not limit the client to dates.

This does not apply to corporate contracts, since company projects are limited in time. Everything is discussed individually.

What is the standard cost for coaching services?

Most coaches who work with individuals charge about 10,000 rubles for a month of work and 3-4 calls lasting from 30 to 60 minutes. Coaches who work with officials charge more for their services. However, with some of these clients they work more than one or two hours a week. The approximate price for all this is from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles per hour. Corporate coaching costs even more. Here, prices can vary from 50,000 to 500,000 rubles per month and usually start at 20,000 rubles per hour. Both in the case of individual coaching and in the case of corporate coaching, the coach can work right on the spot.

Life coaching, coaching

« Life coaching“a concept that entered our lives relatively recently, but has long been used by Western specialists in the field of coaching. In this article we will find out how it can be useful to any of us life coaching.

Definition

Life coaching(English) life- life, lifestyle, and English. coaching- instructing, mentoring, training, classes with a tutor) - - the art of helping a person achieve his goals and objectives by revealing his own potential and awareness. The coach does not give advice, but mostly asks questions. The main condition is that the client makes all decisions himself, which means the responsibility is entirely his. The peculiarity of his work as a life coach is that he works with all areas of a person’s life. The main task is to create a balanced and happy life. Thomas J. Leonard is rightfully considered the founder and creator of this trend.

Features of life coaching

Helping a person in a coaching style is about developing a person’s potential and solving his problems by asking specific questions. Special techniques are also used. This method will be effective for the client if he is ready to take responsibility for the decision made.

The coach inspires and instills confidence in the client to reach their own potential. This allows you to achieve new heights in a short time, in various areas of life.

Unlike a professional consultant, the client, during a conversation with the coach, independently finds the required solution, rather than using his advice.

As a result, thanks to the life coaching technique, a person does not develop just one professional skill, but learns to independently find new non-standard solutions constantly, based on working with his own potential to achieve maximum heights.

What does life coaching give to a client?

I am confident that one of the best decisions you will ever make in your life will be to work with a life coach. There are hundreds of reasons why you need to use his services. But we will indicate only the main ones.

So, 12 reasons to start working with a life coach:

1. Dreams will turn into goals. Your goals will become clear. You will develop a step-by-step strategy to achieve your goals. When you ask most people what they want from life or what their goals are, they will not be able to answer clearly. People live their dreams, and hope that “a wizard friend will fly in in a blue helicopter” and change their lives once and for all. But water does not flow under the lying stone.

2. It will be easier for you to build relationships in your family and team. Together with a coach, you will discover the causes of problems in your relationships with loved ones and friends. And develop a strategy for changing yourself.

3. Your income will increase. If you go to a coach with this question, your attitude will change and you will stop being a slave to money. You will discover the amazing laws of the financial world. They are simple and universal, but introducing them into your life changes a lot.

4. Speed ​​of decision making. The coaching method forces the client to develop their thought processes. The result is an invaluable skill that will stay with you for life.

5. Ability to find non-standard solutions. Solve problems like nuts. Under the guidance of a life coach, you will develop a step-by-step strategy to solve any problems. And then, like in school, we take the formula, insert the values ​​from the problem and get the result.

6. Increase the speed of movement through life. Having acquired a number of invaluable skills and changing them in real life, you will notice how events develop in your life faster and faster. And the main thing is that you can control it.

7. You will become more effective in all areas of life. If previously it took you 7-8 hours to resolve work issues, then with new skills and experience this will be reduced by 30-50%, and maybe more. And so in every area of ​​your life. The main thing is your willingness to change and responsibility for the decisions made.

8. You will become more attractive to others. People love those who are constantly growing and developing, positive and open to communication. And it’s not surprising, it’s easier to communicate with such people, it’s more pleasant to look at them, and most importantly, you can and should follow an example from them.

9. Your level of awareness will increase. By awareness I mean knowing who you are, what is happening around you, where and why you are moving. This makes it possible to influence events to a greater extent than usual.

10.You will get a lifestyle. No, this is not a bold statement. Everything is very simple. If the dreams you've been dreaming about for so long become goals, and goals come true through your work, won't your life then become the embodiment of your dreams?

11. Stress will go away from your life. The less control you have over your life and your manifestations, the more stress there is in your life. Problems appear one after another, everything flies out of hand, there is not enough time, and then there’s... Isn’t that right, gentlemen? During the coaching process, you solve the most pressing issues. And every day you become stronger and more confident (thanks to constant work on yourself)

12. Happiness. You will learn to experience a state of happiness and joy more and more often. A coach will help you understand what happiness is, how to achieve it, and what you lack to constantly remain in this state.

Conditions for working with a life coach

How does a coaching session work? Work with the client takes place in the form of conversations. The duration of one session is 45 minutes – 1 hour. Regularity of classes: 1 sometimes 2 times a week. No more than 1 problem is solved at a time. Work for results.

Where does the work take place? The session takes place individually (one on one) in the coach's office, by phone or via Skype.

For work, it is important to have a specific question, be ready for changes and take responsibility for all decisions made during the coaching session.

Is it important for a coach to be an expert in the area where the client has a problem? Absolutely not. The fact is that a coach does not consult, and therefore does not give advice. He asks questions and uses special techniques. The only area in which a coach must be competent is coaching.

In conclusion, I want to say that life coaching is not a panacea. But at the moment, it is the most effective way to solve all kinds of life issues, unlock a person’s potential and harmonize his life.

Friends, if you have anything to add to this article about life coaching, write in the comments, and if you liked the article, subscribe to the newsletter and like it!

You also have a unique opportunity to download my new book “Awakening” completely free of charge or sign up for a coaching session with me.

Until he receives the required result in accordance with his request.

Despite the fact that coaching, as a line of activity and consulting, emerged from sports and was then used in management for a long time, receiving the name business coaching. business coaching), now we can talk about such a type of coaching as life coaching (eng. life coaching).

Thomas J. Leonard is considered the creator and founder of life coaching.

Definition

The task of life coaching is not only to help a person realize himself in some area that is important to him, using those hidden resources and potential that he had not previously used.

In life coaching, it is important to address the client’s entire life as a whole in order to maintain balance and a harmonious combination of different areas of life - that is, the balance between family, work, career, friends, health, hobbies, and so on.

Features of life coaching

Coaching style counseling is a learning tool through asking questions and using special techniques, which is one of the ACTION learning approaches. However, this method will only work if the person who contacts the coach is ready to take responsibility for the result obtained.

The coach helps the client believe in himself and use all his inner resources to reach new heights and achieve the desired results in various areas of his life.

A distinctive feature of coaching as professional consulting is that the coach helps a person find his own solution, and does not solve the problem for him.

As a result, life coaching technology is not aimed at “teaching a person one skill,” but to develop in the client the “ability to learn” throughout his life, finding creative solutions and answers to difficult life situations, independently addressing to your internal resources and potential to achieve the best results.

Literature

• Williams, Patrick (2007), “Therapist as life coach, an introduction for counselors and other helping professionals”, W.W. Norton & Co. (New York)< >
• Williams P., Davis D., "Life coaching - a new profession for psychotherapists", 2007, ISBN 5-98397-004-6.
• Andrea Molloy, Life Coaching. Changing lives!”, Medley, 2010, ISBN 978-1-86941-722-2.
• Werner Zimmerl, Claudia Zimmerl “Coaching. Forward from resource to goal!”
• Ivan Rybkin “Coaching for Social Success”
• Marina Melia “How to strengthen your strength. Coaching"
• Marsha Reynolds "Coaching: Emotional Competence"
• Savkin A., Danilova M. “Coaching in Russian: the courage to desire”
• W. Timothy Gallway Tennis. Psychology of a successful game = The Inner Game of Tennis. - M.: Olimp-Business, 2010. - 208 p. - ISBN 978-5-9693-0164-1

• Laura Whitworth, Henry Kimsey-House, Phil Sandal "Coactive Coaching"
• Article - 10 reasons to seek the services of a life coach
• Article - 5 Life Coaching Tips to Stop Worrying

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See what “Life coaching” is in other dictionaries:

The style of this article is non-encyclopedic or violates the norms of the Russian language. The article should be corrected according to Wikipedia's stylistic rules. Coaching (eng. coaching training, training) method of consulting ... Wikipedia

Coaching- according to the definition approved by the ICF (International Coaching Association), coaching is a continuous collaboration that helps clients achieve real results in their personal and professional lives. Through the K process, clients deepen... ... Psychology of communication. encyclopedic Dictionary

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Books

• Think, do, achieve! Life coaching (set of 2 books), Annie Lionnet, Andrea Molloy. You can find out more detailed information about the books included in the set by following the links: “Think, do, achieve! Life coaching techniques for absolute success” “Life coaching. Changing…

25.03.2017 4 647 0 Reading time: 20 min.

Today we will talk about one of the most common - life coaching. I will tell you what life coaching is, what it is needed for, what it can and cannot help with, how it works life coach how coaching sessions are conducted, how long this process lasts, how much it costs and a lot of other interesting and useful information on this topic. Having received the information, you will be able to draw your own conclusion whether you specifically need life coaching, and if the answer is yes, then this article will help you choose a life coach more wisely. So, first things first...

What is life coaching?

First of all, for those who are not yet familiar with the concept of “coaching,” I recommend reading the article to get an idea of ​​what will be discussed.

Life coaching (literally - life coaching, life coaching) is one of the popular areas of coaching, a system of relationships between a coach and his client, aimed at achieving specific positive changes in the client’s life.

A professional specialist helps his client accurately identify his current position in life, set and accompanies him on the path to these goals until they are achieved.

In simple words, if you want to, but you can’t do it, it’s quite possible that life coaching will help you.

Life coaching is not the only way to change the quality of your life, but only one of ten such methods recognized by experts around the world. In addition to it, this list can include psychotherapy, education, consulting, training, mentoring, mentoring, etc. All these methods are effective, they work, each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

However, it is life coaching that has one significant difference from all other options: a life coach is not in a superior position in relation to his student, but communicates with him as an equal, taking a partner and even, one might say, a friendly position.

Despite the fact that life coaching involves setting and pursuing specific goals, it also takes into account the even, harmonious development and balance of all aspects of human life: family, work, career, health, friends, hobbies, etc.

The main task of life coaching is to help a person find and reveal his hidden potentials, internal resources, and with their help realize his life goals and change his life for the better. Life coaching is about developing in a person the ability to find opportunities to achieve his goals, the ability to find answers to serious life questions, the ability to solve problems using his own potential, which he may not even know about yet.

How does a life coach work?

A life coach is a specialist, a trainer who conducts life coaching. His lessons with the student in this type of coaching take place individually, “one-on-one”, and are called a coaching session or coaching session. The duration of one session is usually 60 minutes.

Coaching sessions can take place both in direct personal communication between a life coach and his student, and remotely, through electronic communication methods. A coaching session is a confidential conversation between a coach and his client, during which the life coach helps the client choose and follow the right path to achieve the goal.

To make it clearer, let's look at what a life coach should and shouldn't do during his sessions. Using these criteria, you can determine how competent the specialist in front of you is, whether he is really a professional life coach, or whether he simply calls himself one.

Good life coach

• He will ask many questions about you, including uncomfortable ones, in order to allow you to fully open up and voice what you were previously afraid to admit even to yourself;
• He will listen carefully, without interrupting, to your answers, remember what you said and what you didn’t say, and focus on the most important things;
• Will impartially respond to your worries, experiences, successes, failures, life values, priorities, motives, obstacles in achieving goals;
• Will make sure that you feel full responsibility for achieving your goals, and do not shift this responsibility to the coach;
• Will respect your privacy;
• Will maintain complete confidentiality of your negotiations;
• Will guide you to achieve your goals and keep you on track.

Bad life coach

• It will tell you what you need to do and what you don’t need to do, what you should do to achieve your goal and what you shouldn’t;
• He will manipulate you, subtly forcing you to make a decision that he himself considers correct;
• Will delve into your past or force you to delve into it;
• Will condemn you, criticize, judge, evaluate your actions and actions;
• It will intentionally or unintentionally make you feel guilty.

If during the first coaching session you notice that your life coach is more likely to correspond to the second set of characteristics than the first, then it is advisable to refuse to work with him.

How many coaching sessions are needed to get the desired result? This is a very individual question. There are situations in which one session is enough; most often, a cycle of about 10 sessions occurs (say, once a week or even once a month, depending on the situation). It happens that a life coach accompanies his client for a very long period, for example, several years, conducting sessions, say, once a month, until the desired goals are achieved.

Why do you need life coaching?

Now let's look at why life coaching is needed, how it helps a person, and what problems it solves.

1. Life coaching gives you the opportunity to objectively look at your life, understand its strengths and weaknesses in each area.
2. Life coaching allows you to correctly formulate life goals, both global and short-term.
3. Life coaching allows you to identify previously hidden potentials and opportunities to achieve these goals.
4. Life coaching helps eliminate those complexes, barriers, prejudices, and doubts that previously prevented you from changing your life for the better.
5. Life coaching helps you concentrate on the main thing, helps you get together and focus on achieving your goals.
6. Life coaching is an excellent motivator for the pursuit of goals and positive changes in life.
7. Life coaching helps you change your life for the better in general and in certain areas in particular.

The main areas in which life coaching works

Let's look at the main areas of human life in which people most often want to change something for the better and turn to life coaches for help.

Sphere No. 1. Work and career. Unfortunately, the lives of most people are such that they are unhappy with their work, and some simply hate it. They believe that they are forced to go to work, endure all the inconveniences and humiliations of their superiors in order to earn a living and support their family. At the same time, they constantly have an imbalance: , . That is, a kind of “vicious circle” is formed: work is needed to live, but life with such work is not at all the same.

Life coaching can help you get out of this vicious circle. An experienced coach will help you change your attitude towards work and earnings, learn how to properly build relationships with your employer, find a job you like, change jobs for a better one, and build a career.

Sphere No. 2. Home and family. Also, many people are openly or covertly dissatisfied with their relationships in the family, relationships with children, organization of everyday life, etc. Family happiness turns into a continuous “everyday life”, with no end in sight.

And in this case, there is a reason to turn to a life coach, who will help you look at this situation with different eyes, and gradually turn your boring life into a dream home with happy residents.

Sphere No. 3. Personal finance. A very important area of ​​human life, in which many, unfortunately, also experience constant problems and difficulties. The vast majority of people are at the level of financial instability or even a financial hole. Moreover, this applies even to those who earn good money: people simply do not know how to manage their income wisely and waste a lot.

A life coach can be the person who will help you reconsider and change your attitude towards money, make it stick with you, accumulate it and allow you to achieve your financial goals. After all, this is one of the most important factors that can change your life for the better.

Sphere No. 4. Relationships with people. With a variety of people - with relatives, friends, colleagues, the opposite sex, complete strangers. This is also one of those areas that “suffers” for many. But all other aspects of life in one way or another depend on the quality of relationships with people.

Life coaching can help you learn how to find common ground with different people and effectively build all types of relationships with them. And this will inevitably entail a change in life for the better in general.

Sphere No. 5. Health. It’s just a mega-important aspect of human life: if there is no good health, there will be no everything else. Probably someone now thought: if you have health problems, you need to go to the doctor, why do you need life coaching?

I beg to differ with this. Health problems are, as a rule, consequences of an incorrect attitude towards oneself and one’s body. The doctor will only be able to eliminate the symptoms of your diseases (and that’s not a fact!), but if you do not change your lifestyle, your attitude towards health, these diseases will arise again. But a professional life coach can make sure that you start leading, and your visits to doctors are reduced to a minimum.

I have listed only the main, but not the only areas that life coaching can address. In addition to them, it can touch on the interaction between a person and society, finding harmony in life and peace of mind, realizing dreams, etc.

Should you contact a life coach?

Is it worth using the services of a life coach? The answer to this question will be purely individual. I'll look at it the way I see it.

The current worldview of our people is such that most do not even know what coaching is, some know in general terms and are probably confused with other similar concepts. Such people are most likely to be skeptical about life coaching. And when they find out how much it costs, they will immediately abandon this idea (1 session of a not-so-famous life coach costs approximately $50-100).

However, the positive changes that a person can get from interacting with a professional life coach, in my opinion, are worth much more, and many would pay that much money for them if such changes could simply be bought in a store.

Of course, there are risks. There are a lot of “specialists” in quotes on the life coaching market, who in fact are not such, or their level is far from being able to really lead a person to positive changes in life. The risk of running into an unprofessional life coach is also high, especially if you choose among those that are cheaper, but not only.

Good life coaches often conduct the first session at a reduced price, and sometimes even for free (if further long-term cooperation is expected), so that the client can evaluate their level and understand whether he needs life coaching. Many coaches also have the principle “if you don’t like it, I’ll give you back all your money.” In general, there are options to reduce risks here.

There is one more important point. In the process of life coaching, you cannot overload all your problems onto the coach; an approach in the spirit of “I paid, let him solve it” will not work here. A life coach will not live your life for you, and will not change it, you can only do this on your own, and the coach’s task is to help you with this, to reveal your hidden capabilities, to guide you in the right direction.

To summarize all of the above, we can conclude:

Life coaching is a good opportunity to achieve positive changes in life. Someone will be able to come to such changes on their own, without outside help, but if this does not work out, then life coaching is one of the alternative options, and quite effective. Before contacting a life coach and choosing such a specialist, it is advisable to have at least a general idea of ​​what it is and how everything will happen (which you already have after reading this article). Remember well how a good and bad life coach works (see above), so as not to fall into the hands of a non-professional and not waste a lot of money.

I hope you get an idea of ​​what life coaching is, how a life coach interacts with a client, and can form some general picture of this concept.

I wish you success and positive changes in your life with or without the help of life coaches. Stay on, here you can always get a lot of useful information for free, which will also contribute to this. See you again!

Estimate:

In this article we will talk about how not to be a life coach and look at the most common misconceptions about this profession.

Many people probably know this feeling when they look at a job vacancy on the Internet and think that, in principle, they could do this job. And after this feeling of confidence and power comes a feeling of disappointment in the slow-witted personal specialists who do not see and do not want to understand that if I sold packaging, then I can also sell tour packages. And they even refuse me an invitation to an interview. Using this public example, I want to show that our inner sense of self can be very different from what others see in us, and from what the requirements for each profession actually are.

I often think that people are multi-faceted and many people have talents for different things. The same person can be an accountant, a manager, and a sea captain. But! If he received an accounting degree, can he work as a manager? Under certain conditions - yes. And a sea captain? I'm sure not. He needs retraining to meet the requirements for sea captains.

In life coaching, like in any other profession, there are people who do not meet the requirements of the profession, but still they proudly call themselves life coaches. Here are the signs by which you can distinguish such “life coaches”:

Why are such people not suitable for the profession of life coach? Such people are suitable, only they must change. Because life coaching is a type of therapy presented in the manner of mentoring, teaching, and training. Life coaching is a combination of psychotherapy, education and training skills.

Being a life coach requires a completely different type of empathy than other professions. Communication skills are important for a salesperson and a life coach. But for a salesperson it’s talking and persuading, and for a life coach it’s listening and observing.

One day my client told me that I am very gentle and caring. He expressed doubt that I was as good at sales as I told him. Because a salesperson must be tough, assertive and stick to his line, and not follow the client’s lead. Then we had to discuss the differences in work and he agreed that, indeed, my demeanor as a psychological consultant and life coach corresponds to the situation and what I am doing now, and this is what is important for the current process, and not assertiveness and the ability to bend my line.

Different professions require different interpersonal communication skills. As a famous politician said: "Let's distinguish flies from cutlets."

Summarizing: Everyone has their own experience and knowledge that they bring to counseling, but it is necessary to understand that the client needs something of his own, so we will listen to him, follow him and help him achieve his goal.

We have no task to prove to the client the correctness of our position, to impose our opinions, skills, ideas, diets, activity or anything else: our value is in helping the client formulate his own paths and methods of action. And in the case of unconscious desires, help clients understand themselves.

Life coaches are facilitators who use psychological counseling and training methods.

Some people believe that as a life coach they can be a mentor to others, and this is the least of the misconceptions, but still a misconception. This is usually the case among former managers, former social workers, managers, teachers, as well as people who are going through a crisis and believe that they can help others overcome it.

A coach is not a mentor or a guru, but a facilitator and assistant.

Good luck to you on your creative path!