What not to expect from a Coach

I have been arguing for some time, that coaching cannot be bought or sold, just like health, sleep or peace of mind. It is a way of life, a learning theme that requires attitude, trust and commitment to one’s own goals, and in that sense it is not even altruism. It just requires coachee’ to be responsible and committed to ‘himself’ and ‘his’ goals. I strongly believe, most entrepreneurs and executives need one, even if the need is dormant today.

As many clients think coaching is similar to training, advisory, counseling or consulting, which currently requires herculean effort to explain differentiation, they also think that a coach may shower ‘Gyaan’ (Knowledge) and leave you with consequences.

1.       Coach will have a magic wand: Expect and allow reasonable time period to work on barriers and blocks that one has lived with for several years. Think of a possibility of losing 25% weight in two weeks when you think of super quick turnarounds.

2.       Coach will judge, preach or advise: Coaches can help your structure, strategize, discover or at best reflect, but not inflict his viewpoint. Your success banks on mutual commitment and energy invested on creating a desired outcome.

3.       Coach will know your business: Coaching is a universal skill and there are many examples where great coaches behind success of an individual never knew his business. However, coaches with rare combination of strong conceptual, experiential and practice base offer high probability of success for clients. In fact in many ways coaches out of clients arena bring the advantage of diversity and a outsiders point of view.

4.       Coach can succeed without client’s success: Good coaches have accountability partnership with clients that traverses across milestones of time and results. In fact what most need to strongly realize is that they gain disproportionately as they transform their lives. Also these engagements and relationships grow and strengthen over time when clients succeed.

5.       Coach leaves you with consequences: Good coaches are with the clients on co-created results that are produced with human effort. They may jointly face successes and some failures too, but the outcomes undergo scrutiny and resolution for a better futuristic outcome.

6.       Coaches come Cheap: Like most industries, it is common to find differentials depending on ability, skills and practice. It is important to understand that coaching has a diagnostic and remedial course, and unless practiced well, it can have adverse or no effect. Coaching is intensely effort and result oriented learning theme, and this investment should be made keeping in mind the transformation, and not short term results.

So, should one think about coaching, begin with need for patience, time, effort, focus, accountability, realism, and investment in mind. Remember, good coaching does not produce change; it enables transformation, and those, that remain with clients forever. Wish you a great day ahead.