Coaching is a collaborative relationship between a coach and a willing individual which connects at the deep personal level of beliefs, values and vision, and which enables, through a process of discovery, goal setting and specific action steps, the realization of extraordinary results. Coaching is also a body of knowledge, a technology, and a style of relating that focuses on the development of human potential.

What is corporate coaching?

Coaching in the corporate setting uses the synergy of the organization and its members to enable them to evolve their capacity for learning and renewal into achievement of extraordinary results. Corporate coaching is central to a cultural evolution process that shifts the landscape of the workplace from one where people receive direction from others to one where people commit to doing things they care passionately about. Everyone wins, and organizations achieve competitive advantage when organizational members' creativity and potential are realized.

Rapid responses to the marketplace will be possible only in those organizations which promote continual advances in knowledge within their cultures. To do this, organizational leaders and members alike must radically shift the way they think and act in relationship to work. They must place a new emphasis on learning and the harnessing of individual and collective creativity. This will require a new type of workplace relationship. Coaching provides both a technology and a process for such a relationship, and is one of the cornerstones for organizational evolution.

• Higher levels of trust, motivation and honesty
• Results in improved workforce recruitment and retention
• Is applicable to all parts of the organization
• Decreased anxiety, fear and doubt
• Reduces conflict
• Emphasizes the unique potential of individuals
• Is relevant to individuals as well as teams
• Provides a vehicle for establishing internal and external networks and partnerships
• Enhances communication with internal and external customers
• Complements other improvement processes
• Has sustainable benefits
• Promotes focused performance discussions and improves accountability
• Promotes development of new skills
• Forms a basis for planning for career advancement
• Fosters entrepreneurial thinking, adaptability and innovation
• Facilitates the building of shared vision

How is coaching distinct from training?

Training is the process whereby a prescribed curriculum or body of information is delivered by one or more individuals with specific expertise to others, often for the purpose of preparing them for particular roles or skills. Training does not typically take into consideration the uniqueness of peoples' existing skills, motivation or commitment, and it does not usually result in radical shifts in people's thinking and actions. Training tends to reinforce traditional organizational structures and dependency on top down direction and decision making. When used in combination, however, coaching complements and enhances the skills acquired in training programs, providing sustained learning.

How is coaching distinct from mentorship?

Mentorship is a supportive relationship in which a more experienced individual passes on his or her knowledge, wisdom and experience to an individual who is a novice. Often, mentoring relationships are utilized to pass on informal organizational cultural norms and to assist the individual in making connections which are important to career advancement. Mentoring relationships are not usually interdevelopmental and may foster dependency on the part of both the mentor and individual. Mentoring tends to reinforce traditional organizational structures defined by hierarchy and top down decision making. Nonetheless, when done well mentoring is valuable in improving the competence of the individual being mentored.

How is coaching distinct from performance correction?

Performance correction is a performance management process which addresses less than acceptable performance as demonstrated by a pattern of behaviors and/or attitudes that falls below standards established by organizational job descriptions, policies, procedures or standard practices. The goal of performance correction is the resolution of problem behaviors and attitudes and re-establishment of consistently acceptable performance. Coaches often avoid providing performance correction, as it is often used as a “last resort”, so motivation and commitment are minimal.

How does coaching relate to other process improvement programs?