My coaching practice is founded on the CTI™ principle that the client is to be held as “naturally creative, resourceful and whole”. This means that the client is not broken, does not need fixing/saving and has the potential answers to their own challenges and aspirations, yet may not be aware of them or embrace them. The coach helps with growing self awareness, brain-storming and suggestions and shines a light in the places avoided or inconsistent, whilst allowing the client to be at choice.
The International Coaching Federation (the principle industry body) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential”.
I like this summary but, if I could, I would replace the word maximise with optimise. As, for me, the optimal implies some sustainability and room for occasions when the maximum is not always the best choice. I am not trying to be pedantic, rather I consider this an essential aspect to life.
Also I would highlight that the creative process includes the emotional, physical, intuition/instinctive and maybe even some “otherness”, as this is not just a mental construct. Indeed, I have met and worked with some off-the-scale intelligent people who have found that they cannot “work out” what they need, despite clearly being diligent and having a considerable depth of knowledge and intellect. For sure, the mind/brain is amazing, but it is sometimes just a part of the picture and contributes to our (in)ability to perceive or feel things.
I consider coaching, as its essence, to be the act of supporting, challenging, enquiring, reflecting, catalysing, expanding and normalising life events and choices. Facilitating people to grow their own self-awareness and ability to self-learn, to expand their perspectives and resourcefulness. How this expanded resourcefulness and perspective taking is then applied, is up to the client and depends upon their context, but is made relevant in the coaching sessions, with accountability where appropriate. The key objective is to help people to “self-coach” in the areas that they are stuck, to remove the potential for dependency and encourage the person to be autonomous and have agency.
I think there are two broad types of coaching. One where there is a real focus on the identification of goals, obstacles and assets. The coaching then supports practical accountable steps on how to achieve these goals and the appropriate mind-shifts. The second, where there is a focus on the person as a whole entity, and working with them to identify their own resourcefulness, the blocks they put in their own path and how to remove them, gently taking ownership for their own growth.
It is a process which focusses on the ‘here and now’ and is forward looking. The past does play a part as often our blocks, blind-spots, limits and aspirations can be founded in our history. These make up part of our “inner voices, thoughts, rules, habits or guidances”. Some coaching seeks to silence or change these parts of ourselves. My approach does not, as I fundamentally believe that these come from coachee and so need to be integrated and included. They often have a good intention for the person, just maybe applied poorly at times.
I am aware that some coaches include neuro-linguistic process (nlp) and hypnosis in their practices. I completely understand that these approaches can be very impactful and even quick, but it is not my approach. I believe that setting a pre-programme for oneself or to change the past, reduces the opportunity for awareness, choice and integration and that is important to rely on one’s self to decide, act and create in any moment or situation. This may be a more challenging process, but I believe it is more enriching and expansive. I share this early as it helps the person being coached to reflect on what they want and what they are willing to put in for themselves, as then their results are longer lasting, deep, owned and impactful.
