Here’s a professional secret. You heard it here first.

When business coaches get together, lively conversations often arise around “How do you describe yourself when someone asks you what you do?” Answers range from the esoteric (“I equip people for excellence”) to the practical (“I work with executives to increase their range of problem-solving skills”) and on to the obnoxious (“I can double your income, but you’ll have to change your name to avoid embarrassing your family”).

The fact remains that a quick, easily-grasped description of coaching remains a bit elusive. One reason is that each coach brings his individual strengths and style to this art-not-science. But the most important factor, in my view, is that North Americans, at least, are so used to a lone-ranger approach that the concept of an ‘at-elbow sounding board to offer feedback and tools to equip you for current challenges and prepare for the next ones’ is foreign to most of us.

So, if there’s no good 25-words-or-less explanation, a longer one will have to do.

What is Coaching at In Your Corner?

Coaching is not therapy.

It is not designed to heal wounds. It helps you take the strengths you already have and apply them in new ways. It increases your adaptability and helps you improve your problem-solving strategies.

Coaching is not a crutch.

It’s acquisition of a team member to stand alongside as a resource, bringing a different perspective and help for figuring out the hard spots.

Coaching is not cheerleading.

You won’t hear much of “You can do anything you put your mind to!” or “Just get in touch with your unleashed potential.” You have a real life with real challenges. You need “news you can use.” Instead of simply a fan, a coach is a corner man to hand you cold water and let you know that your opponent is leading with his left. He helps you use what you already know. Between bouts, he’s a strength trainer and a sparring partner so you can practice new approaches before having to use them when there’s a lot on the line.

Who gets a coach?

Some people approach me because they have an obstacle in their way or because they find themselves “stuck” in a difficult decision or with a recurring problem that defies solution. Or, perhaps, a substantial transition – perhaps a career change, noteworthy shift in area or level of responsibility, significant life event – makes it important to consider and implement changes wisely.

A coach can help you figure out what is most important, discover how strengths already present can be used more or in different ways, help generate new alternatives (”well, I tried this and that other wouldn’t work, and there’s nothing else . . .”), and, in general, beef up your resilience and problem-solving capabilities.

If you know someone who has found benefit in coaching, talk to them. Call a coach – call several – and briefly discuss what coaching might offer you. You be the judge. You are the expert on your life. But even Tiger Woods has a coach.

What is it like to have a coach?

Here is an example of a typical coaching engagement:

1. We will meet together for an hour or so to talk about the issue and figure out the best direction to go. I often will suggest tools (strengths inventories and the like) that would provide helpful information. We’ll discuss expectations, desired outcomes and rates for services.
2. We agree on a schedule of weekly or bi-weekly coaching calls. Contrary to the expectation of some clients, phone meetings are often more effective than meeting face-to-face because it allows a different kind of focus on the matter at hand. In a coaching session, it’s not unusual for the client to spend time quietly considering a new idea; that is less likely to occur when in the context of a social conversation. An additional benefit is the increased efficiency in the use of the client’s time. Coaching sessions can run up to an hour, but as the coach and client become more fluent together in the coaching process, a fruitful coaching session can take significantly less time. (The most effective session I ever had lasted 15 minutes. Your results will, of course, vary.)
3. Do course-correction checks from time to time. Are we addressing the real issue? Is it equipping real and comfortable change? Am I as coach providing what you want in a way you can use?