COACHING from sport and made the transition into business life by dint of its obvious success for both individuals and teams

Coaching is training or development in which a person called a “coach” supports an individual in achieving a specific personal or professional goal.

This individual is sometimes referred to as “coachee”!

Occasionally, “coaching” may mean an informal relationship between two people, of whom one has more experience and expertise than the other and offers advice and guidance as the latter develops and grows.

Make no mistake coaching differs from Mentoring in focusing on competence specifics, as opposed to general overall development

COUNSELING from Psychology

‘’Professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes’’

‘’The task of counselling is to give the client an opportunity to explore, discover and clarify ways of giving more satisfyingly and resourcefully. BAC 1984’’

What is critical here is that both Coaching and /or Counselling are about effecting change by process usually this is undertaken willingly but sometimes it may be in relation to socially unacceptable behaviour or team failure and careers in crisis.

Usain Bolt is a superb example of coaching and analysis to the point of mathematical accuracy for wind over height weight and muscle mass for optimum performance AND how does that relate to us  easily it’s about change and maximising our full potential and we can all do it with effort yes but we can do it

There has been and will continue to be considerable debate about the difference between Counselling, Coaching and therapy and the boundaries are not at all clear. Therapy is usually  clinical but Counselling still addresses serious issues, whilst ‘Coaching’ can effectively be a euphemism for lighter forms of Counselling.

Generally, Counselling tends to have a more social focus, whilst therapy and coaching are more individually focused. Contact between Counsellors and individuals may be through a third party who refers. The individual may also seek out the Coach or Counsellor for help with their challenges.

Counsellors often subscribe to particular schools of thought as to the most effective and useful way of helping. A critical variable in this is the extent to which the solution to problems or indeed challenges perceived or otherwise are provided by the Counsellor or by the client. This leads to two very different roles for the Counsellor: problem-solving or facilitator. A facilitative approach may also be used when a more open exploration approach is required or indeed requested. Counselling is never directive

But Coaching in the sporting sense most certainly can be and is often a regime that needs to be followed all be it agreed by coach and ‘’coachee’’

Popular theories of both Coaching and Counselling, including those held by the individual and those held by the Coach/Counsellor affect and effect the value that the process is held in. Without buy-in from all parties there will be no lasting effects or recognisable, measurable reliable and valid change

ie individual, coach /counsellor and referrer plus the organisation

Theories provide simplified models for understanding and ways of behaving but translating those into real time can be daunting to say the least. However theories  enable both the counselled or coached  and the Coach/Counsellor how to perceive the ‘’individual’’ and decide how to move forward and by which route towards the goal

They may also provide the individual  with  strategies, competencies and innovative ideas for how to play to their strengths rather than their avoided behaviours!

Counselling is particularly common at transition points in a person’s life, where they are moving from the familiar to the strange, going from student to employee, employee to team Leader and so on through their career path. These changes can be difficult and the Counsellor can help their ‘’client’’ successfully make these changes, both emotionally and cognitively to the benefit of the individual those around them and the organisation as a whole

Be it Coaching or Counselling it does make a difference and it needs to be done by competent people it is a  tool not a weapon

Their lives in your hands…….