The International Coach Federation (www.coachfederation.org) defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” I often describe coaching as framing conversations through powerful questions to help clients achieve their desired outcomes. Whether you use the International Coach Federation definition of coaching, or one of your own, you’ll notice that there are some common threads that are woven into these definitions. Typically, there are five elements that “show up” in just about every coaching situation and relationship:

1. Coaching is a partnership. The coach and the client are involved in a collaborative process that is totally focused on the person being coached. The coach must create a safe, trusting environment that provides opportunities for fresh perspectives and new ways of being can be explored.
2. Coaching accelerates what is already underway or about to begin. Coaches have a mindset of curiosity and wonder as they help clients tap into their passions and preferred futures. Through deep listening and powerful questions, the coach helps the other person gain greater clarity about what they really want and what goals and strategy they need to employ to get there.
3. Coaches maximize potential as they move from what is to what might be. Coaches look for and develop the strengths and giftedness of the person being coached. They guide people toward developing plans to move forward, learn from their results, and make course corrections as needed.
4. Coaches focus on short-term wins and shifts in attitudes, assumptions, words, and actions. These shifts often include trying on new habits and ways of being, or helping people recognizing limiting beliefs that may be holding them back from experiencing a better, brighter future. There’s a heavy emphasis on what clients will do NEXT so that intentions become reality.
5. Coaches view the people they coach as the experts, not themselves. Effective coaching draws out the strengths and wisdom of the client. They help clients identify where they can find the resources they need to move forward.

While there are tremendous benefits to coaching, the same is true of therapy, consulting, and mentoring. All are of value. Coaches recognize and appreciate the important contributions that therapists, consultants, and mentors make to the ongoing success of those we coach. It’s not unusual that the people you coach will also be using the services of a therapist, consultant, or mentor.

Coaching versus Therapy
Therapy focuses recovery, while coaching is about discovery. Coaching assumes an overall level of health and well-being and therefore is focused discovery rather than recovery. The coaching process happens in an environment of curiosity and wonder as we seek peak performance and new possibilities in those we coach. Therapy emphasizes recovering from the past and bringing the person into a healthy present, while coaching usually starts with a reasonably healthy present and propels people toward discovering and creating a preferred future. Keep in mind that coaching is future-oriented and forward thinking. I often remind new coaches and new clients (the person being coached) that unless there is forward progress, or signs that forward progress is coming, it's not really coaching.

Coaching versus Consulting
There are two questions that come to mind when considering the distinction between coaching and consulting:

• Who is the recognized expert?
• Who is responsible for the outcome?

In consulting, the recognized expert is the consultant. Most people work with a consultant because they believe that the consultant's expertise will benefit them or their organization. The consultant helps diagnose problems and may prescribe a set of solutions. In coaching, the recognized expert is the person or team being coached. The coaching perspective is that the client is capable of generating their own solutions. The role of the coach is to provide a discovery-based framework that honors the expertise of the person being coached. My friend and colleague, Felix Villanueva, reminds me that the biggest contribution I often make to a person I’m coaching is repeating three simple words: "I don't know." By being open to not knowing that a coach launches the client forward, as they tap into their own wisdom and web of resources.

When addressing a challenge, consider who is responsible for the outcome. When people hire a consultant, they usually expect to a desired outcome. By following the consultant's advice, their client will achieve their desired outcome. In contrast, a coach empowers the one being coached to do the work and be responsible for the outcome. The client, the person being coached, designs their own plans and action steps. The role of a coach is to create a framework for constructive conversations that lead to new awareness and action, but the coach is NOT responsible for the outcome.

Coaching versus Mentoring
Mentoring is the process of guiding another person along a path that the mentor has already traveled. This guidance occurs when a mentor shares his or her own experiences and learnings. The underlying premise is that the insight and guidance of the mentor can accelerate the learning curve of the one being mentored. There are times when it may seem logical for the coach to play the role of a mentor. One of the things that clients often value from their coach is when the coach shares advice and experience, when asked for and when appropriate. I rarely move into this role unless a client appears to be stuck and may benefit from learning about a new option or approach. In these cases, I may reply by saying something like, “Would you be interested in what other individual organizations have done in similar situations?” When people are new to coaching, I recommend that they refrain from offering advice because it’s so easy, and tempting, to move into advice-giving and “fixing” another person’s problem, which confuses them about your role and disempowers them from finding their own solutions.

The easiest way to begin to understand the process of coaching is to envision or actually experience a coaching conversation. You’ll find that almost every coaching session will include a series of five sequential steps:

1. What would you like to talk about? This question identifies the general theme or topic for conversation. It narrows the scope of what will be discussed during the session and reminds the client that they are in charge.
2. What would you like to “take away” from today’s session? The goal is not just to have a great conversation, but also to have one that moves people forward in tangible ways. I refer to these as the “deliverables” that help reveal that coaching makes a difference.
3. Are we still talking about what’s most important to you? It’s easy to get sidetracked and enter into conversations that have little or nothing to do with what the client originally wanted to talk about. Mindful that the client is in charge, coaches periodically check to see if they’re still addressing the client’s most important issues.
4. What will you say or do this week to act on your intentions? Experienced coaches help clients take action within a certain time period. Without specific timelines, actions items turn into nice-sounding intentions.
5. Who can support you or hold you accountable? Coaches build accountability into the process. They help clients envision who else might be a resource or source of wisdom.

To wrap up a coaching session, a coach may ask the client to share what was most helpful from the conversation or to summarize action items that come out of the conversation. If the coaching relationship is ongoing, a coach will confirm when the next session will be held.

Quick Review of intentions for this chapter

• You will know ICF’s definition for coaching.
• You’ll be able to articulate the difference between coaching, consulting, mentoring and counseling.
• You’ll begin using the basic coaching agreement (the 5 questions) to guide coaching conversations.

Assignment (for Coaching School students)
1 | Memorize ICF’s definition of coaching (see below).
"Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

2 | Memorize the 5 questions that make up the basic coaching agreement (see below)

• What would you like to talk about?
• What would you like to take away from our session?
• Are we still talking about what matters most to you?
• What will you say or do (this week) to act on your intentions?
• Who can support you in your next steps? Who will hold you accountable?

3 | Complete the sentence: “Three ways a client may benefit from coaching include . . .

4 | Reply to: “In what ways is a coach different than a dialogue partner?”

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