Article: What's "Coaching" To You?

Newsletter Menu

Back Issues

•		Overview

•		Current Issue

•		Back Issues

•		Reprint Guidelines

Join CRM Coaching eNews
An occasional newsletter that delivers creative, practical and cross-culturally relevant articles and book reviews on leadership and coaching topics, to help you bridge the knowing-doing gap.

What's "Coaching" To You?
by Dr. Keith E. Webb
November 11, 2007

What you mean by the terms "coach" and "coaching" will effect how you'll coach and the results you'll get.

A few years ago I sat down and researched various definitions of coaching. Marketplace definitions from the 1980s emphasized coaching only for job performance. Those definitions shifted drastically in the 1990s to holistic personal growth and unlimited human potential.

Until two years ago, Christian definitions echoed the marketplace versions or focused on mentoring functions like guiding and teaching. (One brilliant exception is Steve Ogne's early definition that still deserves attention.)

Here's my definition of coaching:

"Coaching is an ongoing intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to fully live out God's calling."

Let's take a look at the meaning. Watch for how the definition affects the process and results of coaching.

Ongoing: Coaching is a process. It's most successful over a period of time through regular interactions. I usually coach people 60 minutes every two weeks.

Intentional Conversation: The coaching conversation is different than a friendship or mentoring or teaching conversations. Coaching uses special techniques to keep the coachee in the driver's seat reflecting on ideas, making decisions, and taking action. Every conversation is expected to produce Spirit-led discoveries, insights, and action steps.

Empowers: The overall outcome of a coaching relationship is the coachee feels empowered. She grows. She feels equipped to think through and handle situations better. And she's been doing it all throughout the coaching relationship. There's no dependency on the coach.

A Person or Group: Coaching focuses on an individual's reflection, growth, and actions. Groups can also be coached, but only on the group's goals, not each individual's growth needs.

Fully live out: To thrive and excel and live up to full potential.

God's Calling: Here's where this definition diverges from many others. I believe that a coach's job is not to help coachees to achieve whatever they want, instead we help them to become what God would have them become (Eph 1:4, 5), and do what God would have them do (Eph 2:10). We steward the calling, gifting, and potential that God has given each person.

How do coaches do all this? With special techniques and a lot of practice! That's why we created a professional level coaching course for Christian leaders.

How do you define "coach"? Let us know at our new blog.

-------Join the dialogue and leave your comments here-------

Find more coaching articles here.

Editors, publishers & webmasters: You may reprint these articles free of charge if you follow our reprint guidelines.

Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and experienced cross-cultural leadership coach helping organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.