What is Coaching?

The word coaching is indeed widely used – from management support services to the fitness trainer in a health club. For clarity, this is my definition of coaching.

For a second, think about the arts and crafts of frame making. Framing a picture in such a way that it can unfold its full expresssivity is an art that few people have mastered. Rembrandt was quoted as saying that during his whole career it was more difficult for him to find an appropriate frame than to paint the picture!

Now, think about coaching as framing a piece of art…As a coach we create a frame (of thought) for the individual or team in which his or her goals, solutions, and first steps can shine. The frame constructed by the coach consists of goal-oriented questions, reinforcing feedback, present listening, and useful summary.

It is the task of coaching to ensure that the individual or team receive the appropriate frame. But just like the frame maker, the coach would never start actively creating the picture…