Coaching is a cultural phenomenon that appears to have emerged on the scene only recently, more particularly in the 90’s. I took it upon myself to talk to people and ask what they think coaching is and what they knew about it. After talking to people, I have summarized three key impressions they have about coaching. The first impression is that coaching is “something new” that is trying to take the place of psychology. The second impression is that people think coaching is “something western” in the sense that it originated in the USA and is mostly associated with how to push oneself to make more money or achieve more in a professional sense. Finally, the third impression most people suffer from is the incorrect assumption that coaching is something mostly used in business or developed for the business world where people focus primarily on money and achievement.
What is coaching?
The relevance of coaching
Although some of these impressions have bits and pieces that may hint a glimmer of truth here and there, looking at the bigger picture reveals that the above-mentioned assumptions people have about coaching are incorrect. Coaching is so much more than a recent technique used in the business industry for making more money or achieving a promotion.
The relevance on the history of coaching may not be obvious at first. I have personally found great value in the awareness of how coaching came to be, what influenced its beginnings, how it changed and transformed over time, and what impact it had over people and cultures. Indirectly, looking at the past might give us an inkling about the future of coaching itself.
"To travel is to live. To build is to support."
What can coaching do for you?
If you want to find out something more about coaching and what it can do for you check out my work on the issue. I hope you’ll enjoy it.