The first use of the term “coach” is noted around 1830 in Oxford University slang for a tutor who “carries” a student through an exam (Ref. Wikipedia). In this first definition there is actually a nice feeling of movement, where the coach helps to transport someone from where they are to where they want to be. 30 years later, 1860, we start to see the term “coaching” used in relation to sports, still with this implication of facilitating training and development.
However we have to wait for 1980s for the notion of “coaching” to come back to its initial focus, the mind of people. Who knows, it may be an inheritance of the “Human Potential Movement” of the 1960s?
Since the mid-1990s, coaching has developed into a more independent discipline, and has actually become highly fashionable, especially in development of management and leadership. It’s true that at times, the world of coaching can look like the “Wild Wild West”, however two organisations are working together (or side-by side, depending on feedbacks) to promote standards and code of ethics: the International Coach Federation (aka ICF, whose headquarters are based in US), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (aka EMCC, whose headquarters are based in Europe). Both organizations deliver accreditation either to people (e.g. as coach) or to training providers (e.g. company providing training to become a coach).
Lately, coaching has had an excellent track record.
In 2011, a Manchester Consulting Group study of Fortune 100 executives reported that “coaching resulted in a ROI of almost six times the programme cost”. The same year, CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personal and development – UK) concluded in their annual report “coaching is no longer just perceived as a nice-to-have intervention”. Two years later, in 2013, they noted coaching as being the most effective talent management activities, and in 2015, their L&D (Learning and Development) survey shows an increase of in-house coaching, indicating internal coaching as being one of the top three methods favoured for by employees for a satisfactory learning.
The success of coaching is linked to its core focus: the individual. Even though coaching programs can exist with a set numbers of sessions and a theme, their content is always tailored to what the person being coached really looks for and truly needs.
In a way, coaching programs are fully personalized and therefore create a fantastic “Feel-great” sensation. When used as a follow up from a standard training, coaching sessions assist learners in applying new concepts to the job, accelerating the expected behaviour changes and the integration of learnings. During the coaching program, the coach works with a learner in order to achieve one or more specific goals, either personal or professional. Whatever the situation, being a “sport coach” or a “mind coach”, the intention remains the same: helping “coachees”-or learners- reaching theirs goals and objectives.
A coach is an agent of change and evolution, facilitating magic.
Self-Leadership coaching program, like any coaching program will facilitate your success in developing strong Self-Leadership skills which you will then be able to apply in any situations, projects, objectives of yours. See that as a spiral, through YOUR SELF-LEADERSHIP program, you develop your own SPIRAL of GROWTH, as much as you develop the tools to keep expanding this SPIRAL of GROWTH.
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