The definition and philosophy of Coaching, as laid out by the International Coach Federation (ICF), states that a coach
...honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work and believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach's responsibility is to:
Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
Encourage client self-discovery
Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
Hold the client responsible and accountable
1. Everything that a client shares in writing, over the phone, in email and in person is 100% confidential. Your personal information will not be shared with anyone!
2. It is a misconception that the coach has all the answers, tells a client exactly what to do, or should make the client do stuff. That's not how it works! The client does most of the work, not the coach. The coach's job is to share what she sees and senses, not solve the client's problems. The client needs to handle her own problems. While the coach may offer insight, process, and make requests, the client makes his own choices and takes his own actions.
3. It's up to the client to ask the coach to coach her differently, if needed. Open communication between client and coach is fundamental to the coaching relationship.
4. The coach's job is to ask for more than the client can reasonably do. The coach will consistently ask for the moon and settle for the stars. The client can always decline or negotiate.
5. The coach is the client's supporter and collaborator, not a cattle prod or accountability service. While the coach supports the client in taking actions, the best coaching occurs when the client is self-generative, rather than pushed.
6. The coach works with the client as a whole person, not just on the client's situation or goals. The coach talks with the client about who she is, where she comes from, where she's at, how she thinks, and what motivates her, to help solve problems and set goals.
7. The value of coaching isn't based on the time spent coaching. Great coaching can occur in 60 seconds - when the right thing is said in the right way, the client leaps forward.
8. The client may shift from her original goals during her time in coaching. Often the real goals emerge during the coaching process.
9. At times the coach and client may work together on strengthening the client, rather than focusing on outside goals and actions.
10. The coaching session itself is not the epicenter of the coaching process. Rather, it's what the client does with each session between sessions: integrating and using insights from sessions and taking concrete action, that generates fulfillment for the client.