Working with a Professional Coach
Have you ever worked with a professionally trained coach? Despite how common the idea of coaching is, I still find widespread misunderstanding of what it actually is, and what’s it’s not. First, a short poem that suggests a definition of coaching...
- A boss tells you what to do.
- A consultant tells you what you should do.
- A mentor tells you what they did.
- A coach is different.
- A coach won’t tell you anything.
- A coach will ask about you and your world.
- A coach will hear, see, and feel you. And then a coach will ask you: “What will you do?”
Here is what coaching is NOT:
Coaching is not consulting.
A consultant solves a problem for you. Doing this requires specific and significant expertise in the problem you're facing. A consultant's value is based on what they know and the solutions they can tell you about.
Coaching is not mentoring.
Mentors share their experience and perspective in a particular field with someone less experienced in the same field. It doesn’t take training to be a good mentor. You just need to have relevant experience and the desire (and the ability) to share that experience in words. A mentor’s value is based on how experienced they are and how well they can communicate the lessons of their experience.
Coaching is not performance management.
Managers manage the performance of others through a process of setting expectations, providing feedback, and holding accountability. A manager's value is measured through the results that get created by the people they lead.
Coaching is different.
Coaching shares some basic skills with these other roles but is fundamentally different in its intent. This makes it hard for those who’ve never experienced it to know what to expect. Coaching is a process that taps into one's creativity, motivation, and productivity. It unlocks potential and momentum, maximizing the recipient's ability to achieve what's possible.
Many people come to professional coaching expecting to receive advice or answers to their problems. While answers can be found in coaching, they will seldom come from the coach. Similarly, many organizations hire coaches to fix the performance of one of their employees. While employees can raise their own performance with the help of coaching, the coach is not managing the employee's performance.
The truth is that so much in life does not have easy answers or single ways of doing something. After you’ve met with your mentor, received your consultant’s advice, or been directed by your manager, you’re still left to move forward on your own.
And this is a defining characteristic of leadership coaching. It's always your responsibility to make the decisions and take the actions that lead your world forward. A professionally trained coach provides a process that deepens your self-awareness and helps you create forward momentum and personal growth.
All UTSW-employed faculty have access to a professionally trained coach at no charge. Sign up for coaching here.
Mike Caracalas
Professional Executive Coach
michael.caracalas@utsouthwestern.edu
About the Author
Before becoming a professional coach with his own Leadership Coaching firm, Mike Caracalas worked for Sun Microsystems and YUM! Brands in training, HR, and leadership development. He holds a B.A. in psychology, M.A. in organizational psychology, CPCC (Certified Professional Co-Active Coach), and PCC (Professional Certified Coach).
