Coaching was born in the United States in the 1980s. In those early years, it was common to obtain the services of practitioners most of whom had a psychology related background to overcome their problems. These practitioners referred to their clients as patients. Over time, it became clear to the practitioners that many of their clients were normal people suffering from no specific condition. The only thing they found with them was that they lacked vitality and had a strong desire for greater dynamism in their lives. Those therapists who dealt exclusively with this group became the first coaches, thus creating a new profession. Coaching has similarities with a number of other disciplines. Perhaps the most related discipline is mentoring. During the course of writing this article, effort will be made to contrast these two disciplines that have much related and yet unique in other ways. Mentoring often takes place around a specific jobs or tasks, and mentors are perceived to be more experienced. They are often older, seen to be wiser and have the advantage of seniority. On the other hand,coaches don’t have to be specialists in the field in which they are coaching even though many of them do. This has the advantage of providing them with a sense of distance and objectivity. The key to a coach’ssuccess lies in their ability to help their clients find their own answers in their situations. During coaching, the coach helps the clients to: discover the solutions within themselves, clarify their values, create a plan to show how the client will achieve what he or she really desires, think through new ideas and Make life changing decisions and their views beyond their perceived limitations. The coach also helps clients see future possibilities, believe in himself or herself more by acknowledging what is going well and remain encouraged when the going gets tough. The result of an effective coaching process leaves clients with a greater feeling of clarity in their thinking and emotions, providing an incredible sense of fulfillment and momentum that is often is unimaginable. Someone has rightly said that “coaching may not be magic but its effects are certainly magical.” In this article, you have discovered the humble beginnings of coaching and how the concept quickly gained clarity and popularity, first in the United States and later in other industrialized counties. In just threedecades, coaching has made a profound impact on the personal and professional lives of countless individuals across the world. The amazing effect of coaching caused it to spread very rapidly, much of which was through word of mouth by contented clients. Within a decade the profession grew significantly mainly in the United Stateswhich enjoys over seventy percent of all practicing coaches. Today, coaching is widely practiced in USA, Canada, Singapore, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Japan in particular, transforming business andcreating self awareness, personal success and fulfillment for many people. What then is coaching? You will ask. How does it work? And what skills does a coach need to make him or her effective? In this article I examine coaching in businesses and in organizations and reflect onsituations where it provides solutions. In organizations and businesses, coaching is an excellent way of improving attitudes, skills and performance. It is also an excellent tool for addressing relational challenges before they get out of hand. Viewed from a broader perspective, coaching is, working with clients to achieve what they desire in their life. It is important for people to learn the value of believing in themselves, while working consistentlyand persistently at whatever they set their minds on. As human beings, we all have incredible potential and capacity. We all have dreams and aspirations. What makes the difference is how we develop those ideasor dreams into reality. The coach is that person who helps another, to nurture the dream and vision until it becomes a reality. More importantly however, coaching is about results that are measurable and quantifiable. Unlike what the originators of the profession believed, whilst some coaching clients may be affected by specific incidents, at the time they reach out for support such as disappointments, accidents, bereavement,redundancies, or personal feelings of failure, and difficulties there are many successful and fulfilled people who simply but strategically desire to achieve more in life, have benefited tremendously from coaching. There is no reason why anyone should be embarrassed to seek coaching support. The coach understands what you are going through and will respect your feelings. By working with you persistently andconsistently, he or she will help turn the stumbling blocks in your life into stepping stones. The writer is an experienced manager, mentor and coach. He is the founder of Unlimited Impact Coaching & Leadership (UICL),amkhagan@gmail.com.
