Years ago, coaching was viewed by many people in the business world as a way to support companies - and individuals - who were underperforming. Today, coaching has come of age, and is now widely accepted as a valuable tool to help people reach their full potential. Find out more about what coaching means for your organisation here. 

As a leadership and change strategist with more than 20 years’ experience, I’m obviously a firm believer in the benefits of coaching, both at an organisational and an individual level. I’ve seen with my own eyes how coaching can help people achieve meaningful improvements, not just in their careers but also in their personal lives. In this blog, I want to dispel some of the most common myths and misunderstandings on the subject, by sharing with you my seven secrets of coaching:

Coaching does get results

Although there is a lack of credible research on the return on investment (ROI) for coaching programmes, there can be no doubt that good coaching with an engaged client generates behavioural change and goal attainment. Coaching success can also be measured by looking at how individuals - and teams - progress towards their goals, using evaluation tools such as 360 degree feedback, employee engagement surveys and qualitative methods like observation. There will of course always be additional outcomes which are more difficult to measure and track but which are also extremely valuable, such as long term and sustainable behavioural change. 

Coaching is not a new concept

Working with an independent coach - who truly believes in you - has been common practice in all walks of life, not just in the corporate world, for many years. One good example is the 2011 Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech. It’s a great film which demonstrates how the right coach can draw out the best in you and help you to become who you want to be, whatever is holding you back. 

Remember, coaching cannot extract something that isn’t already there. As individuals we are all naturally creative, resourceful and whole; a good coach will simply help you to identify the best version of yourself and become that person.

Coaching isn’t a new-fangled idea. It’s been around for centuries and with good reason - it works!

Coaching is different from mentoring (and you’ll benefit from both) 

Although coaching and mentoring are terms which are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing. When we talk about mentoring, we are talking about receiving guidance and input from someone who has already travelled along the same path as you. In a professional context, this is often someone senior within the same organisation. Mentors are invaluable: they provide you with an external perspective and you benefit from the views, opinions and experience of someone more knowledgeable than yourself. Although coaches will also provide the benefit of a different perspective, they won’t hold opinions or views. Instead, a good coach will trust that you have the answers that you need to move forward within you. 

An experienced coach with a background in the industry will bring insight and experience through their questioning, without steering you towards what they think you should do. 

Coaching works for today and tomorrow 

Most forms of leadership development activity focus on either the present or the future - but rarely both. Usually, leadership development is geared towards developing your abilities as a future leader and focusing on your longer-term goals and career development.

In contrast, coaching tackles real-life issues as they arise. It gets to the root of behavioural change by addressing today's challenges first, before moving onto how you want to develop in the longer term. 

Coaching enhances your whole life, not just your working life

Good coaching focuses on the whole person - not just your professional role - in order to bring out the best in you. If you want to develop in order to get a promotion at work, then a good coach won’t encourage you to focus on that to the exclusion of all else. That’s because it could have an unintentional adverse impact on the rest of your life. We’re all whole people, with complex personal relationships, interests and responsibilities. A good coach recognises the importance of developing in all aspects of your life in order to achieve balance. Only then can you truly grow as a person, reach your goals and achieve the unexpected.

Coaching is not a panacea 

Let's be clear: coaching is not a development intervention that can meet every individual and / or organisational need. Good coaching can achieve a huge amount, but it cannot replace all other forms of development, such as formal classroom-based learning, on-the job training, self-study programmes, workshops, retreats and action learning. 

Coaching’s USP lies in one-to-one (or sometimes, one-to-group) behavioural and values-focused development, as well as providing an extra dimension to other forms of development intervention. Put simply, if you want to access the core values, beliefs and behaviours of your leaders and future leaders so that they can be optimised, then coaching provides a proven way to do it. 

Coaching should always be done by a qualified professional 

Unfortunately, the coaching industry is not yet regulated in the UK, so finding the right coach can be a bit of a minefield. There are innumerable training, coaching and mentoring qualifications and accreditations available, however not all are created equal so standards vary considerably. 

If you are looking for a coach then it’s important to find someone with an appropriate professional qualification, equivalent to that offered by the International Coaching Federation. Look for a qualified professional with verifiable credentials who is able to demonstrate their adherence to strict ethical standards and who is committed to their own ongoing professional development.

Until more stringent regulations are in place, I’d recommend finding a coach - preferably through personal recommendation - who will deliver a professional service, and is supported by membership of a recognised professional body.  

Contrary to popular belief, coaching is not a walk in the park. Working with a great coach means working with someone who won't accept excuses, but who continuously encourages you to be your brilliant, magnificent and powerful self. The right coach will partner with you, support you, encourage you, inspire you and motivate you. The power of this partnership? Your life will be transformed.

But be warned: this transformation comes at a price. In order to get the most out of coaching, you have to be committed to the journey, to your personal and professional growth, and to the idea of going to places you haven’t dared to go before. The extent to which you embrace this challenge will determine - 100% - the results you get. You’re the one in control.