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Coaching in the Workplace: Tips for your Job and Career

Definition, Explanation

The English term “coach” originally derived from Old German “kotsche”, and referred to the horse-driven means of transport, later also used figuratively for a person who “carries” you through tasks or towards a goal. The word was first applied in this way to top athlete's trainers, later to executive personnel, and today to everyone in a guiding/supervising position in various fields. A coach's job is to be a neutral partner to the coachee. It is not primarily about solving his problems, but rather it is a support of his individual personal development.

Engaging a coach serves

• your recognizing of your personal values and moral concepts and defining your (life's) goals
• deriving from that, finding strategies and means to proceed to there
• living a fulfilling and successful life

Coaching always includes two perspectives: the personal and the role-dependent. Based on that, coaching is a versatile instrument used in projects, application support, crisis management, working on behaviour e.g. in distribution or leading, and developing visions for work or for life. the process of coaching involves

• determining one's personal position, verbalizing visions, dreams and goals
• defining measurements to take to achieve the goals, with time limits and quality review
• analysis of one's behaviour and one's motivation regarding the requirements that go along with one's role
• profiling one's competencies
• coping with personal life- and job-crises

In contrast to psychotherapy, coaching helps to clarify, is a help for self-help, provides advice and support for solving problems in certain situations. That is why it is temporary, solution-constructive, goal-oriented and shaped individually to fit the advised person.

Tips, Checklist

• Think what the coach of your needs must feature. Think of experiences, special knowledge and costs
• Compare different offers of coaches relating them to your feature-profile
• Try to hear recommendations and ask colleagues and friends about their experiences
• Use the internet to find addresses and place a request advert
• Appoint the standard non-binding introduction talk with the coach and check in how far the coach meets your requirements and, above all, if you like him or her. Trust your gut feeling. Insist on time to sleep on it and feel free to visit several coaches before you choose one
• Ask the coach about how he approaches things, how the coaching is done and about the applied methods. Get references and case samples and do not be satisfied with general statements about coaching
• When you first meet a coach, keep a slice of healthy mistrust towards him. Most Coaches are specialized and chances are high that there is one that helps you better solve a particular sort of problem than does a wanna-be-allrounder

Last update: 06/16/2010