In this weeks guest post Karen Wise shares her views about the public perception of coaching. She also invites you to participate in a survey to gain your views.
Is there a public misperception about coaching?
By Karen Wise
Over the last year, I have found myself having a similar conversation with my friends, relatives and clients: “What is coaching?”
Before you all start shouting the answer, I want you to stop and think…….
Because I have been on a journey to explore what people understand about coaching, and the answer is not that obvious. Every coach I know can readily give you a definition of what coaching is, but can Joe Public?
My research has led me to understand that there are 10 definitions that are widely recognised and used by professional bodies and organisations. And as coaching professionals, we’re encouraged to develop our own definition of coaching that represents the “way we do it”.
And then what happens in a session? How long is it? Is it face-to-face, over the telephone or via email? How often do you meet your coaches?
Again, I can already hear a thousand different answers. And surely all these different ways of being coached is confusing for potential coachees?
We are working in a growing industry which is unregulated. In order to find our place in the market, we develop our “niche”. And whilst this generates clients and income, does it actually contribute to a public misperception of what coaching really is?
I feel that it’s more important than ever that the coaching industry becomes regulated so that we can start giving out consistent, positive messages about the profession: coaching can so powerful, enabling and rewarding for both the coach and coachee when it’s done well. Perhaps it’s already too late, and the current level of diversification has diluted our profession to a point from which we cannot recover. I hope not.
So I continue on my journey and I am currently undertaking a piece of research on this topic. If you’re interested in contributing to my research, please click on the link below which will take you to a survey. It will only take 5 minutes to complete and your responses will be completely anonymous.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GTGNTZK
About the Author/Further Resources
Karen Wise, MCIPD is an Organisational Development Consultant and Coaching Psychologist, with over 12 years’ experience of working in Human Resources roles up to and including Director level within the NHS in the UK. Karen now runs her own consultancy and coaching business, with a particular interest in outplacement coaching. She is also currently undertaking a Masters Degree in Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. You can follow Karen on twitter (karenwise) and read her weekly blog on working in HR in the NHS at www.karenwise.wordpress.com
Hi Karen. What you are saying is so true. Starting my business as a life coach in the Netherland I can
totally relate to your story. There are so Many different types of coaches that the average Dutch consumer has à blurred view of what à coach does. Most of the Dutch don’t take the coaching profession serious or think that they have to have à mental breakdown first before they allow themselves to even consider contacting à coach. There is à lot being done in setting regulations for coaching, but what to do about the public?
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Karen,
A very thought provoking piece. The regulation of coaching is something that I have been mentioning for some time. I have just bought a book that lists 13 theoretical approaches to coaching and 11 further genres of coaching. There was also an article published last year about research, conducted in Canada, that looked at all the definitions of coaching and came to the conclusion that there was no specific definition and that coaching didn’t really know what it was delivering. I am also doing some work in this area so will fill in the survey and try and link up to discuss further.
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In many respects coaching is actually a simple concept. The best analogy is really from its origins in sport, coaching is about ‘improved performance’. Coaching however has lost it’s way somewhat because of a ‘bandwagon’ effect. Unscrupulous people smell a dollar and the next thing is they are classifying themselves as ‘coaches’ choosing a route, such as ‘life’ or ‘executive’ coaching. I heard of an ex-salesman who is using exactly the same devious sales techniques he learnt years ago, to now set up a ‘coaching school’ and is churning out people who class themselves as coaches. He has them chanting mantra’s about becoming rich and tells them they can earn hundreds of pounds an hour and unfortunately it’s the ‘get rich quick’ attitude that opens their eyes. The more of these people in existence then the more likely coaching will develop at best as confusing but at worst as damaging. I think coaching should be regulated and as it is a people development tool that should be through the CIPD with however one condition, the cost of coaching courses should not become a barrier.