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Bára Tabačková
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Eleonóra Barcziová, an accredited transpersonal coach, answers the question of what it means to be a coach.
When you look up the word ‘coaching’, you either get a definition that refers to travelling by coach or to training, especially in the context of sports. While coaching as a profession in today’s world fits under neither of those meanings, the travelling definition can give you at least a glimpse of what to expect from it.
The term ‘coaching’ derives from the Hungarian word kocsi, which translates to ‘wagon of Kocs’ – a village in Hungary where horse-drawn carriages were first made. Using this etymological origin as a metaphor is a nifty way of understanding the nature of coaching today: a coach is a vehicle that carries the coachee from one level of awareness to another. As coaching pioneer and racing driver Sir John Whitmore wrote in Coaching for Performance: “Coaching is all about a journey”.
“Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential.”
The journey metaphor, as per the words of coaches Carol Wilson and Frank Besser, also helps us understand the differences between coaching, mentoring, consulting or therapy: a therapist will explore what is stopping you driving your car. A consultant will advise you on how to drive the car. A mentor will share tips from his or her own experience of driving a car. And a coach will encourage and support you in exploring how to drive the car.
The coaching journey is powered mostly by the fuel of self-generated awareness and chosen responsibility.
Awareness means possessing knowledge and not being ignorant, and is brought on by focused attention and concentration. The reason raising awareness is one of the key elements of coaching is that you can only respond to things you are aware of.
One of the fundamental tools used during the coaching session to raise the awareness of coachees is active listening. It enables the amplification of what the coachee is attempting to convey, whether through explicit statements or even through unspoken words. The mastery of listening lies in full attention to what the coachees are saying and the feelings they are expressing.
The second key concept is chosen responsibility, which is achieved through the self-generated awareness. Responsibility of the coachee towards themselves and their life, a personal decision, and an ownership and commitment to take an action. This responsibility can be either externally put onto someone or chosen by them. Naturally, people are more likely to take action and accept accountability when their decisions are internally motivated.
So, what does coaching look like in practice? The easy and, at the same time, very complex answer to that is that it occurs within a particular setup, adheres to a specific frequency or periodicity, and relies on tools and frameworks that best serve the coachee’s self-exploration.
This definition already hints at the core aspect of coaching – it is not only about the exploration of the topics or themes a coachee might want to explore (‘the what’) but it also requires an exploration of ‘the how’. How the coach and a coachee will work together to succeed in their process.
The entire process is one of co-creation and partnership, where a coach plays the role of a guide, observer and creator of safe space for the coachee to move forward. It is a unique experience that differs from one coach and coachee to another. What they all share, however, is that the coachee’s agenda is empathically supported (and challenged) by the coach, who approaches this role with a coaching mindset.
The coaching mindset is characterised by willingness and consistency in constant self-exploration, self-awareness and learning. This goes both for the coach and the coachee. A good coach also has to be on a journey to be present and to help guide the journeys of others.
Coaching mindset is sometimes also called radical presence or ‘ground zero mindset’, described by executive coach and author Margaret Moore as one “where we hold space for motivation and then confidence to emerge rather than fill space with expert knowledge and guidance”. It is precisely this mindset that allows coaches to meet the coachees right where they are now, creating a safe space, allowing them to open up and get curious.
While the benefits of coaching are countless, quantifying them is a demanding task. I find it better to focus the exceptional and impactful experiences coaches and coachees encounter throughout their engagement. I can confidently say that everyone takes away from coaching something distinct, something they need the most, which can sometimes be challenging to express with exact data.
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Download for freeThe genuine benefit of coaching doesn’t depend on reaching a destination or achieving a set of goals. Instead, it lies in embracing the journey, nurturing continuous learning, and shaping a renewed way of being that coachees reap the benefits of coaching. Even if and when the process of coaching ends, the process of self-exploration, learning and discovering remains. We coaches send out the coachees on a never-ending journey with the blessing of experiences gained during the coaching process.
Eleonóra Barcziová, ACC (ICF) is a transpersonal coach guiding her clients through their self-exploration experiences. This approach promotes a deeper understanding of the purpose, meaning, and interconnectedness of one’s life aspects. She is trained in Coaching for Performance and Transpersonal Coaching, and employs techniques based on psychosynthesis and Roberto Assagioli’s work, such as imagery, symbols, and subpersonalities. She has 15 years of experience in people development, company culture and HR strategy, both in international and small business settings.
Nora is a member of international coaching bodies such as the Association of Coaching, International Coaching Federation, and Institute of Coaching of Harvard Medical School. norabarczi.com
Foto: Barbora Tabačková
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