Assumptions of Coaching: You Can Change and Develop Yourself

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Assumptions of Coaching: You Can Change and Develop Yourself

Since the 1960s, human studies, psychotherapy and philosophies rooted in oriental traditions like Zen Buddhism and Taoism created more interest for self-reflection and spiritualism, self-knowledge and humility, valuing, protecting and respecting human beings.

This slowly resulted in an increasing focus in business management on coaching, both of individuals and teams.

Coaching emphasizes the power of the human being to change as well as the importance of continuous self-development through ongoing education. Below are some of the most important assumptions of coaching:

1. People know more than they think themselves.
2. People have unexplored resources that can improve their performance.
3. Asking appropriate, stimulating and objective questions is more valuable than commands and controls.
4. Every mistake represents an opportunity to grow.
5. Challenging and achievable goals encourage people to do their best.
6. Wanting is power.
7. People are able to change if they wish to.

Coaching is using expressions as "stimulate the best of you" and "your hidden potential" based on auto-reflection in order to improve individual and group performance in the present and in the future.

Coaching believes there will be a continuing relationship between the coachee (passive) and the coach (active), where the latter stimulates and supports the coachee to achieve improvements of his personal and professional life. Through the process of coaching, the coachees will grow and understand how to learn, improve their performance, and increase the quality of their lives.

Source: Conceitos de Coaching (2008), Rosa R. Krausz, Associação Brasileira de Coaching Executivo e Empresarial.

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		7 BERNARDI GIUSEPPE Coach, Italy
	Assumptions of Coaching: Passive Coach / Active Coachee? Fully agree with Krausz/Nunes' notes about coaching, with just a short comment about the wording: coachee (the manager) being passive, and the coach being active. In a 1:1 coaching approach (and especially in business, corporate and/or executive coaching) the focus is always on real facts, projects, events, behavior, communication, real action. So the coach is indeed active as a catalyst, but the coachee (the manager) is super-active in inventing possibilities, changing his point of view, figuring out action plans, forecasting barriers and finally, after the coaching session (±2 hours), in implementing the execution. So in my view it's perhaps better to state that both the coachee and the coach are active, and, if the session was effective, the coach leaves tired and gratified, and the coachee (the manager) leaves even more tired and excited to take action….

		2 Joy S. Pillejera Manager, Philippines
	Assumptions of Coaching Agree to the to the stated assumptions. Some important aspects with regards to the coaching process are: 1. The coachee should know that he/she is being coached 2. The coachee should react as well and not just remain passive. 3. The coach must also consider this as a self-learning session. A question is though what do you do when the coachee thinks the coach is not qualified. Just my thoughts.

		2 Francielle Nunes Entrepreneur, Brazil
	Assumption of Coaching @Joy S. Pillejera: It is also important the coachee understands that he will have to change. Coaching only works for those who like to take up challenges.

		1 Maria Montero Coach, Venezuela
	Coaching as a Management Discipline I mostly agree with what has been presented by Francielle; however, I like to see coaching as a management discipline where top leaders are also part of this process of self-reflection, self- awareness and learning. Every member of the organization and team is active and there is a constant, two way feedback.

		2 Franke Jongsma, Netherlands
	On Assumptions of Coaching #4: Mistakes AND Successes! To me an important, but underestimated assumption of coaching is related to the fourth assumption: 'Every mistake represents an opportunity to grow'. The other important assumption is: 'Every success provides a powerful opportunity to develop'. As I believe it was Peter Drucker who said: 'We learn from our mistakes, but develop from our successes'. Understanding how you (coach and/or coachee) have been successful in the past, provides an attractive, attainable and 'proven' way to apply these strengths, skills & qualities again, but in new ways to future situations.