By Alina Goanta (Romania)
It’s been four years now since I have been practicing coaching as a professional coach and yet, I have to admit, I still find it difficult to give an answer when asked “What is coaching?” Nevertheless, there are some keywords that, from my point of view, capture the essence of it. I would say coaching is a process that takes place within a partnership based on mutual trust and confidence that, ultimately, leads to personal growth.
As I read the definition I have attempted above, I realise that, if you put it this way, coaching sounds as a really serious thing. A process usually implies middle to long term. A partnership most probably makes you think of commitment and perseverance. Mutual trust and confidence sound like a really nice thing to have in a partnership, no matter the kind. The question is how do you put it there and how do you keep it? As for personal growth, hmm… you might have it on your wish list, but you might also have heard some rumours that growing might sometimes get pretty tough. And painful. For sure you have heard or read at least once by now about that metaphor with the caterpillar who feels like her world is about to end just before turning into a butterfly. I can totally empathise how that sounds both inspiring and frightening. Who would deliberately like to feel that their world is about to end when it might already be difficult enough to live with it as it is and all they want is to make things at least a little bit better?
Source: iCN Issue 17 (Life Coaching: The Power to Change Peoples Lives); pages 09-10
About Alina Goanta
A senior coach & organizational development professional with 8+ years of proven experience in kick starting large organizational change programs, as well as high level of coaching and change management skills.
A strong believer in people’s ability to pursue the “what” and act on the “how” once they understand and connect to the “why”, a passionate and perpetual learner of how behavioral change reflects and multiplies at business level.
