Coaching

Conceptual Overview

The etymology of the word coach originates from northern Hungary where coaches or carriages were produced in the 15th century. However, it was not until the 19th century that the word coach was used to refer to a “private tutor.” Here, coach was used as a colloquial term for a tutor who “carried” a student through his or her studies. It was subsequently used as a term applied in sporting contexts referring to an athletic trainer. The word has historical links to the notion of movement of people and ideas, and the current usage of this term still relates to this earlier rendition of the word.

A contemporary version of this word sees the coach as a motivator, instructor, or facilitator in a variety of contexts. In a more general sense, the idea of a coach is well placed in the general schooling system in terms of the instruction of team and solo sports. The word coach has become an everyday part of the English language, and in the collective imagination conjures up the image of an instructor, demonstrating [Page 174]to the team techniques to win a game in sporting or athletic endeavors. Here, the coach is a person possessing special skills, who can motivate people to win in a variety of situations found in life.

In essence, coaching is a broad term and could be considered a style of facilitation that is found within many areas of life. The common thread that most coaching processes have is that they derive their impetus from notions around motivation, goal setting, performance, and productivity.

Coaching is a multidisciplinary undertaking drawing from a broad body of knowledge in psychology and the behavioral sciences, education, business, sports, and many other fields. Coaching is about the alignment of actions, thoughts, and motivations toward a desired outcome or process. At times, coaching is not about a means to an end, but about the improvement of a process toward a desired outcome. This process could be considered developmental and is often associated with actualization or learning for individuals, teams, and organizations.

The skills or characteristics generally associated with being an effective coach include the ability to inspire and motivate, the use of excellent communication skills with a positive regard for other people and their motivations, and sometimes an expert knowledge of the relevant field associated with the coachee/client's scenario. The coach may have learned or developed these skills or may have an innate ability or attributes that enhance the use of skills required to carry out an effective coaching process.

Coaching usually utilizes techniques that instigate positive change as required and discussed with the person or persons coached. The techniques used by a coach may include motivation and reward techniques, dialogue and discussion around points of development, and facilitation or discussion around the items of possible change. Coaches sometimes use planning scenarios where they project future desired outcomes depending on the context of the coaching situation. Coaches also sometimes develop a type of plan made up of smaller steps toward the desired future goals. Steps are usually measurable and time-framed to assist the coach and coachee/client in assessment of the effectiveness of the coaching intervention.

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