Chapter 1. The Coaching Profession

Introduction

The term coach is the Hungarian word ‘kocs’. Kocs is a town associated with four-wheeled horse-drawn carriages. The driver and the waggon used to be called ‘coaches’ for their movement of people from one place to another. Consequently, this idea becomes a symbol for coaching. As such, coaching is helping people to make changes. If coaching is about impacting the lives of others to overcome their challenges, I reconstruct coaching by suggesting the ‘Help Challenge Outcome’ – HCO coaching model.

HCO Coaching Model

The HCO coaching model is underpinned by three stages. It is in stages because change itself is a process. The first stage is ‘HELP’- At the first stage, you help clients to express their issues through active listening, probing and powerful questioning. The second stage is the ‘CHALLENGE’- At this stage, you (coach) choose a realistic approach that allow your clients to be self-aware of their learning environment, encourage them to take the lead to evaluate and navigate to their priority goals and embrace the result. The final stage is the ‘OUTCOME’- At this stage, the clients must have an open mind to understand there is a need to make trials to check the viability of their desired objectives to make things happen. Then establish a trusted coaching relationship.

The HCO coaching model makes a novel contribution to the coaching industry as it advances the common goal-setting (GROW) model to start considering the subjects (those clients making the change), narratives (the stories involved in the change process), and the end results (multiple perspectives of the outcome). The use of the backward and forward arrow between the H (Help) and C (Challenge) implies that HCO coaching model is a philosophy-based model and therefore it is an iterative process.

Coaching, Counselling, and Mentoring

Counselling focuses on helping a client to move from a dysfunctional to a functional or improved state of well-being and/or health. Counsellors may utilise coaching skills. The field of life coaching often overlaps with counselling, depending upon the goals involved. While in mentoring, the relationship between mentor and mentee may be more informal and less of a strict “engagement”. That is, the mentoring relationship may build over time. Mentoring involves an individual with expertise or seniority in a particular field supporting the development or growth of a more junior person in an informal manner. Mentoring relationships may fluctuate in terms of the interaction involved from counselling to coaching and advising. However, a coaching engagement is for a limited period of time and focuses on four aspects: 

• Clarifying goals 
• Formulating an action plan for the client
• Holding the client accountable for progress
• Providing support structure and ensuring encouragement

Terms	Coach	Consultant	Mentor	Teacher
Meaning	A guardian. A helper. A changer. A pragmatic methodologist.	An expert. A field specialist.	A counsellor. An adviser/advisor.	An instructor. A subject expert.

By profession, while as a consultant I require a Ph.D. and/or professional qualification (for example, my Association of Project Management Certificate and/or Chartered Management Institute Certificate) or previous experience. Whereas, as a coach, I can help different people from different walks of life without necessarily being a mainstream expert or focus on a specific type of coaching (Business, Career, Celebrity, Community, Executive, Global, Life, Narrative, Sports or Health/Wellbeing Coach).

Citation: Lamidi, Kafayat K. (2020) Chapter 1: The Coaching Profession. Global Self-Education Platform Series.

GSEP © Kafayat Kehinde Lamidi Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.

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