In this first webtorial, we learned from Executive Coach Mel Leow and the Catalyst coaches the difference between teaching, mentoring and coaching. Until joining this course, I always thought that coaching was about giving someone advice and sharing my own experience. I learned that this is mentoring, not coaching.
As coaches, we are not there to give advice or guidance. We believe that the people we coach (the ‘Coachees’) are resourceful. They have the answers to their challenges but often need some help to find the answers. Or they need help to go through their thought process to ensure that they have evaluated all available information, considered all scenarios and planned for all likely outcomes before making a decision or taking an action with confidence.
I compare this to coaching an elite athlete. After years of training, an elite level athlete would have the skills and knowledge to excel in their sport. If they lose a competition, the coach, with the help of video replay, will review the footage with the athlete to point out where mistakes were made. Very often the athlete knows how to fix these mistakes when the footage is played back. The coach is simply holding a mirror to help the coachee reflect and see for themselves.
This webtorial is the first of many that will give me the tools, the framework and the techniques to become a successful coach. I am ready to unlearn bad habits and reset my mindset towards coaching and what coaching is about. I will be sharing my thoughts and takeaways here as a journal of my own coaching journey.
Module 01: 2023-02-22
