Executive Coaching
- Executive Coaching is the process of helping individuals achieve maximum professional and personal productivity.
- It is different than therapy in that it does not treat clinical illness.
- Clients are healthy, willing, and capable of reaching their goals.
- Coaching focuses on the future, not the past.
- Common corporate coaching focuses on executive productivity team building, management-employee relations, and individual transition assistance.
- Common personal coaching focuses on relationship goals, career goals, family goals, and preparedness for major life changes (marriage, house, child, new business, etc).
- A coach identifies problems, generates realistic goals, with you throughout the process to guide you, create action plans, break down what holds you back and motivates you to move forward.
| GENERAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COACHING AND THERAPY | |
|---|---|
| Source: Hayden, C. J., and Whitworth, L. "Distinctions Between Coaching and Therapy." International Association of Personal and Professional Coaches Newsletter, October 1995. | |
| THERAPY | COACHING |
| Assumes the client needs healing | Assumes the clients is highly-functional |
| Roots in medicine, psychiatry | Roots in business and personal growth venues |
| Works with people to achieve self-understanding and emotional healing | Works to motivate people to a higher level of functioning |
| Focuses on feelings and past events, past-orientation | Focuses on actions and the future; goal-orientation |
| Explores the root of problems | Focuses on solving problems |
| Works to bring the unconscious into consciousness | Works with the conscious mind |
| Works for internal resolution of pain and to let go of old patterns | Works for solutions to overcome barriers, learn new skills and implement effective choices |