Well, they might be, but that’s not their job.
So, what is their job? (Excellent question.)
At a macro level, there’s probably a spectrum from ‘questions only’ at one end to ‘a bit of everything’ at the other.
‘Questions only’ does what it says on the tin. But what, in practice, does ‘a bit of everything’ mean?
Often (mostly, in fact) a coach will listen well and ask great questions. They’ll do other stuff too. Sometimes they’ll make suggestions. They might (depending on their expertise) teach you skills and tools to help with a specific thing you’re dealing with. Sometimes they’ll rehearse a conversation or presentation with you. They’ll let you get stuff off your chest from time to time. They’ll always tell you the truth, sometimes the truth that nobody else is telling you. Sometimes they’ll help you decide on career and development choices. They’ll help you establish yourself in your current role or prepare you for the next. They might help you find mentors, other coaches or build networks.
Whatever the blend of activity, there are always 2 constants:
- They are always on your side
- They are always working towards a ‘coaching triple’: specific objectives that support the work you’re doing now, the work of the firm you belong to, and your career goals
What coaches are not, is your friend. Of course, they’ll be friendly, personable, empathetic. But your coach is not there just for a chat. They are there to help you achieve something. They are there to do work. Work that is useful, relevant, empowering, valuable, enriching, motivating, timely, appropriately paced, … sure. But work, nonetheless.
We do a lot of coaching here at the Frog. We work with leaders from the top down, in different industry sectors, on different continents, in firms from small to very big. We are firmly in the ‘bit of everything’ camp. It works for our clients, which is why we do it.
Author: Charlie O’Connor
Author: Alison West