Coaching definitions and quotes

See also inspirational quotes for more motivation based quotes

What is Coaching?

Creativity 1“…developing your clients self-awareness and personal responsibility for future development (Whitmore, 2002)

“…helping people find the means to become who they can and want to be, or to develop success strategies” (Chavret, 1997)

“Coaching is a conversation with a purpose, also a space where someone can think through what is going on for them/an opportunity to do ‘great thinking’’ (Starr 2008)

Coaching reading

These are just a few books I have come across that Coaches and clients have found particularly useful:

Coaching skills handbook; Jenny Rogers Best one as an overall Coaching guide. This book is extremely useful for those beginning their careers in coaching and taking introductory and practitioner level courses. It is practical, accessible and covers core skills that will serve the practitioner well.

Coaching for performance: John Whitmore Adopted by many of the world’s major corporations, this work also argues for using questions, rather than instructions and commands, and following the GROW sequence – Goals, Reality, Options, Will – to generate prompt action and peak performance. It explores the dynamics of team development and it positions coaching as the essential team leadership skill.

Coaching; evoking excellence in others; James Flaherty “As the field of coaching finds its way to becoming a mature discipline, James Flaherty’s dedicated field research, study, and sound articulation offers a definitive ground and a sensibility of genuine care. At the core this book offers a way of thinking about human beings that makes action and practice central to learning. This is a no-nonsense, generous, pragmatic book that belongs on the shelf every coach, novice or veteran.” — Richard Strozzi-Heckler.

Feel the fear and do it anyway; Susan Jeffers Good at tackling issues around confidence, and about dealing with the fear that can cripple us into avoiding things in our lives, and from taking the steps that we need to. Offers lots of practical tools and insight.

Unstoppable; the pathway to living an inspired life Adrian Gilpin Very powerful book about a personal journey, and how people can achieve extraordinary things if they can identify their true vision in life.

On becoming a leader Warren Bennis Good all round read that offers a step by step approach to achieving good leadership skills

Synchronicity: the inner path of Leadership Joseph Jaworski It is about leadership, personal fulfilment and creating the world that you want to live in. A moving, inspiring and emotionally draining book, it helps to re-define that it is that makes a leader

Managing Anger: Simple Steps to Dealing with Frustration and Threat  Gael Lindenfield  A book based on developing positive strategies for dealing with difficult emotions, including the effects of anger on our bodies and minds, how to keep calm when faced with outbursts and managing the anger of others, and strategies for preventing the build up of frustration

Coaching quotes

Coaching 5Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment (Rumi)

Learn your theories as well as you can, but put them aside when you touch the miracle of the living soul (Carl Jung)

Probably my best quality as a coach is that I ask a lot of challenging questions and let the person come up with the answer (Phil Dixon)

I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable (John Russell)