Executive Coaching
Chapter One
What Is Coaching?
This first chapter addresses the most elemental question of all:
What is coaching? Many people have different definitions, so
it's worth taking a closer look. Topics covered are
A short history
Driving forces behind organizational change
Definitions of coaching
Definitions of related terms
A Short History
Coaching is a term traditionally associated with athletics. Everyone
in the sports field expects to receive a lot of coaching. There is
no belief that good athletes come by their skills in some entirely
"natural" way. That's why the people who run the teams are called
"Coach" as their official title.
But that wasn't always the case. Perhaps you recall the movie
Chariots of Fire, about a British Olympic team in the early 20th century.
At that time the idea of hiring a professional coach to improve
a track runner's performance was considered at least newsworthy if
not scandalous. Today everyone in athletics uses a coach, and the
coaches are expected to be competent professionals.
Coaching to improve organizational performance and to help
bring out an exec ... read full excerpt from Executive Coaching: A Guide for the HR Professional ebook
