In 2004 I was certified as a coach by my friends and mentors, Anna Ratajczyk and Piotr Pilipczuk, the trainers of the International Coaching Community - a network of trainers and coaches operating in 51 countries from Brazil through Europe to Japan and conducting over 100 coaching trainings anuually. It is the oldest coaching organisation in Poland awarding internationally recognized certificates.
Joseph O'Connor, a great contributor to the idea of NLP and coaching and the co-founder of the International Coaching Community, says that coaching aims:
"To help a person change in the way they wish and helping them go in the direction they want to go. Coaching supports a person at every level in becoming who they want to be and being the best they can be."
Traditional coaching focuses on the client gaining new skills by correction and improvement of his or her ineffective behaviour. The most characteristic feature of such an approach is that the client is accompanied and observed by the coach while at work and the coach's primary role is to provide feedback and advice as well as plan new actions and strategies with/for the client.
The model proposed by the ICC is non-directive and holistic,that is, it treats any subject as a whole integrated system, and considers the complete person, irrespective of their function within a company or organisation. Human behaviour is influenced by many more factors than skills and competence. A system of beliefs and opinions, thinking and acting habits, hierarchy of values, sense of identity, balance between one's private and professional life - all and each of these may boost or impair work effectiveness as well as affecting the management of emotions and the building of relationships.
Holistic coaching helps uncover the basic causes of ineffective and uneconomical behaviour. It pinpoints a starting point to elaborate new solutions. This process leads to a quick and permanent change.
Why the change is quick?
When working with a coach, the client is capable of finding a leverage point, that is, a place in a system where a small amount of force causes a large amount of predictable and favourable response.
Why the change is permanent?
Because it is based on client's authentic (though often unconscious) resources, and because the change results in self-fulfilment and satisfaction. Everybody likes to maintain such conditions.
