5 Common Coaching Myths
As someone who’s racked up a couple of both obscure and unique titles in my resume, I’m quite used explaining to others what I do. But to be honest, I’ve never gotten as many questions and raised eye brows as when I became a professional coach. This line of work seems to hold a lot of preconceptions and beliefs, that can either hinder or mislead people when they seek support in their personal development.
So, in the interest of you getting the most out of coaching, let’s take a closer look at some of the most common myths that’s out there.
Coaching is unlicensed therapy
Comparing a coach to a psychologist or therapist is probably as valid as pinning a personal trainer and a physical therapist against each other. We are all support professionals, but other than that, the professions differ in both training, aim of the service as well as the techniques used.
Without diving too deep into different versions of therapy, a clinical psychologist is a licensed mental health professional, who is trained in diagnosing and treating mental illness. The focus is often (though not always) on the past and assisting the individual in understanding their emotions, thought patterns and behaviors in order to provide emotional healing and strategies to manage the diagnosis.
A coach, however, is concerned with you getting from A to B and co-creating a future with you, based on your goals and dreams. This means that the main focus is on the present and future, and less on analysis of the past or examining “why”. The mindset is that of expanding possibilities and actualizing potential, rather than fixing problems. By identifying limiting beliefs, self-sabotage and fears, the coach will work with you to go beyond these and support you in creating actions and strategies aimed to get you to your desired future.
As you can see there is both overlap as well as clear distinctions. Therapy can certainly drive personal growth, and a side effect of accomplishing goals through coaching can absolutely be that of emotional healing. The important thing to keep in mind though, is your specific need and reasons for seeking out professional support. Personally, I’m a passionate advocate for both, depending on the situation, and the two can also be used together to support you with different areas of your life. As an example, I have several clients who use therapy to treat depression or anxiety disorders, and who also see me for the areas in their life where they are motivated to move forward and generate action.
Coaching is giving advice
One of the most common frustrations among new clients is the lack of answers provided to them during a coaching session. Living in the digital age, we are constantly bombarded with expert advice and opinions, and as a consequence many of us have become used to looking outside of ourselves for the “right way” to do, be and think.
But the aim of coaching is not to guide you along a pre-set path. Rather its focus is on your personal growth (with emphasis on personal). This means that your coach is not an expert on what is right for you. Rather the coach is an expert on the process of you finding those answers out for yourself. Through thoughtful questions, rather than advice, your coach will support you in learning to listen to and trust yourself, moving you away from dependency on others, and towards self-leadership and empowering your own decisions.
Coaching is only for top business leaders or athletes
What are two things that successful athletes and leaders generally have in common? The commitment to be the best that they can be, and the desire to go from one place of performance to another. With that said, that commitment and desire can be transferred to any area of life. All you really need is a gap between where you are right now and where you would like to be, and coaching will be the tool to build you a bridge to that place.
Coaching is only efficient if my coach is an expert in my industry, situation or context
Take a peek at myth #2 and you’ll see the main reasons for why this is a myth and not a true statement.
A coach is someone who will help you access the knowledge and inherent abilities you already have and support you in using those skills to handle current situations or achieve future goals. As a result, you can receive great value from a coach that has a different background, age or experience than yourself.
If you are looking for someone to do the job for you however, coaching will probably be more frustrating than rewarding. Similarly, if you just want to deepen your knowledge in a specific area or want expert advice, you will probably be better served with finding either a consultant or a mentor. Or ask professor google.
Coaching is “airy fairy”, and doesn’t lead to real results
This is an interesting one and is a judgement I encounter a lot, especially when talking about life coaching. However, coaching as a practice is focused on action and generating measurable outcomes rather than just venting or chatting for the sake of it. It is true that you as a client set the agenda for what you want to create, but ultimately your sessions will all be in service of you getting to where you want to go, whether that is a health goal, improved relationships or a career move.
So that’s it for myth busting for now, though I’m sure there are several more out there. In fact. why don’t you reach out or comment below if you have a coaching myth that you would like to have answered.