In the last two decades, a methodology, which aims to maximize professional and personal development, has become very fashionable. It is coaching, which influences the transformation of people and generates changes in the coachee’s perspective, and also increases motivation, responsibility and commitment.

Coaching is an educational process, which facilitates learning and favours change (cognitive, emotional and behavioural) because it creates an enabling environment and a coach-coachee relationship that allows self-observation, self-reflection and empowerment of the latter.

Different types of coaching

Although coaching is a methodology that is used in many areas and shares common characteristics in these areas, some authors have made different classifications of this concept. Coaching was born out of sports practice, when some coaches realized that it had a significant influence on sports performance.

Over time, it began to be applied to promote the well-being of people, as they feel self-realized, since thanks to coaching they are able to achieve their life goals, more realistically. This method helps to improve emotional intelligence and, therefore, interpersonal relationships.

There are different types of coaching. They are as follows:

  • Personal Coaching : Seeks the well-being of a specific person, both at the level of mental health and at work. It promotes skills that are applied in daily life. It is also called life coaching.
  • Sports Coaching : Focused on athletes to improve their sports performance.
  • Organizational Coaching : There are usually two types of coaching. They are business coaching and executive coaching.

Recently, other forms of coaching have appeared. For example, nutritional coaching. You can find out more about how this methodology is classified in our article: “The 6 types of coaching: the different coaches and their roles”

Why coaching is criticized

Although coaching is a very effective methodology, it receives some criticism . Much of this criticism focuses on how and who uses coaching. The truth is that coaching can really help people in many aspects of their lives; however, there are many professionals who are not fully prepared to apply it.

The problem is the lack of regulation. For this reason, it is recommended that when hiring a coach, the coach should also be a psychologist.

Benefits of coaching for companies

In companies, the figure of the coach has burst in. But, what are its benefits? Below you can find the advantages of coaching for companies.

1. Improves teamwork

Coaching applied in companies can improve teamwork because it promotes cohesion between members. Currently, teambuilding and group coaching have a great weight in leading companies.

2. Strengthens individual skills

Not only does it improve group performance, but it also allows for improved performance of people, who do better quality jobs. However, individual work has an impact on group work.

3. Helps clarify roles

Roles in the company are important, because when a person takes on the roles of another worker, it can lead to what is known as a role conflict. Role conflict has a negative influence on the wellbeing of workers, as it can lead to job stress and burnout.

4. Allows you to define realistic targets

Coaching is useful, among other things, because it allows people to restructure their beliefs and set more realistic and achievable goals, which do not generate frustration. This happens at both the individual and organizational level.

5. Increases creativity

This method encourages self-discovery, but also makes workers appreciate different alternatives that are presented in different situations. It helps to generate ideas and therefore also allows a transformation of reality to occur and creativity to increase.

6. Reduces conflict

It also allows the discovery of tools that help to overcome obstacles and conflicts that may arise in the day-to-day running of a company. This is also key to achieving healthier and more productive relationships.

7. Improves well-being

Employees and senior managers, in this process of self-learning, achieve greater well-being through coaching, because thanks to self-observation and the tools that coaching facilitates, they manage to increase their emotional intelligence and, therefore, their happiness.

8. Increases productivity

Business coaching is not only key for employees, who feel satisfied. This satisfaction also makes people perform better and feel identified with the company. The company’s results notice this.

9. Greater adaptability to change

We are in a time of change in the business world, but there are organizations that do not have the flexibility to adapt to the transformation effectively. Coaching helps senior managers to reflect, and this also influences their subordinates and how a company adapts to the new reality.

10. Influences motivation

Without a doubt, coaches are seen as motivators. But it is also necessary to know how to distinguish coaching that is of quality from that which is not. By provoking reflection, providing feedback and achieving improvements, coaching motivates people within companies.

How to train in business coaching

Despite its recent appearance, coaching for companies already has very interesting training and specialization programs.

One of them is, for example, the ACTP Executive Coaching Certification Program of the European School of Coaching, specially designed for people interested in becoming professional coaches and intervening in organizational processes linked to leadership .

This one-year program offers both theoretical and practical training, which is fundamental in a discipline based on the organizational and business environment.

It combines the face-to-face format (in different Spanish cities) with the online format to better adapt to the availability of the students.

To find out more about this master, you can access the EEC’s contact details by clicking on this link.