As coaching has gained a foothold in helping individuals and organizations achieve success, it has become increasingly specialized. Some coaches focus on a narrow area, like parenting, career selection, job searches, presentation skills, etc. Even in the realm of business coaching or executive coaching, there may be sub-specialties, like sales coaching, financial coaching, etc. The term “coaching” may be used in a variety of ways implying the giving of advice, teaching, and managing. I prefer a more specific distinction: a two-way dialogue where the coach uses questions, listening and sharing of interpretations to evoke new ways of thinking and acting in the client. That said, in a typical coaching conversation I may slide seamlessly between pure coaching (facilitation of thinking) and consulting (sharing relevant experience, knowledge and advice). For more on coaching, I encourage you to read the articles linked to this page.
