BEYOND PAID COLLABORATION

Brenda Wilkins defines coaching this way: “Coaching is a relationship where a coach supports, collaborates with, and facilitates client learning by helping a client to identify and achieve future goals through assessment, discovery, reflection, goal setting, and strategic action.” (2000 The Coaching Distinction: A Research Based Model of Coaching, italics added)

Coaching, in this definition, is a form of paid collaboration. As a coach you enter into a relationship with your client whereby you collaborate with your client’s goals, values, beliefs, visions, hopes, dreams, etc. To so collaborate with your client, you use the core competencies of listening-and-supporting so that you enter into an intimate and supportive connection with your client. You are paid to be there for your client. And if you have developed the coaching skills, you have the competency to effectively collaborate with your client and your client senses that you are there for him or her.