The Coach's Role - Investigative Reporter
I saw this posted by Annie Wigman <annie@anniewigman.com> on Jun 2, 2015 and thought it summed up coaching pretty well, so I thought I'd share it.
Like Deborah I lean towards "Thinking Partner" - and, if I'm honest, I'm coming to feel more aligned with that term than with "Coach."
I see the role as one of excavating, sorting and sifting - a seeker of truth and lies - what represents a client's true values and what is more about their saboteurs and 'story'.
And then being some kind of magnifying make-up mirror (with added "mood lighting") reflecting what's found back to the client so they can see themselves more clearly, view the same thing in a range of lights/perspectives and go on to make informed and intuitive choices.
In a way, I see a coach/thinking partner etc. as a bit like a journalist - an investigative reporter or detective or even a spy or attorney! With the best possible intent, looking for the truth, ferreting out the lies (cross-examining the saboteurs) ... and giving a human being the most precious gift of time and space to think and reflect, select and reject, build confidence, courage..... and choose.
