Is Coaching still relevant?
After taking a good hard look we are convinced it is. Coaching is still the most effective thing out there. Here are a few reasons why…
People aren’t linear
Coaching meets people where they are. In a way that consulting or training or even mentoring just can’t match, coaching meets people precisely where there’re at. It doesn’t try to have them start at the same point as anyone else, and it doesn’t try to superimpose the same goals as anyone else has. It’s fully client-centered.
Purpose if powerful
What people really need is to become the protagonist in their own story. They don’t need to copy someone else or be the sidekick in someone else’s story. They need to get in touch with their own God-given vision and calling. Coaching helps people refine their vision and calling.
Times change
A vision is great, but the vision must match the context. Coaching ensures that it does because coaching considers the current context. A good coach asks questions like: Where are you seeing success? How can that be utilized in other ways? What needs to change to meet people in the context where they are? How can you adapt for context?
Fulfillment in being yourself
Coaching creates a customized plan. One of the best things about coaching is that it’s never one-size-fits-all. Plans like that don’t work. A customized plan is both more effective and it sets you apart. Plan A doesn’t work for everybody—9 times out of 10 adopting someone else’s plan wholesale doesn’t work.
When coaching doesn’t work
Sometimes we see ministries start coaching networks but fail to support them. When they inevitably stop seeing results, the tendency is to blame the program and look for something new. Coaching will always be relevant because it is not based in fads but timeless principles. But it isn’t always implemented well. If your coaching ministry is struggling, start but checking on these key areas.
Support
You trained yourself (or your coaches) and did an initial campaign to launch your coaching ministry. What have you done to support it since?
- What do you do make your coaching ministry constantly visible?
- How can you work to better communicate what coaching offers? What other forms of communication can you try?
- What is the current workload? How is that effecting you or your coaches? What can you do to improve?
Quality Control
Even the best, most experienced coaches can fall into bad habits in their coaching. Regular accountability and assessment ensure you and your coaches are providing the best service. There is no better tool than the 360° Christian Coach Assessment. It is the only coach assessment that is backed by research that provides coaches with a clear picture of current coaching competence, and provides a customized plan for development. Accountability comes by connecting coaches with coach mentors—a peer or someone who has been coaching longer and can help them troubleshoot tricky situations.
Ongoing Education
Excellent coaches continue to grow and refine their skills. They challenge themselves to think outside of the box, keep up on the pulse of what is happening in the Church and what people are going through. Send your coaches to conference, sign them up for a webinar, get them together to reflect on your ministry and brainstorm ways to raise the effectiveness of your coaching.
Resources
Christian Coaching Excellence- A must-have resource for advanced coach development! Backed by decades of research and practice, Christian Coaching Excellence is the most comprehensive and in-depth source for Christian coaching skills, exercises, and insights. This book unpacks the full cycle of coach development—meeting you where you are at and leading you to develop your skills to mastery. Use it as a tool to zoom in with a laser focus on just the areas and skills that apply most directly to you right now. The practical wealth of knowledge gathered here provides you with a stockpile of just-in-time resources you can take and use right now.
Cover Photo by Karolina Kaboompics