Evoke Development

Recently, I’ve been working on a project that made me stop and think about how important it is to make sure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the meaning of the words you use. Although there is a common definition to most words, how an individual perceives a word based on his/her past experience may vary enormously. The words in question on this particular project are coaching and counseling. And, because of the difference in perception between the individuals involved, there is a lot of conflict in how certain situations should be handled.

Let’s start by looking at “coaching.” Some people automatically think about a coach as a person who directs a sports team, develops strategies, or works to improve performance. Others may think of a coach as a person who helps someone fix a problem or an expert in a specific field. Because there is such a wide variance to how the word can be perceived, it is important to provide the structure and context for how it is to be defined in the conversation. 

From my perspective, especially in a work environment, coaching is the act of passing on a specific task, skill, or technique that can be mastered and measured. Based on this definition, the role of a coach is to:

• Empower and help an individual develop his/her skills through planned work-based activities.
• Provide support, guidance, and advice to help an individual achieve his/her goals.
• Offer a safe environment in which the individual can try out new skills and receive constructive feedback on how to improve.
• Develop new skills to add to the individual’s base of knowledge.

Counseling, on the other hand, is a process that helps an individual clarify his/her motivations, worries, and hopes. Counselors help an individual address his/her feelings, and enable him/her to take responsibility for, and begin to resolve, problems he/she is having in his/her personal or professional life.

Effective coaches and counselors:

• Listen actively;
• Ask probing, open-ended questions;
• Suspend judgment;
• Give constructive feedback;
• Check for understanding; and
• Provide focus.

Both coaches and counselors clarify issues, solve problems, create options, change patterns of behavior, and help the individual learn. But, I believe there is a very distinct difference in the skills, approaches, and timing one must take toward an employee when coaching verses counseling. I believe coaching should be used more as a reward to help develop an employee, build his/her skills and knowledge, and occur when a specific need or opportunity arises. I feel counseling should occur when an employee must make significant changes after a performance problem or face termination.

Remember that people link meaning to emotion. The stronger the emotion, the more positive or negative association one places on a word. So, whether or not you agree with me on the distinctions I made between “coaching” and “counseling,” I encourage you to take time and really look at the words you use and the meanings you give them. Then, ask others to share with you the meanings they associate with those same words.  You may be surprised by the different perceptions and beliefs people have around the same word.