What is business coaching?

Business coaching is a one-to-one professional relationship between a properly qualified specialist and their client (usually a business manager or executive). Business coaching is not life coaching –
its purpose is to improve the client's performance at work and in reaching their potential.

To quote from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development:
“Coaching is developing a person's skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individual's private life. It usually lasts for a short period and focuses on specific skills and goals.”
(CIPD, 2004, “Coaching and buying coaching services – a guide”)

Typical areas that business coaching focuses on:

Leadership skills development: Identification of a client's preferred leadership style in order to become more effective at work. This can include helping them to create a vision of how they would like to be perceived by their colleagues, peers and direct reports.

Change and transition: Coaching clients when they are going through significant change (ie. redundancy, relocation, promotion) so that they can learn how to support themselves and others through the change.

Career direction: Supporting clients in their exploration of career options in order to make an informed choice regarding their preferred career path. This involves helping them to gain a better understanding of themselves and what is important to them.