Coaching is predominantly a non-directive method of
working with people to enable them to tap into their own
capability and, in the process, to find ways to perform
more effectively, to resolve issues and to learn and grow.
Unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own
performance.
Whitmore (1996)
The art of facilitating the performance, learning and
development of another.
Downey (1999)
Meant to be a practical, goal-focused form of personal,
one-on-one learning for busy executives and may be
used to improve performance or executive behaviour,
enhance a career or prevent derailment, and work
through organisational issues or change initiatives.
Essentially coaches provide executives with feedback
they would normally never get about personal,
performance, career and organisational issues.
Hall et al. (1999)
A collaborative, solution-focused, results-orientated and
systematic process in which the coach facilitates the
enhancement of work performance, life experience, selfdirected
learning and personal growth of the coachee.
Grant (2000)
A coach is a collaborative partner who works with the
learner to help them achieve goals, solve problems, learn
and develop.
Caplan (2003)
Primarily a short-term intervention aimed at performance
improvement or developing a particular competence.
Clutterbuck (2003)
The overall purpose of coach-mentoring is to provide
help and support for people in an increasingly
competitive pressurised world in order to help them:
• develop their skills
• improve their performance
• maximise their potential
• and to become the person they want to be
CIPD coaching courses definition (2004)
Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (2004)
Our definition is:
Coaching is an enabling process to increase performance,
development and fulfilment. SuperCoaching differs from
coaching in that it maximises performance, development
and fulfilment through achieving measurable results in
alignment with explicit business needs. A Super Coach
differs from a coach in having the experience and
capability to ensure value in every coaching interaction
and in enabling people to go beyond what they thought
was possible.
- Supercoaching, by Graham Alexander
