Individual coaching

There are a lot of risk of individual coaching 

Defining the term “coaching”, it should be considered that there are many different kinds of coaching. The term “coaching” often does not mean the entirety of these kinds, but rather the very popular “individual coaching” which by some experts is considered as “that” kind of coaching.

Features of the individual coaching

As the name lets expect, one single person is looked after by a coach in an “individual coaching”. Should the coach have the sufficient competences and abilities, it is possible to integrate personal as well as professional subjects as well. In case of a very close cooperation, the consultation is frequently carried out by an external coach since the internal coach is often not expected to have the required “neutral” distance.

The individual coaching offers the possibility to guide the client through his concerns very thoroughly and over a longer period as well. It can often be observed that subjects of the professional life and such of private life get in touch and correlate with each other. It must be paid attention here to the fact as well whether a processing of private topics is reasonable and, of course, requested as well.

Regarding this kind of coaching external coaches have the opportunity to change the behavior and attitude “in the job” even of superior executives.As the cooperation is very profound, personal and of course individually matched to the individual person, results are absolutely likely to be achieved and different approaches worked out very quickly.

Based on the two-persons constellation in an individual coaching, one focus of attention regarding the coaching is the “eye level” of both partners. The consultant is absolutely required to be accepted as an equal and competent partner by the person to be coached. This is the only way how it is possible the coach can cooperate with high-superior executives, since otherwise there would be the danger they would not accept the consultant.

Unlike in recent times, the consulting activities are no longer applied just by the upper management. It can be increasingly observed that employees of the medium and lower management request consulting services. Even the demand of freelancers increases, probably due to usually little available possibilities for exchange.

Difficulties of the individual coaching

The “risk” of an individual coaching is that in case of a special consideration of the interests of the person to be coached the interests of the environment take a backseat. This can, of course, lead to problems already in the short run. These difficulties occur especially if the coach becomes aware of problems of the client only indirectly or by a third person.

Due to these experiences some experts take the necessary steps only to carry out an individual coaching for executives if a group coaching is carried out after that. If this is not done, it should be assumed that the individual coaching is just abused for the stimulation of the assertiveness of individual top executives.

The coach should consider that there could be different perceptions and opinions between him and the coached person concerning the objective. Therefore, a clear coordination about the objectives should be met at a very early stage of the coaching in cooperation of both persons, in order to discuss and agree about different perceptions already in advance.

Due to the very intense contact in the individual coaching there is certainly the danger that the own reflections of the person coached take a back seat. It is important that the coach pays very much attention here to the fact that this does not happen. It is supposed that at the end of the coaching the consultant is no longer required.