Definition and main purpose
A professional coach accompanies individuals and teams to clarify goals, discover their own resources and move into action through structured conversations. It does not consist of telling people what to do, but in facilitating that each person finds their answers with powerful questions, active listening and accountability agreements. The approach is practical and results-oriented: it starts from a current situation, a measurable goal is defined and a plan is worked on that concretely brings one closer to that objective. The relationship is governed by confidentiality, ethics and respect for the client's autonomy.
Differences with other disciplines
Mentoring
Mentoring is based on the transfer of experience. The mentor has already walked the path and shares advice and shortcuts. In contrast, coaching prioritizes that the client designs their own strategies, even if the coach knows the terrain.
Consulting
A consultant analyzes a problem and proposes specific solutions. Coaching does not deliver a "master plan", but facilitates reflection, focus and execution so that the client builds their own plan and carries it out.
Therapy or psychology
Therapy addresses mental well-being, the past and relief from clinical suffering. Coaching focuses on goals, performance and observable changes. If mental health issues emerge, the coaching professional refers to specialists.
Most common areas of practice
- Executive and leadership: development of managerial skills, communication, influence, time management and decision making.
- Life and wellbeing: balance between life areas, habits, healthy boundaries and personal projects.
- Career and employability: job transition, personal brand, interviews, negotiation and development planning.
- Teams and organizations: alignment of objectives, collaboration, roles, trust and responsibilities.
- Sports and performance: focus, resilience, mindset and preparation for key moments.
Competencies, certifications and ethics
Those who practice professionally develop competencies such as presence, empathic listening, inquiry, co-creation of agreements, action design and progress management. There are reference frameworks and internationally recognized accreditations (for example, ICF, EMCC) and local associations (such as ASESCO) that certify training, practice hours and supervision. Ethics includes confidentiality, clarity of roles, non-intrusion, avoiding conflicts of interest and acting within the scope of competence. This translates into clear contracts, data protection and responsible referrals when required.
What a typical process looks like, step by step
- Initial exploration: expectations, context, challenges are reviewed and the rapport between both parties is checked.
- Agreement and objectives: a contract is signed, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals are defined.
- Periodic sessions: they usually last between 45 and 75 minutes, with a biweekly or weekly frequency, depending on the case.
- Tools and reflection: questions, exercises and models that broaden perspective and distill practical learnings.
- Action design: it is specified which steps to take, when, with what resources and how to measure progress.
- Follow-up and adjustments: achievements are celebrated, deviations are corrected and strategies are refined.
- Closure and evaluation: results are reviewed, habits are consolidated and continuity without accompaniment is planned.
Common tools and methodologies
- Powerful questions: invite thinking differently and connecting with true priorities.
- Life or work wheel: visual diagnosis to identify focus areas.
- GROW model: goal, reality, options and will/plan to structure the conversation.
- Values and strengths: clarify what matters and leverage what already works.
- 360 feedback and observations: inputs to become aware of impacts and adjust behaviors.
- Habits design: micro-actions, triggers and tracking to sustain change.
What it is not
- It is not therapy nor clinical diagnosis, although it can be complementary if there is emotional wellbeing.
- It is not consulting nor technical training; the focus is on the client's performance and action.
- It is not empty motivation: it is about concrete commitments, metrics and real learning.
- It is not dependency: the goal is for the person to gain autonomy and confidence to move forward on their own.
Benefits and limits
- Clarity and focus: prioritize the essential and say no to the accessory.
- Confidence and self-knowledge: identify biases, beliefs and internal resources.
- Productivity with meaning: align results with values and purpose.
- Communication and leadership: difficult conversations, feedback and team management.
- Limits: it does not solve structural problems of the organization nor replace mental health; it requires commitment.
How to choose the right person
- Training and certifications: look for recognized schools, practice hours and supervision.
- Contextual experience: it is not essential that they are from the same sector, but it helps with certain challenges.
- Methodology and fit: request an exploratory session to evaluate chemistry, style and clarity of the process.
- Ethics and confidentiality: request a contract, privacy agreements and service boundaries.
- Metrics and evidence: define how you will measure success and ask for references or case studies.
- Continuous supervision: indicates commitment to improvement and quality of the accompaniment.
Short practical cases
- Career transition: a manager wanted to change industry. In eight sessions she clarified her value proposition, designed a networking strategy and rehearsed interviews. She secured an offer aligned with her priorities and a 90-day plan for the new role.
- Team leadership: a director with operational overload worked on boundaries, delegation and effective meetings. He reduced his schedule by 30%, increased the team's autonomy and improved internal satisfaction indicators.
- Wellbeing and habits: a person with constant fatigue redefined objectives, designed micro-habits and agreed on real breaks. They regained energy, sustained performance and reported greater work-life balance.
Signs it might be time
- You have a clear goal but not the plan nor the focus to achieve it.
- You feel you repeat patterns that hinder your growth.
- You face a complex decision and want to explore perspectives.
- You wish to develop specific skills with follow-up and accountability.
- You seek impact without sacrificing health, relationships or purpose.
What to expect from a good session
By the end you should leave with greater clarity, one or two key ideas that change the way you see the challenge and at least one concrete commitment to advance before the next conversation. It is also normal for challenging questions and useful silences to arise: both are signs of deep reflection. Quality is not measured by the amount of advice received, but by the transformation in your way of thinking, deciding and acting.
Practical conclusion
This approach is a lever to accelerate meaningful results, provided there is real willingness to change. Choosing well, defining clear goals and sustaining commitment between sessions makes the difference. When method, ethics and action are combined, progress ceases to be an intention and becomes a system that can be learned, repeated and scaled.
