Coaching Philosophy

It is widely accepted that what coaches do in their practice, and how they do it, tends to be shaped by their personal principles and values – attributes that are thought to comprise their respective coaching philosophies. It is also believed that clearly articulating one’s philosophy is a prerequisite to good practice, as it provides direction and focus in relation to how one goes about doing the job of coaching. Indeed, a subsection and/or an accompanying ‘reflective’ exercise aimed at developing a coaching philosophy can be found in almost every related coach education publication or course.Yet despite this official recognition that a philosophy has a direct impact on behavior, many coaches consistently fail to engage adequately with the philo-sophic concept, not really grasping its relevance for, and accompanying influence over, practical problems. It appears that they just cannot see how investing in the process of developing and clarifying a clear philosophy can have an impact on their daily problems at work.