Learn the Coaching Language

Coaching brings with it dynamic thinking constructs together with its own unique language, buzz words and vocabulary.

Learning the language is a great way to get acquainted with coaching, whether you’re about to coach or whether you’re preparing for your first chemistry meeting with your preferred coach.

These definitions are my own with adaptations from Drs Skiffington and Zeus, (The Behavioral Coaching Institute) which I use most often in my work.

Authenticity: living an authentic life involves striving to determine life’s meaning, seeking purpose in life and living according to one’s own chosen values

Behavior: any measurable response of an individual, including anything the individual does, says or feels in response to external or internal events.

Congruence: a state of being in which the individual is integrated, authentic, spontaneous and self-disclosing.

Defense mechanism: an enduring pattern of protective behavior, the purpose of which is to protect the individual against the awareness of something that provokes anxiety. Some defenses are unconscious, while others are conscious. Furthermore, some defenses are limiting, while others are positive.

Learning: a relatively permanent change in a person’s behavior due to experience