Coaching Isn’t Confusing. The Marketplace Is.
- Dr. Dawn
- Jun 4
- 6 min read
If you’ve ever heard someone say, “Coaching is just advice,” or “If you were really a coach, your life would be perfect,” you’re not alone. Coaching is one of the most used—and most misunderstood—professional development tools in modern workplaces. That misunderstanding costs people time, money, and momentum. It also keeps organizations from using coaching in ways that measurably improve performance, retention, and leadership capacity.
Let’s name what’s happening, then reset the mindset with evidence and standards—not hype.
The Working Definition of Coaching
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential” (International Coaching Federation [ICF], 2026). That word partnering matters. Coaching is not “fixing” people. It is not therapy. It is not consulting. It is not mentoring-by-default. It is a learning relationship designed to support insight, action, and change (Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2010; Hawkins & Smith, 2006).
In the workplace, effective coaching and mentoring are often described as learning relationships that help people take charge of their development, release potential, and achieve results they value (Megginson & Clutterbuck, 2006).
3 Problems We Need to Say Out Loud
Problem 1: People don’t understand what coaching is (or what it isn’t). A lot of confusion comes from blurred boundaries. In real life, people use “coach,” “mentor,” “advisor,” and “therapist” interchangeably. But the literature is clear that coaching is centered on a learning relationship, client agenda-setting, and change over time—not instruction or “being told what to do” (Jarvis, 2004; Megginson & Clutterbuck, 2006).
When coaching is reduced to motivational talk or generic advice, it becomes easy to dismiss—and easy to do poorly.
What coaching is:
A structured, client-led process that builds awareness and responsibility (Whitmore, 2002)
A relationship that supports learning, development, and measurable change (Hawkins & Smith, 2010)
A method that helps people identify goals, test reality, generate options, and commit to action (Whitmore, 2002)
What coaching is not:
A promise to “fix” what’s wrong with you
A substitute for therapy when clinical mental health treatment is needed
A shortcut around accountability, practice, and behavior change
Problem 2: People think coaching isn’t needed because they can’t see the value. If someone believes coaching is “just talking,” the value will always look soft. But coaching outcomes are often practical: better decisions, stronger communication, improved leadership behaviors, clearer priorities, and more consistent follow-through (Hawkins & Smith, 2010; Whitmore, 2002).
The deeper issue is that many people were never taught how adult learning works. Coaching is built on the idea that sustainable change happens when people generate insight, test assumptions, and practice new behaviors over time—not when they’re handed answers (Egan, 2006; Whitmore, 2002).
For organizations, coaching is also a culture-building tool. It supports learning, action, and capacity scaling, in which leaders focus on developing people rather than managing only tasks (Jarvis, 2004).
Problem 3: The “not regulated like other industries” critique gets weaponized. This is the one that shows up in HR conversations and in coach training spaces:
“Coaching isn’t regulated like therapy.”
“Anyone can call themselves a coach.”
“So how do we trust it?”
That concern is valid. Coaching is not regulated in the same uniform way as professions like law, dentistry, or licensed mental health practice. But the leap people make is inaccurate: less formal regulation does not mean no standards.
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Coaching has robust professional bodies, competency frameworks, ethics codes, training pathways, credentialing, and continuing education expectations (Hawkins & Smith, 2006; Jarvis, 2004). In other words: serious professionals don’t operate in a vacuum—they operate in a structured field.
The Loaded Bias: “If the coach doesn’t have their life together, how can they coach me?”
This belief sounds logical on the surface, but it’s a category error.
We don’t require perfection from other helping professionals to validate their expertise. Doctors can deliver excellent care while still struggling with their own lifestyle habits. Hairstylists can be brilliant at hair care without wearing the “ideal” style themselves. Expertise is not the same thing as personal flawlessness.
Coaching is a professional skill set grounded in relationship, ethics, and competence—not a claim of moral superiority or a perfect life. The standard is not “never struggle.” The standard is: practice ethically, stay within scope, use evidence-based methods, and maintain professional development and supervision (Hawkins & Smith, 2006; Jarvis, 2004).
4 Solutions People Don’t Realize Already Exist
The industry has self-regulating bodies (and they matter). There are established organizations that set expectations for ethics, competence, and professionalism. Examples include:
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC)
International Association of Coaching (IAC)
International Black Coaches Association (IBCA)
These bodies function as quality signals in a field where consumers and organizations need reliable ways to vet professionals.
Coaching has an operationalized definition, training pathways, and ongoing education. This is not a “wild west” field when practiced professionally. The literature describes coaching and mentoring as learning relationships with clear principles: the relationship drives change, the client sets the agenda, the coach facilitates learning, and the outcome is change (Megginson & Clutterbuck, 2006).
Credentialing and continuing education exist because competence is not a one-time event. Professional practice requires ongoing development, reflection, and supervision (Hawkins & Smith, 2006).
There is a real body of literature behind coaching (not just influencer content). Even in the brief list below, you can see coaching discussed as a discipline tied to learning, performance, leadership development, and transformational change:
(NOTE: the research and literature about Coaching expands decade by decade, and there are literally hundreds of thousands of studies and articles--including those I have contributed to that offer evidence about coaching as a discipline of study)
Coaching as a method for evoking excellence and improving effectiveness (Flaherty, 1999; Whitmore, 2002)
Transformational coaching as a defined approach within the broader coaching field (Hawkins & Smith, 2010)
Coaching and mentoring as structured learning relationships that support development and results (Hawkins & Smith, 2006; Jarvis, 2004)
Coaching as a pathway into meaningful life change and transformation (Hanssmann, 2014.; Groen & Hyland-Russell, 2010)
Coaching practice is shaped by the coach's belief systems and reflective practice (Duncan, 2012)
Universal coaching competencies are widely accepted, and organizations hire credentialed coaches for them. Many organizations already hire credentialed coaches and build internal coaching programs because competencies can be trained, assessed, and improved. That is why competency frameworks and ethical practice standards exist: they protect clients and organizations and strengthen outcomes (Hawkins & Smith, 2006; Jarvis, 2004).
Mindset Shift (For Coaches-in-Training and Decision-Makers)
Coaching is a discipline. When it’s done well, it creates clarity, capability, and change—without pretending the client is broken.
If you’re building a coaching practice—or evaluating coaching for your organization—let’s make this practical.
Use our contact form to tell me which lane you’re in:
New or aspiring coach: “What standards should I prioritize first so I’m credible and ethical from day one?”
HR, Professional Education, or Leadership Development: “What vetting criteria should we use to select a coach or build an internal coaching program?”
Submit your note to me here: https://www.reidreadycoaching.com/contact-us
Either I or someone from my office will reach out to further explore how you can benefit from coaching, coach training, or coach or leadership programming and consulting.
References
Cox, E., Bachkirova, T., & Clutterbuck, D. (Eds.). (2010). The complete handbook of coaching. Sage.
Duncan, P. (2012). Examining how the beliefs of Christian coaches impact their coaching practice. International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue 6, 30–45.
Egan, G. (2006). The skilled helper: A problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping (8th ed.). Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Flaherty, J. (1999). Coaching: Evoking excellence in others. Elsevier.
Groen, J., & Hyland-Russell, T. (2010). Humanities professors on the margins: Creating the possibility for transformative learning. Journal of Transformative Education, 8(4), 223–245.
Hanssmann, E. (2014, June). Providing safe passage into a larger life: Supporting clients’ transformational change through coaching. International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue No. 8. http://ijebcm.brookes.ac.uk
Hawkins, P., & Smith, N. (2006). Coaching, mentoring and organizational consultancy: Supervision and development. Open University Press.
Hawkins, P., & Smith, N. (2010). Transformational coaching. In E. Cox, T. Bachkirova, & D. Clutterbuck (Eds.), The complete handbook of coaching (pp. 231–244). Sage.
International Coaching Federation. (2026). ICF definition of coaching. https://coachingfederation.org
Jarvis, J. (2004). Coaching and mentoring: A CIPD factsheet. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Megginson, D., & Clutterbuck, D. (2006). Mentoring in action: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Kogan Page.
Whitmore, J. (2002). Coaching for performance: Growing people, performance and purpose (3rd ed.). Nicholas Brealey.
Zeus, P., & Skiffington, S. (2000). The complete guide to coaching at work. McGraw-Hill.
About Blog Author & Owner
Dr. Dawn C. Reid, PCC, is the Founder and CEO of Reid Ready® Life Coaching, LLC, a Level 1 Accredited Coach Education provider. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with 20+ years of experience in coaching, training, and organizational development. She leads evidence-based, culturally responsive coach education and leadership development programs, supporting emerging leaders through strategic vision, ethical practice, and measurable growth. Her work spans individual coaching, coaching and mentoring coaches, corporate programming, and ICF-aligned coach training, with a focus on practical application, professional standards, and real-world outcomes.
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