Did you know it was so old? Coaching/mentoring is thought to have originated in Greek mythology, when King Odysseus arranged for an old friend named Mentōr to look after his son Telemachus in his absence due to wars, thus the ‘mentor’ and ‘mentee’ relationship.
Today the practice of coaching is recognised as a profession in its own right, used in business to supplement training programmes, and sport to help individuals and teams achieve goals – like an Olympic Gold, or rowing across the Atlantic.
It’s also relevant in everyday life, helping with personal issues, challenges people feel they cannot overcome on their own, like anxiety, depression and stress. But also helping to achieve personal and professional goals, like career progression, interview or presentation preparation, or starting and managing their own business, when you can feel really isolated-David knows, he has been there!
There are two classic coaching styles, directive and non-directive, in the former the coach offers advice and suggestions, the latter is more about questioning so that ideally the client will find the answers within.
David’s own coaching style is quite fluid, moving between each and coaching or mentoring as appropriate to the client’s situation, identifying the root cause of the issue or problem, evaluating its impact, the ideal outcome and taking forward steps to a more positive future.
Client confidentiality is assured, and appropriate qualifications insurance and Enhanced DBS are held.