International Coach Federation (ICF) Definition of Coaching

Professional coaching is an interactive process that helps individuals and organizations improve their performances and achieve extraordinary results. Professional coaches work with clients in all areas including business, career, finances, health and relationships. As a result of professional coaching, clients set better goals, take more action, make better decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF):

Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives.

Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.

Career coaches connect people with their passion, purpose, values, and other critical aspects of their ideal work. They equip their clients with career management skills that can be used in future transitions in addition to enhancing their current work. They also facilitate their clients' process of developing and implementing a job search or business start-up plan to activate their Authentic Vocation (TM). The desired outcomes of career coaching include enhanced client self-awareness, clarity about their life purpose and goals, increased ability to be effective in today's changing workplace and to manage their own career, and overall betterment of clients' quality of life.