It’s important to locate coaching in respect of the various human resource development approaches that you can use as a manager. A good starting point is to use the metaphor of learning to drive.

• A consultant will advise you on the most appropriate car to drive.
• A counsellor will try to challenge you to address any anxieties that you have about driving.
• A coach will encourage you to get in and drive the car correctly.
• A mentor will share their own driving experiences with you.

The measures can be represented in terms of Challenging & Supporting and Directive & Non-Directive in the following diagram:

The one thing that unites each of the above approaches is that they seek some form of behaviour modification in the individual. In this respect, the difference between coaching and mentoring (often used in the same breath) is that one is seen as directive and challenging, whereas the other is non-directive and supportive.

Whichever approach you adopt, you need to have the basic belief that the person you are managing:

• has the ability to change
• will make the best choice available to them

Supporting them to reach their desired state is more of a journey than a destination.

This section consists of a number of the most significant models relating to coaching.