There was a post on the Internet that compared the rise of coaching with the cosmetic surgery one, and squeeze of America’s corporate middle-management. It’s opened a lot of comments and I feel a real dialog can be established now. The white elephant is in the room.

It’s true, I thought coaching was just one of those fashion fads. After all, coach is that brutal sports guy who pushes you to do more. Why would I pay for this? Then I met Donna Schilder and I knew I was in front of something much bigger than I imagined. I wasn’t just being asked questioned for the sake of it, there was a method I didn’t understand but felt familiar with.

The dic coaches I met were equally great people. In fact, I still have never met one of those, I call them sticker coaches, those who just stick the title coach next to their names. Maybe this is why I am biased.

This post and its follow ups started with a verbal and opinionated Nancy Rommelman. There is a lot of harsh criticism, some justified and some I have never seen or experienced. The gist was basically:

“Is the stratospheric rise in life coaching due to the fact that anyone can be one?” Sure anyone can call themselves coach but the name alone doesn’t make one. You’re either a coach in your soul or you aren’t. I don’t think it can be taught. I can also call myself a preacher but it doesn’t guarantee me being a good one. What about those who take it seriously, go to school, work with coaches and really, truly are there to give the opportunity to experience the benefits they got out of coaching? Surely, it’s not a black or white world.

“Coaching, like behavioral drugs, promises a speedy recovery.” A coach who promises you a speedy recovery is a serious sign to run away. They would only get a snicker from me. That’s not what we do, period. In this litigious society, we would be sued left and right. This got me thinking about how coaches out there promise things they cannot do. You can’t promise results for someone else’s work, in any industry. Anyone who does is a rimal level salesman.

“…coaching strikes me as running parallel with the cosmetic surgery industry: we should all appear flawless, as quickly as possible.” I can smell insincerity a mile away usually and a happy face does not mean a happy person. I can also vouch for all coaches I met that none feel anyone should “appear” in any other way. The gist of coaching is to align who you are in society with yourself at a very deep level that matches your inner values. At least, that’s the coaching I do.

There are always black sheep in every industries. There are always dim-light souls willing to ride on whatever fad to make a buck but for every one of these people there are hundreds of qualified and honest ones. I feel this post does a great job at exposing the problem of how some people just tag the title “Coach” next to their names. But a tag or a sticker doesn’t replace experience, education and positive client feedback, something I am proud to achiever more of every day.

To read another in depth comment on this, read the coach connection blog.