When I’m developing my understanding of something, I try to research the underlying cognitive story. In this case, I’m thinking about coaching, and it’s not always easy to find handy books or articles. So, I’m relying on some cognitive storytelling here. (Feel free to lob same if you know some good guides to what the underlying mental aspects are!) It’s in the broader context of bridging, as I’m thinking about the different ways to accomplish.
To start, some terminology. There are, as I see it, two approaches. The first is where, as coach, you’re helping someone get on their feet in a domain you know. That’s the classic example of sports coaching, and that’s where my thinking normally goes. Then, I’ve found through conversations with Emma Weber, amongst others, that there’s ‘domain independent’ coaching. Here, we’re deliberately not experts in the game, and instead are focused on process. For some, that is what coaching is. If so, then what’s the label for the domain-dependent coaching? There’s also ‘mentoring’, but that always seemed more career-focused than domain-specific. So, I’ll try to be clear on what I’m talking about.
So, formal instruction typically, and for the sake of argument we’ll assume here, takes you to an initial state of capability. There’re models, examples, and simulated practice. Importantly, there’s feedback. Then, at some point, you are expected to take that ability, ideally determined to be at a certain measurable level, and start applying it in the workplace. What’s important is the feedback. Yes, the world will give you some, and that’s a slow way to develop. Can we accelerate that? That’s why we have coaching! It’s all about providing feedback on performance, in the real world.
However, we know that the learning typically can evaporate quickly if it’s not applied right away. So here’s where I suggest we still need domain-specific feedback. There is a line, and it probably falls on ‘when the learner is ready’, between when you provide directive feedback, and when you start asking the learner what they did right/wrong.That’s an important line, and we probably don’t talk enough about it: when do you stop telling folks what the right model is, and start asking?
Once they’ve mastered the nuances enough to start self-evaluating, we can move on to more domain-independent coaching. Though here’s where I wonder…I’m thinking of sports. There’s coaching for beginners, but once you move to a certain level, there’s a need for more advanced coaches. Top athlete coaching is very different than the coaching for new players. Really, for most sports there’re levels of capability and competency. If you’re going deep, you need deeper support. In orgs, maybe most of the time we just need people to be competent, and can develop the expertise over time (or not at all). However, if we want expertise, maybe we need more advanced domain-coaching?
I also have thoughts on domain-independent coaching, but I think that’s suitable for another post. Stay tuned!
Coaching is most powerful when the coach walks alongside you.
Think about this for a moment. Imagine a young athlete standing at the edge of a track. Talented, yes. Driven, maybe. But also unsure, hesitant, carrying doubts that no one else can see. Now imagine a coach standing next to them not in front, not behind next to them.
Have you ever wondered why some of the greatest athletes or even army leaders often credit their coaches for their success? It’s because a coach doesn’t just build skill, they build belief.
Great coaches don’t stand at a distance and say, “Go do this.”
They say, “Come along.”
They run with you when the pace is tough.
They stay with you when you feel like giving up.
And sometimes, they see your potential long before you see it in yourself.
There’s a story of an injured athlete who was told he would never compete again. Physically, the recovery was possible—but mentally, he had already given up. It wasn’t training alone that brought him back. It was a coach who showed up every single day not just with instructions, but with belief. Slowly, step by step, that athlete rebuilt not just his strength, but his confidence. And one day, he didn’t just return he finished stronger than before.
That is the power of coaching.
Because the biggest barriers are rarely external. They are the quiet limits we place on ourselves“I can’t do this,” “This isn’t for me,” “I’ve reached my peak.”
And a great coach helps you challenge those stories.
They don’t remove the struggle.
They walk with you through it.
They push you when you hesitate.
Support you when you fall.
And stretch you just enough so you discover a version of yourself you didn’t know existed.
That is what coaching truly does it expands your horizon and pushes your boundaries.
And here is the thought I want to leave you with:
The best coaches don’t create followers they create people who believe they can go further than they ever imagined. And once that belief is unlocked, there is no limit to what you can achieve.