Training infers the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies as a result of teaching (training and coaching). Training generally includes an element of practice to utilise the knowledge, enhance the skills and achieve a measurable level of competency or performance.

Practice can be made more effective by using 5 key processes:

• Identification – building an awareness of what you are practicing to ensure you know how to do it perfectly.
• Isolation – the selection of something that is the right size for individual focus in order to process and execute with a high degree of perfection.
• Reinforcement – the action of consistently and continuously repeating the above-selected action so it becomes autonomous.
• Integration – the practicing of interrelated actions either one after each other or together to construct and train in more complex actions or sequences of actions.
• Escalation – consistently selecting new practice material congruent with one’s goals in skill acquisition as previous material is mastered.

(Adapted from ‘Practice makes Perfect’ by Roberto Moretti)

Coaching has been defined as “a collaborative, solution-focussed, action orientated conversation that facilitates the enhancement of life experience, goal attainment, self-directed learning and performance in the coachee’s professional and/or personal life”.[i]

The response to coaching psychology has been mixed with some sceptics dismissing it as a mere fad. However research shows that solution-focused behavioural coaching can:[ii]

• Enhance goal attainment, wellbeing and resilience.
• Reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
• Be more effective when provided by professional rather than non-professional coaches.[ii]

Another finding from this research is that appropriate coaching can reduce self reflection and enhance insight as this appears to be more closely related to goal attainment.[iii] Self- reflection in this context could overlap with introspection and rumination which may keep some people stuck in non-thinking non life enhancing habitual behavioural patterns.

Bearing in mind ‘what works’ in achieving positive changes, our training programmes have been created to include a first stage which is to help the trainee discover their need, issue or problem and to check how this has arisen. The next stage is finding a solution and then focusing on achieving that solution. This involves both the trainer and the trainee at each stage of the process. We believe that the trainee already has the resources needed for success and that with this assistance can learn how to use them more effectively.

What we aim to do is to link their goals with the action required to achieve them. By helping to make these ‘action themes’ appeal to individuals, they are much more likely to achieve a fulfilled life and/or flourish.

[i] Grant A M. A model of goal striving and mental health for coaching populations. International Coaching Psychology Review. Vol2. No 3. Dec 2007.
[ii] Spence G B. Grant A M. (2007) Professional and peer life coaching for the enhancement of goal striving and well-being: An Exploratory Study. Journal of Positive Psychology. 2(3) 185-194
[iii] Grant A M. (2003) The impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition and mental health. Social Behaviour & Personality. 31(3)253-264