Coaching: the ultimate custom-fit learning experience?

With my experience in teaching, learning, and development as a coach, I am intrigued by the connection between these areas. I have been contemplating the significance of learning for me and how coaching can provide an environment where you can learn effectively, in your own way.

What does learning mean to me?

I think about learning as a change within, that comes about from the acquisition of 'new information' which can be cognitive, physical, social, emotional, psychological, affective. We learn through feeling, experience, practice, knowledge and reflection. Learning can be demonstrated through a change in what you know, how you think, your skill/ability level, and your behaviour and/or attitude towards something. I think about learning as more than just formal education - school, college, university. For me it's about growth, being curious and having fun.

The picture below shows the process of learning in its simplest form. As an example, when you learn to drive, releasing the clutch too quickly while driving might cause the car to stall (external information). To avoid the same thing from happening, you might adjust the speed at which you release the clutch next time (a change in skill level) to prevent the same issue, resulting in a different outcome:

Positive and negative learning

Initially, I thought learning was only a form of growth. However, I've come to realise that learning can also have a negative impact if you learn the wrong lesson. For instance, if your first experience of swimming was being thrown into deep water without flotation aides, you could develop a fear of water. This fear can negatively impact any attempts to swim in the future. Similar examples include if you have a negative experience of an assessment or exam, or speaking in public. Both positive and negative learning can influence your thoughts, behaviours, interactions, and performance. The key difference is that the outcome of negative learning is unlikely to benefit you and might prevent you from reaching your full potential.

Are mistakes really the ‘best’ way to learn?

Although no one chooses to make mistakes, failure can play a crucial role in learning, as it provides feedback that can lead to learning. Whether you learn from a mistake depends on who made it (you or someone else), the context and whether you respond or react. are able to take responsibility for it. Learning from others’ mistakes can be easier than learning from our own, as it allows for a separation between the mistake and an internal emotional reaction.  

No-one likes to fail, but it is a natural part of being human. We all do it. It's what you do afterwards that makes a difference. I invite you to think about a time in your life when you have made a mistake. What did you do afterwards? One option is to bury your head in the sand, an approach which may arise from feelings of guilt, blame, or embarrassment, and that has the potential to lead to repeated or escalating failures. By sweeping a mistake under the carpet, you don't learn from it. Alternatively, you can choose to take responsibility and own your mistake. By acknowledging when you have made a mistake you empower yourself to learn, and change.

How does coaching come into this?

Unlike other forms of learning, in coaching there is no teaching or instruction. Instead, the coaching relationship offers a safe, non-judgemental self-learning environment in which you can explore whatever would be helpful to you. Unlike educational learning environments, a coaching session is tailored to you and you help to shape it. I invite you to be curious, to tap in to your sense of creativity and fun, and to explore how you like to learn. For example, you might prefer space to talk things through, or you may be someone that expresses yourself through writing, drawing, movement or something else. It's a collaborative process, and I welcome your feedback, especially when something is or isn't working for you.

I view coaching as an adventure, a journey of self-discovery. You might approach coaching with a specific destination or goal, and you may or may not know the path to reach it. The areas you'd like to explore, the challenges we tackle, and the directions we choose at each decision point are all up to you. I'm not your leader, guide, or instructor. I'm here to support you as a travel companion, ready to listen, reflect, and provide support.

 

How coaching can help

There are many contexts in which coaching can support your learning and development through increasing self-awareness. The following offer some insight in how coaching may be of benefit to you:

Personal/Life skills and Wellbeing. Coaching offers a safe space for you to learn more about yourself, what makes you tick, and to think about how you could make positive changes in your life. You may be keen to explore one of the following:

What is the optimal work-life balance for you?

What could you do to improve your health and wellbeing?

What do you enjoy and how could you incorporate more of the fun stuff into your life?

How could you become more confident?

Formal learning and education. Early experiences of formal learning at school can linger as we progress into adulthood and impact how we feel about formal learning and education. For example, as a child, I was fascinated by castles, historic houses and stately homes. Yet my interest in history quickly diminished at secondary school as I was intimidated by my history teacher, who came across as strict and non-approachable. I also struggled with topics and subject areas that I couldn’t imagine and that I couldn’t relate to. My sense of curiosity dimmed. To date I still struggle with history, yet I no longer feel like I ‘should’ visit museums and learn historic facts about places when I visit or read books about historic events that I can’t relate to. For me, history is about engaging with stories which have relevance or interest to me in my life now and which I can learn from. This is what history means to me, and this is what I enjoy about it. Coaching can help you to explore what formal learning, education and continuous professional development means to you, enabling you to understand how you could engage with it in your own way.

Career. There are often points in life where time to explore career options, how to negotiate job applications, CV writing and interviews can be supported through coaching. When I transitioned from my military career, taking the time to explore and think about what kind of work I wanted to move in to was invaluable, both to ensure I continued to earn, and that I had meaningful work and a well-balanced lifestyle. I hadn't written a CV or done a job interview for years, and I had different criteria that I wanted a job to fulfil. Learning about what kind of job role or career you would like, and how to get it can come at a more stressful and transitory point in life. Working with a coach can offer time, space and a supportive environment to explore choices and make decisions.

Learning for you, your way

Coaching is a bespoke learning environment for you to:

1. Learn about and develop yourself

2. Enhance your wellbeing

3. Improve your performance

4. Raise self-awareness and identify choices

At inquisicoach, I work with you to explore whatever you'd like to bring, in whatever way works best for you. If you’re keen to learn more about yourself and how you can learn and make positive changes in your life, I’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch

References and further reading

The APA Dictionary of Psychology (2018)

Atkinson (2017), Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Based on the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Volume 2.

Beghetto, R.A. and McBain, L. (2022), My favourite failure. How setbacks can lead to learning and growth. Rowan and Littlefield.

Buckley and Caple (2012), The theory and practice of training, 6th Edition. Kogan Page.

Rogers, J. (2016), Coaching skills. The definitive guide to being a coach, 4th Edition. Open University Press.