If you have seen professional coaches portrayed on TV or spotlighted in magazines, you may not always come away with an accurate perception of coaching.

Like with any young profession that has experienced rapid growth, misconceptions have surfaced about the nature and purpose of professional coaching. As part of its work to advance the art, science, and practice of professional coaching, the International Coach Federation (ICF) works to educate the public on what to expect from a coaching partnership.

In a recent press release by the ICF, they made the attempt "to correct these inaccuracies by educating the public about our distinct profession and stressing the importance of working with a coach who has undergone formal coach-specifictraining and is credentialed."

One of the common misconceptions about coaching is that "Coaching and consulting are the same."

According to the ICF, coaches are experts in the coaching process and are trained to listen, observe and customize their approach to individual client needs. Whereas, consultants typically give clients answers or solutions based on expertise or knowledge in a certain area, coaches seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful."

At Six Disciplines, we offer our complete strategy execution program through a network of Six Disciplines Centers, which are staffed by professional coaches who are certified on the Six Disciplines methodology. These accountability coaches are not "consultants" in the traditional sense. They offer companies training and assistance on how to adopt the Six Disciplines methodology throughout the organization -- not just at the senior leadership team -- but through an approach of "total organizational engagement." What makes these coaches different from consultants is - they "show" as opposed to "tell" - and, unlike consultants, they don't leave. They are available to the client organizations throughout the adoption and implementation timeframe of the Six Disciplines program.

Visit Six Disciplines for more information.