What Are the Distinctions in Coaching Processes?

In the field of coaching, the way in which people interpret reality is inseparable from the type of actions we take to transform it. Taking this into account is essential to be able to adapt well to the challenges of daily life, both professionally and personally, and both individually and in our relationships with others.

This is where the concept of coaching distinctions becomes important; In this article we will briefly see what they consist of.

What are the distinctions in the world of coaching?

The task of defining the term “distinctions” as it pertains to the context of coaching is not easy, but it can be summarized this way: a distinction is the formulation of alternative conceptual frameworks from which we perceive things and extract different interpretations For example, some fundamental distinctions may be: “desires and needs”, “self-esteem and loving oneself”, “alertness and alarm”, etc.

Thus, taking into account that there are these different ways of seeing things helps us to consider whether the perspective from which we interpret our reality and the challenges and problems that exist in it is the most appropriate and constructive one.

This is why in coaching it is common to work on reflections about the different distinctions that we use in our lives, or those that we could be using to more easily find a way to intervene in problems, needs and opportunities for growth. This involves expressing different mental frameworks through words that we believe are key in a given context, and proceeding to specify their meaning beyond conventional or “official” definitions.

And no matter how much dictionaries try to “fix” the definitions of words, just like static elements preserved in a museum, The nature of language means that in practice the way we rely on words is based on the dynamism and flexibility of those meanings Ultimately, the implications of the same term vary depending on the context we are in, our objectives, and the philosophy or relationship of concepts from which we analyze things.

Although we do not realize it, at every moment we are actively working (although, at the same time, semi-consciously) on the interpretation of the reality that surrounds us and ourselves. This process of extracting meaning from the world and the events that happen in it is carried out through abstract thinking linked to language; It is the use of specific terms embedded in grammatically consistent formulations as we are capable of developing very abstract thoughts, unlike other animals.

However, Thinking through language is a double-edged sword: it helps us articulate complex concepts and draw conclusions by combining ideas with great ease, but sometimes, we rush into assuming the meaning of each word… and make mistakes that we could have avoided by modifying our way of conceiving things.

How do they influence us?

These are some of the main ways that coaching distinctions impact our lives.

1. They make the search for solutions more flexible

Staying stuck in a very rigid definition can lead us down dead ends Conclusions that are correct from the point of view of logic can be errors if we do not question the premises from which we start.

2. They help prevent polysemy problems

Sometimes we make mistakes because we do not realize that, when addressing a problem and trying to find a solution, We rely on words whose meaning fluctuates depending on the situation without us realizing it.

3. They allow us to argue better

Because if we take the distinctions into account we can detect dialectical traps and fallacies such as that of the “castral speck”), we can enhance our expressive, argumentative and persuasive skills

4. They help us rethink our objectives

From the distinctions we can reformulate and rethink practically anything: not only the “how”, but also the “why” In this way it is easier to remedy basic errors.

Are you interested in learning more about the topic?

If you want to know more about what the coaching distinctions are like and how they can be used, you may be interested the book “Coaching distinctions: building ourselves through language”, from the LID publishing house. It is a choral work in whose preparation more than a dozen members of EEC Alumni, the learning community of the European School of Coaching, have participated, and whose coordinator is Silvia Guarnieri, Founding Partner and Academic Director of EEC. This book is aimed at both coaches and people without prior training in the field of coaching. You can get it here.