Ontological coaching is an emerging professional discipline. It involves assisting people (individuals and groups) so they can achieve results, since human beings hope to be successful with every goal they have. The decisions we make are deeply related to the way we see ourselves and the rest of the world (control of beings). Coaching mainly works with the control of beings, thus producing changes in the type of observer the individual is (the coachee). Once this changes are made (by himself/herself), his/her perspective is increased and it turns into a new observer who acts differently, obtaining results never achieved before. An ontological evolution takes place and paradigms, interpretation standards, and the analysis of things change.

The coach’s role entails assisting an individual to help him/her evolve on his/her own. The coach will be successful if the person is successful as well.

The coach’s ability to talk and listen is a determining factor in their mutual relationship and also for the effectiveness of their accomplishments.

Coaching provides us with knowledge, direction, and advice. The transfer of knowledge flows as a result of the coach’s interaction with the other individual (coachee).

Coach’s capabilities in the interaction:

• Listening
• Observing
• Detecting the weak point that prevents the achievement of the goal
• Designing conversations to clarify the outlook of the coachee.
• Assisting the person until his/her objectives are achieved.

The Coach:

• Helps people adapt to changes efficiently.
• Encourages values and commitments that are inherent to the human being.
• Renews relationships and makes communication easier.
• Encourages people to produce unprecedented results.
• Makes people work in teams
• Discovers people’s potential, allowing them to achieve their objectives that would otherwise be unreachable.

THE ART OF CONVERSATION

"The own essence of Socrates’ activity is that his objective was not to teach people. Instead, it seemed that he was learning from those he talked to. So he was not teaching like a regular school teacher would. No, he simply talked. But, above all, at the beginning he would only ask questions, implying he did not know anything. During a conversation, he would make his interlocutor see the mistakes in his/her own reasoning. It was said that Socrates’ mother was a midwife, and he used to compare his own activity to the midwife’s “art of giving birth”. But it is not the midwife who gives birth to the child. She is simply present to help the mother during the delivery of the baby. Therefore, Socrates considered that his mission was to help people “give birth” to the proper understanding. Because true knowledge has to come from each person, it cannot be imposed by others; the knowledge that comes from inside is the only true knowledge…"