I just began a 30 hour training program to become a certified coach through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute as I hope to be a resource to pastors serving them as a coach. (blog written in 2011)

I was coached a few years ago and didn’t feel it helped much. However, I didn’t give up on the concept and pulled the trigger recently to get this training.

Today my instructor clarified the distinction between several people helping practices when she used this bicycle riding metaphor.

If someone asks, “I want to learn to ride a bike?” these four people helpers would answer in these distinctive ways.

• A therapist would ask, “Why do you want to ride a bike?”

• A mentor would say, “Watch how I ride a bike and do what I do.”

• A consultant would say, “Here is what you are doing wrong and what you can do differently to ride better.”

• A coach would ask, “Where do you want to go?”

I loved the forward direction this coaching definition clarified for me.

Have you ever been coached? What did you learn from the experience?