Some definitions:
- An Organization  -consists of a collective of disparate people (fluid software) and innate resources (hardware) organized towards producing a measurable end result.
- People (the software) -are fluid individuals with different patterns of behaviour (thinking and doing).
- Behaviour-based Coaching Program  (a leadership style and people development platform) -is used by the organization's leaders, managers and specialist practitioners to affect positive, sustainable results.

Developing a Behavioural-Based Coaching Plan can provide a relatively quick and cost-effective increase in individual and organizational productivity and well-being. Using industry-proven behaviour based coaching models, coaches can develop a Behavioural Coaching Plan to assist people to develop competence by identifying the key aspects such as; beliefs, values, attitudes, heuristics, mental processes and physical activities etc -that characterize expertise.

The first step is to recognize that developing a behavioural-based coaching program depends on both the rigor with which the methodology is used and the rigor with which the necessary behaviours are identified and addressed.

In Summary:
Behaviour based Coaching is a scientific approach whereby professional practice is capable of being justified in terms of sound evidence based upon a process of methodical clinical and industry research, evaluation, and the utilisation of up-to-date systematic research findings to support decisions about practice. Behaviour based coaching is a way of distinguishing professional coaching practice grounded in proven science versus the simplistic, unproven coaching approach popularized by the many coaching associations and coach training providers engaged in mass-marketing to a primarily uneducated marketplace.

Coaches operate in a very high degree of isolation. Research has shown that coaches who work primarily alone and do not acquire proven behaviour based coaching knowledge -tend to: invent things as they go along and rely on books and articles (which frequently results in greater myth and confusion than improved clarity of knowledge). 

Some notes on Belief based Coaching or Traditional Coaching:
Belief based coaching is the common and traditional form of coaching. Its guidelines for practices are usually a mix of personal experiences, some basic education about training and professional development, selected incomplete knowledge of coaching practices, and a self-belief in the practitioner’s coaching approach. Any changes in coaching practices usually only occur through a process of self-selection.

The accumulated knowledge of belief-based coaching is subjective, biased, unstructured, and mostly lacking in accountability. Belief-based coaching also includes pseudo-scientific coaching. There are an alarming growing number of pseudo-scientists (versus qualified behavioural scientists) in the coaching industry who are training business coaches. These coaching associations and providers attempt to give the impression of scientific knowledge and utilize fuzzy, unproven coaching processes mislabelled as behavioural coaching. Invariably their knowledge is incomplete and inaccurate resulting in false/erroneous postulations.

Today, belief-based coaching is the foundation of most organizational coaching programs. Most organizations are not learning organizations, are isolated and resist any contrary evidence that might challenge their beliefs and traditional HR or Learning practices/standards. Many coaching practitioners either are unaware of their level of practice or simply do not want to hear that they require further instructed, more advanced learning.

Coaches need to be instructed how to establish which thoughts and feelings are affecting performance and behaviour. Coaches also need to know how to work with people’s thinking processes and how to challenge them effectively. This can be a particularly difficult area for many coaches. Additionally coaches need to be able manage the issue of resistance to change and how to understand defence mechanisms.

The bottom-line:
Unleashing the full power of an organization starts with the individual. With behavioural-based coaching the individual can be shown how to self-manage himself or herself and significantly up-grade his or her personal and professional skill sets, feel balanced, alert, in control and powerful and be able to make the greatest contribution to the organization. The empowered individual acts and not reacts, thinks creatively, works well under pressure, makes good decisions and communicates clearly. Leadership qualities also emerge. When an organization's people move into a zone of optimum, sustainable best performance, so does the organization.