Coaching Practiced

David Tee, Jonathan Passmore

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781119835691
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781119835707
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

COACHING PRACTICED

Explore the foundations of evidence-based approaches to coaching

A collection of the best papers over the last 15 years from the journal The Coaching Psychologist.

In Coaching Practiced: Coaching Psychology Tools, Techniques, and Evidence-Based Approaches for Coaches, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an insightful and complete handbook for practicing coaches. From wellbeing to the workplace, coaches of all stripes will find a fulsome discussion of effective methods, strategies, and frameworks for coaching clients.

In the book, the editors include contributions from leading experts that discuss a wide variety of essential topics in the field, including cognitive approaches, motivational interviewing, solution-focused coaching, mindfulness approaches, narrative coaching, and the influence of positive psychology in the field of coaching.

In this accessible and comprehensive resource, readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to the psychology of coaching, including available frameworks
• In-depth examinations of reflective practice and professional development, including reflective journaling
• Comprehensive discussions of wellbeing coaching, including health and life coaching
• Fulsome explorations of workplace coaching, including the Lead, Learn, and Grow Model

Perfect for organizational and athletic leaders, Coaching Practiced: Coaching Psychology Tools, Techniques, and Evidence-Based Approaches for Coaches will also earn a place in the libraries of professional coaches, managers, executives, and others.

Section 1
The Psychology of Coaching Coaching Psychology – Eclectic Approaches and Diversity in Practice

David Tee & Jonathan Passmore

The first two decades of the third millennium have witnessed a proliferation of coaching psychology approaches. These approaches have extended the original modules developed in the 1980s and 1990s such as GROW and co-active coaching into new territories. Many of these new approaches have been drawn from the therapeutic and counselling domain; these initially included cognitive-behavioural coaching, solution-focused coaching and psychodynamic coaching during the 2000–2010 period. This was followed by a more diverse range of models including motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment coaching, compassion-based coaching and Gestalt, which have each been developed for use in coaching. In the period post-2020, other models are also now being considered as possible frameworks for use with coaching clients in non-clinical relationships, such as dialectical behavioural therapy and meta-cognitive therapy (for a wider discussion of third wave cognitive-behavioural coaching (CBC), see Passmore & Leach, 2022). In addition to the influences from therapy, psychological models have also been translated for use in coaching psychology practice, such as positive psychology and mindfulness. This flow of models from therapy and psychology contrasts with the relative sparse influence from change management and organisational development, with appreciative coaching being a rare exception drawing on appreciative inquiry as a structure to frame positive-focused conversations.

This multiplicity of available frameworks can be confusing for the coach. Some have responded by focusing on a single model or framework as a way to structure all conversations. However, the evidence suggests the majority of coaches have adopted a more eclectic approach and have sought to integrate a range of different models into their work with clients. This follows suggestions from writers in the emerging years of coaching, such as Alison Hardingham (2006) and Jonathan Passmore (2006), who advocated for a more eclectic approach, by which the coach should draw from a number of different streams and, in doing so, would be best able to respond to the unique individual and their specific presenting issue, as opposed to forcing each client to become the round peg required to fit the shape and size of ‘hole’ offered by the coach. These ideas of eclectic approaches have been further developed (Hardingham, 2021; Passmore, 2021), with an emphasis on each coach developing their own distinctive evidence-based approach informed by the cultural context, types of clients and their own personal style to build an approach which is informed by science but which can also be flexed and adapted to meet the client where they are.

Where does this leave coaching? Are coaching and coaching psychology essentially the same, or are there differences? For many clients, and even for practitioners, this is an academic debate. But it matters for three reasons: Firstly, it is important to define something to be able to provide it. If the label on the tin says ‘tomato soup’, but it is crab soup when you open it, you may well be disappointed. A failure to clearly define and manage boundaries can also lead the coach into difficulties and risk causing harm to the client if the coach is not qualified and trained to work with an issue. Secondly, definitions matter for research. If we have not clearly defined our intervention, it is hard to measure the effect. We might be assessing if lunch poisoned the individual; however, if we cannot differentiate between the wholemeal bread and the crab soup, we do not know if the problem is a wheat intolerance or shellfish poisoning. Finally, and possibly most important for practitioners, if it is not clearly defined, we cannot teach it. Knowing the crucial ingredients – and the boundaries – allows for a syllabus and criteria for assessment to be developed: definitions matter.

This is not the place for a deep discussion of definitions, but practitioners should know what they are doing and be able to define, with precision, their intervention. In doing so they may reference one of the many definitions available: John Whitmore’s classic definition of coaching: ‘unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them – a facilitation approach’ (Whitmore, 1992, p. 8), Laura Whitworth’s definition of co-active coaching, ‘a relationship of possibilities … based on trust, confidentiality’ (Kimsey-House et al., 2011, p. 19), Passmore and Fillery-Travis’s (2011) more process-focused definition ‘… a Socratic-based dialogue between a facilitator (coach) and a participant (client) where the majority of interventions used by the facilitator are open questions which are aimed at stimulating the self-awareness and personal responsibility of the participant’, or one of the professional bodies’ definitions, such as that of the International Coaching Federation.

For us, coaching psychology has a distinctive role to play. “Coaching psychology is ‘the well’ which refreshes the wider coaching profession” (Passmore & Yi-Ling, 2019, p. 79). Coaching psychologists draw on their deeper understanding of research to actively contribute new theories, models, frameworks and, most importantly, evidence, to take forward evidence-based practice. While their practices may be consistent with many other evidence-based practitioners, their understanding of the wider psychological frameworks and the evidence underpinning their approach mark them out as distinctive. The client may witness little of this deeper knowledge in an individual session, but the wider body of coaching will benefit from their contribution, as they challenge and push the boundaries of practice through scientific-led enquiry, engaging in research and sharing their work through journals and other publications. In essence, the coaching psychologist is a scholar-practitioner, constantly crossing and re-crossing the bridge between practice and academia.

The British Psychological Society defines coaching psychology as “the scientific study and application of behaviour, cognition and emotion to deepen our understanding of individuals’ and groups’ performance, achievement and wellbeing, and to enhance practice within coaching” (BPS, 2021).

As we continue to move forward, the definition of coaching and the areas of work in which coaching psychologists engage is likely to continue to change. It is twenty years since this journey of encouraging a focus on evidence-based coaching practice started, marked by the formation of the ‘Coaching Psychology Network’ within the British Psychological Society. Two decades on, that group has evolved into the Division of Coaching Psychology with pathways for accredited training and the pace of change for coaching is quickening. While evidence will continue to grow in importance, digital platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) coaching apps and the blurring of the boundaries between coaching and counselling are likely to continue. The world of coaching in 2050 will be a fascinating place but, whatever changes, psychology, understanding human behaviour, emotion and cognition will be at its heart.

REFERENCES

1. BPS (2021). BPS Division of Coaching Psychology – Definition of Coaching Psychology. Retrieved on 1 November 2021 from https://www.bps.org.uk/member-microsites/division-coaching-psychology
2. Hardingham, A. (2006). The British Eclectic model of coaching, International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching IV(1).
3. Hardingham, A. (2021). The Universal Eclectic model of executive coaching. In J. Passmore (ed.), The Coaches Handbook: The Complete Practitioners Guide for Professional Coaches (pp. 167–175). Routledge.
4. Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandahl, P., & Whitworth, L. (2011). Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives (3rd ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey.
5. Passmore, J. (2006). Integrated coaching model. In J. Passmore (ed.), Excellence in Coaching: The Industry Guide (1st ed.). Kogan Page.
6. Passmore, J. (2021). Developing an integrated approach to coaching. In J. Passmore (ed.), The Coaches Handbook: The Complete Practitioners Guide for Professional Coaches (pp. 322–330). Routledge.
7. Passmore, J. & Fillery-Travis, A. (2011). A critical review of executive coaching research: A decade of progress and what’s to come. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 4(2), 70–88.
8. Passmore, J. & Leach, S. (2022). Third Wave Cognitive Behavioural coaching: Contextual, Behavioural and neuroscience Approaches for Evidence-Based Coaches. Shoreham-by-Sea: Pavilion Publishing.
9. Passmore, J., & Yi-Ling, Y. (2019). Coaching psychology: Exploring definitions and research contribution to practice? International Coaching Psychology Review, 14(2), 69–83.
10. Whitmore, J. (1992). Coaching for Performance. London: Nicholas Brealey.

Section 2
Coaching Frameworks The Role of Frameworks, Models and Approaches in Coaching

David Tee & Jonathan Passmore

While coaching is similar to other helping-by-talking interventions such as counselling and therapy in the range of ‘approaches’ available (many of these coaching approaches indeed having their conceptual roots within therapy), the ever-growing number of ‘models’ is something that sets coaching apart from related practices. Given this, it is of interest that the term ‘model’ is rarely defined and variously applied in the coaching literature.

Within the context of counselling supervision, Reeves (2013) uses the term ‘models’ to refer to frameworks which bring “…a particular perspective to how the supervisory process might be negotiated and understood” (p. 387). Within the coaching practitioner literature, ‘models’ can be used to refer to any theory, theoretical framework or tool deemed of potential use to coaches in their client work (Bates, 2015). More commonly, however, the term applies to frameworks or structures, often producing acronyms, which suggest a sequence of linear stages to follow within a coaching conversation. As an example, the RADAR model has the steps Rapport, Analyse, Demonstrate, Activity, Review (Giangregorio, 2016) or alternatively Relationship, Awareness, Dream, Action, Results/Review (Hilliard, 2012).

A general point can be made before specific models are considered. Coaching models are often positioned as how coaching practi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Series page
• Title page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• About the Editors
• Section 1 The Psychology of Coaching: Coaching Psychology – Eclectic Approaches and Diversity in Practice
• Section 2 Coaching Frameworks: The Role of Frameworks, Models and Approaches in Coaching
• Section 3 Reflective Practice and Professional Development: Introduction
• Section 4 Wellbeing Coaching: Introduction
• Section 5 Workplace Coaching: Introduction
• Section 6 Cognitive Approaches
• Section 7 Motivational Interviewing: Introduction
• Section 8 Solution-Focused Coaching: Introduction
• Section 9 Mindfulness: Introduction
• Section 10 Narrative Coaching: Introduction
• Section 11 Positive Psychology: Introduction
• Index
• End User License Agreement