Research Paper By Pat Moseley
(Career Coach, UNITED KINGDOM)
Introduction
As you go through any process having solid foundations are the building blocks to support you and in time, and as you progress, you add pillars and structures to those foundations. This can lead you to branch out, seek different perspectives that add different dimensions and viewpoints.
I see my time studying within ICA as the foundation stage – the learnings valuable – often thought-provoking – but also enriching. From these foundations I was intrigued to consider life outside of ICA and what this would look like. From the foundation stage to the practice of coaching.
At this foundation stage, I was often left with a feeling of constraint as the ICA process is rigorous, with good reason as we work towards the important ICF standards and accreditation, but gave insight into the depth of this topic of coaching.
What is coaching – The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the verb to coach as to “tutor, train, give hints to, prime with facts.”
Is this what we have trained to understand what coaching is? Through the ICA journey, the focus is always on how you work with your client who has all the answers and can come to their solutions to the problems presented.
Wikipedia definition “Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a coach, supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a coachee. Occasionally, coaching may mean an informal relationship between two people, of whom one has more experience and expertise than the other and offers advice and guidance as the latter learns; but coaching differs from mentoring by focusing on specific tasks or objectives, as opposed to more general goals or overall development.”
The Wikipedia definition more closely resembles the ICA journey and what I now consider to be the ethos of coaching. There are so many coaching experts who each bring their unique style to coaching – the sports coach – the executive coach – the performance coach – the wellbeing coach, each on the face of it striving for that move forward, unlocking whatever is keeping the individual from moving forward. Each of these coaching practices is for different purposes but the end goal is to help the client to move forward.
An Example, Timothy Gallwey’s books “The Inner Game, firstly about tennis and then golf, referred to “the opponent within your head”. In this I recognize underlying beliefs – “what’s going on in your head is more powerful than any opponent” said Gallwey. How an individual can talk themselves out of doing something. Once you work with that individual to unlock those beliefs– Gallwey’s belief that “Coaching is all about unlocking someone’s potential to maximize their own performance” – this brings the shift, awareness, and realization required to move forward.
So as I start to add my pillars and structures as I move to the practical stage, my coaching model is all about the journey an individual travels along and my power tool assists clients who are confused and want to move to the solution phase. As I gain experience as a coach I will build on these pillars and structures, developing my unique coaching style and removing the rigor of being in a learning environment and start to explore the foundation to practice.
So how do you move from foundation to practical? My aim is initially to become an internal coach within my organization as the world rides out the global pandemic. Starting a freelance business at this stage of global economic uncertainty felt to be not the right move and as there are opportunities to start to build my structures and move from foundation to practice, the opportunities that present themselves within my organization should not be underestimated so I am going to capitalize on these opportunities.
To gain an understanding of how this will be possible within my organization I discussed this with my colleague, the Senior internal coach, to understand his journey from the foundation to practical.
Where did you start your career?
I started my training as a therapist and once I graduated working as a therapist in practice presented opportunities once a patient had managed to work through the issues they presented with. The “what’s next” kept coming to mind and knowing that I could also help with the “what’s next”. It was over several years that I just left that “what’s next” there without doing anything about it but it was always there in the back of my mind. I had always worked as a freelance therapist with my practice but the financial crash in 2009 meant that I had to seek additional income so I joined an organization and worked in the Learning and Development team. The need for therapy was not as high as the need for coaches as organizations were becoming leaner and trying to make sure their managers and leaders had the rights skills I found the time to move to the “what’s next”. It was never questioned that my qualifications were in the therapy field and as I worked with managers and leaders I developed my style of blended coaching.
Would you say your style plays a part in how you coach?
I think over the years in my therapy practice I had probably subconsciously moved with some clients to the coaching phase and it was very important for me that you bring your true authentic self to every engagement. You should not follow a defined path or try to compartmentalize clients. Every client is different and every assignment will be different. By bringing your true self this is what the client experiences and this will be how you work with your clients. My style can be what the client needs. I can be directive, non-directive, supportive, etc. Whatever the situation requires. I joined our current firm in 2015 and have seen how my style just fits and works to my advantage.
What are your thoughts on the use of assessment tools?
Within the Learning and Development field assessment tools can be useful and I realized that this was an expectation for our training assignments as coaches in the organization. The assessment tools used the most was Myers Briggs, DISC, and Strengths Finder. As a therapist, I am trained in CBT but from the start of my career and as I went from private practice to the first L&D role and now as the senior internal coach at our organization, I realized that the pillars I was adding to my repertoire with different assessment tools did not give me anything more. I realized what I brought to the coaching engagement was just as good as any assessment tool.
What advice would you give a new coach starting?
I would always say again that it is important to be your true authentic self. Consider your training and what it has given you but then apply that training with you as a person in mind. Within an organization such as ours, there are so many opportunities to work with different types of managers and leaders, and with that, you need to flex your style to suit the situation and the person presented.
As I work with many coaches the situation that presents us all with the global pandemic I am hearing and also recognizing for myself that there is a more therapeutic approach required for coaching arrangements. It is important to recognize that not everyone is equipped to move in the therapeutic space and it is very important that every coach recognizes and understands the limits and not to go beyond those limits.
Our organization is forward-looking and welcomes the role that coaching brings to individuals so start slowly and add those building blocks as you progress.
This was a really exciting and interesting discussion with Andrew. His foundation was very different from pure coaching, he fell into the role as the world reacted to the fallout from the financial crash. His views on the support structures such as the assessment tools or CBT but the real insight was the coach and the true authentic self.
The Actions, Goals, and Accountability model was playing out in my head a lot while I was listening to him. Moving forward will require action, everything you do will allow you to support your client to their goal, helping the client to gain clarity asking that what else questions. When he talked about how his style and bringing his true self to each situation resonated.
So as I consider my foundation to practical I am very excited to start another journey, my journey into professional life as a coach. I have a wealth of experience in the organization having worked there for 25 years and now as a qualified coach, I am going to be able to turn my passion for supporting individuals as they transition in the role or move to a different path, into reality. I am looking forward to adding the different structures to grow my pillars and as I add each one I know I will grow as a coach and move from foundation to practical.
References:
Gallwey, Timothy – The Inner Game of Tennis, 2015
Underhill, Brian O, – McAnally, Kimcee, – Koriath, John J, – Executive Coaching for Results, 2007
Whitmore, John – Coaching for Performance, 2009
Wikipedia
Concise Oxford Dictionary
ICF Competencies
Senior Internal Coach – Allen &Overy LLP