Virtual Dialog on World Changing: A Narrative Model
As a resource for our telecall today, I offer the following model based on my narrative coaching practice, my research on holistic sustainability, and my writing on a new era for coaching. I will cover the model in greater depth on the call and offer comments in this space once we are done. I invite you to join in and share your thoughts here as well.
The basic premise, as Vikki Brock points out in her work and Pat Williams writes about in our book, much of the initial focus in coaching had to do with personal growth and performance. Clients also wanted to use coaching to find greater satisfaction and purpose in their life. However, as the challenge and impact of global trends becomes increasingly apparent to us, more and more coaches and clients are teaming up to explore what more can be done.
As seen in the model, more often now the narrative arc of client’s work with us explicitly incorporates the legacy dimensions. Whether it is a contribution through a deepened spiritual practice, a bold corporate initiative on sustainability or a joint venture with a local NGO, clients and coaches now want more from/for each other.
In the spirit of The Commons, I thank you in advance for being good stewards of the model and champions for a new era in coaching.
Coaching for a New Era: A Model
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Comment by Linda Page on 13 March 2008:
David,
You observe that coaching is moving away from one-on-one, behind closed doors, working on personal issues.
Yes, I see this in the ICCO Symposia (www.coachingconsortium.org). At these Symposia, we bring together about 10 organizational coaches with about 10 organizational coaching clients (leaders in HR, training, etc.) and about 10 coach trainers/researchers. We use a model of presenting cases followed by having coaching and consulting sessions in groups together so there is lots of sharing outside private, closed door space. Last year, one high-level executive in a global consulting firm brought a case where he asked how he might move his organization toward contributing to a sustainable future for the world. There are many of examples to support what you are talking about.
Comment by David Drake on 15 March 2008:
Thanks for sharing this example of new ways of thinking about and using coaching in addressing organizational needs. I’m guessing these are quite enriching for each of the three subsets of participants. I’m wondering what kinds of collective learning arises from these dialogs that could be documented, studied, and shared with others in their respective “worlds?” I would be interested in writing up a case study with you/others…perhaps using the four knowledges model I wrote about in a recent IJCO article.
Comment by David Drake on 15 March 2008:
Thanks to all those who joined in our call.
Here are some of the highlights from the conversation:
1. There is an increased blurring between the private and public domains with a resulting drive to integrate them in terms of how coaching is delivered and what is addressed. There is a need to increase the connection between the mission inside an organization and the mission with which the organization engages the world. As such, there is an increased interest in new modes of coaching beyond the classic one-on-one behind “closed doors”— such as coaching teams, coaching through facilitation, coaching as counsel, coaching as embedded approach to/support for larger initiatives
2. There is an increased interest, in both clients and coaches, to want to make a difference. As such, coaching may increasingly be linked to the development of projects and other forms of collaboration within organizations and the broader community.
3. There was a curiosity about how coaching will morph as more and more organizations develop internal coaching capabilities and systems. At the same time, some wondered how coaching will change as the use of technology as a delivery medium grows and the speed/complexity of demands upon clients grows.
4. Some noted the rise of networks over structures as the dominant organizing principle and channels through which more and more work gets done. There was also a sense of more engagement with issues through innovative, flexible, and agile enterprises at the local level. How can coaches be integral to and influential in this shift — and its success?
5. There was a sense of coaches as bridges and connectors within organizations and networks — linking different disciplines, functions, groups. A key part of this role is the ability to provide a deep listening that many clients crave in order to deal with a sense of overload and isolation. A provocative question from David that relates to the purpose for this forum: to what degree is coaching compensatory for what’s missing for many people in their life/work? What is a healthy balance between helping clients cope/accept how things are and helping them break free to create something new? Several people shared examples of people who are helping coaches to do more of the latter as a response to some of the challenges of our time.
6. Lastly, there was a curiosity about the role of technology in coaching, particularly the loss of confidence and engagement by some coaches because they are not as tech savvy as others. How do we preserve what is best about coaching as an intimate connection in a global, flat, wired, and networked world?
I invite the others on the call to post their comments and for readers to share their thoughts on the future of coaching as we move forward. It seemed to me there was a clear sense of the need to raise the bar in the profession even as we support new ways of bringing coaching to the world.
David
Comment by Katherine Gotshall English on 16 March 2008:
David: Your questions on last Thursday’s virtual dialog did stir the pot.
I appreciated your willingness to open the conversation so that all of us
could participate. Vivian from Boston mentiond a book: Blessed Unrest by
Paul Hawkin. If possible I hope Vivian will contact me at
kathcoach@earthlink.net or leave a reply with her e-mail. I am interested
in producing an event focused on social entrepreneurs and would like to
connect with her. I hope you continue to lead conversations on the new
era of coaching David. Would you consider a weekly or perhaps monthly
virtual conversation?
Katherine Gotshall English