Where did coaching come from? The Roots and the Players
Thanks to all for attending The Coaching Commons first Virtual Dialogue call on Tuesday February 12, 2008. What we talked about were the root disciplines that had the most influence on the evolution of coaching. Click here to see an evolution timeline for the root disciplines of coaching. For a mind map of the key players visit the original posting for the Virtual Dialogue.
What surprised, and in some cases shocked some attendees, was the influence of Werner Erhard on the field of coaching. One of the dialogue participants, Diane Kuause-Stetson, confirmed that fact that psychologists were providing coaching in corporations well before coaching became its own separate field. In 1986 Diane was a young rising star whose boss set her up to be coached by Marsha Sinetar, an organizational psychologist and author who has since written “Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow”. Maybe Diane will share more of her story with us. Who else will share some stories of coaching before it was called coaching?
Popularity: 25% [?]
Comment by Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute on 16 February 2008:
“Who else will share some stories of coaching before it was called coaching?”
The year was 1987. I’d been struggling in my own veterinary practice for about 7-8 years, wondering why it was so hard to make a living at it, and thinking I should know how to run a practice even though I’d had not business or communication courses in vet school and only a basic accounting course at the local community college.
Finally, I decided maybe, just maybe someone knew more about running a business than I did, so I started looking for who that might be. (pretty arrogant, right?) One of the pharmaceutical salesman recommended a ‘consultant’ by the name of Judy who had been working with his wife, who had her own practice.
Long and short of it, I ended up hiring Judy who turned out not to be a consultant but my first exposure to business coaching. Her roots with from the business arm of Werner Erhard and Associates, and it was an incredible experience. The first 3 months were hard. I really didn’t have the cashflow to afford Judy so my credit cards mounted up to pay her with no increase in business. But then around month 4, business started to pick up as I took her coaching, and by year’s end the gross income increased by over 40% and my own income more than doubled, even after paying Judy.
The rest, as they say is history. About 18 months later I sold my practice which was my original aim when I hired Judy. And about a year after that, I joined the coaching company that she’d consolidated her practice with.
Ahh, the good ol days.
Comment by Vikki Brock on 16 February 2008:
Thanks for sharing Brad. What a fantastic story - from coaching client to coach. The business arm of Werner Erhard and Associates was called Transformational Technologies and it was launched in 1984 with Jim Selman as its CEO. From what I understand it was a franchise operation, with many of the early players still coaching at the highest levels in large corporations.
Comment by Vikki Brock on 25 February 2008:
For those who are interested in the history and roots of coaching, on Monday February 18th I was interviewed by Mike Jay on his Global Executive Coaching Forum about my dissertation on the emergence of coaching. Copy the link and paste it into your browse to listen to the audio recording of the interview. http://podcast.thebasementventures.com/telcorecordings/recording.rss?fileid=MN2124_2_18_2008_1125188&bridge=792414&email=
Mike asked some powerful questions (as only a coach can do).
Questions included what are my plans after completion of the dissertation - response to make the information available through a book and here at the Coaching Commons.
Another question was “what is my ultimate goal?” Response is to use coaching to better society and make a difference in the world, which I am able to do by participating in the Commons, speaking, writing, and of course, coaching.
Mike’s last question was very thought provoking - and one that I pose to you:
How will you stay neutral amongst the coalitions and cliques within coaching?
Comment by Kathy M. on 25 February 2008:
Hi Vikki! (I’m waving from the dock)
If I might offer a reframe (such a “coachy” thing to do, I know!!!) –
Rather than resisting NOT being neutral (or shoulding all over yourself), how about this:
“How will you present the roots and evolution of coaching while *owning* any biases and preferences that naturally arise out of your own personal experience?”
Grins,
Kathy
P.S. I love that Werner Erhard is still shocking and surprising people! =^)
Comment by Vikki Brock on 26 February 2008:
Kathy - I am even coachable . Great reframe and turning this into a question to ponder for all coaches might sound something like:
How will you ______________ while owning any biases or preferences that naturally arise out of your own personal experience?
Also, stay tuned for future Hall of Fame additions - Werner Erhard might be among them…
Comment by Jim Clarkson on 15 May 2008:
Hi Vikki,
I would like to nominate the late Malcolm S. Knowles to our coaching Hall of Fame. Dr. Knowles was one of the most influential figures in the world of adult learning, especially “informal learning” during the last fifty years. He is responsible for popularizing the concepts of andragogy and self-directed learning which form much of the foundation for professional coaching.
“In its broadest meaning, ’self-directed learning’ describes, according to Malcolm Knowles (1975: 18) a process:
… in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.”
“Knowles puts forward three immediate reasons for self-directed learning. First he argues that there is convincing evidence that people who take the initiative in learning (proactive learners) learn more things, and learn better, than do people who sit at the feet of teachers passively waiting to be taught (reactive learners). ‘They enter into learning more purposefully and with greater motivation. They also tend to retain and make use of what they learn better and longer than do the reactive learners.’ (Knowles 1975: 14)
A second immediate reason is that self-directed learning is more in tune with our natural processes of psychological development. ‘An essential aspect of maturing is developing the ability to take increasing responsibility for our own lives - to become increasingly self-directed’ (Knowles 1975: 15).
A third immediate reason is that many of the new developments in education put a heavy responsibility on the learners to take a good deal of initiative in their own learning. ‘Students entering into these programs without having learned the skills of self-directed inquiry will experience anxiety, frustration , and often failure, and so will their teachers (Knowles 1975: 15).
To this may be added a long-term reason - because of rapid changes in our understanding is no longer realistic to define the purpose of education as transmitting what is known. The main purpose of education must now to be to develop the skills of inquiry.
(Smith, M. K. (2002) ‘Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and anadragogy’, the encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.)
While we often (rightly) give credit to the clinical psychologists from whom we in coaching have borrowed many techniques, we need to also acknowledge and celebrate those who have provided us with the foundational concepts for our work as facilitators of adult learning.
Jim Clarkson
Comment by Vikki G. Brock on 15 May 2008:
Jim - what a fantastic nomination. Malcolm Knowles is definitely a Hall of Fame influencer, as much as coaches are facilitators of adult learning.
When I did my research on coaching influencers Malcolm’s name came up once or twice, which tells me that most coaches were not aware of his influence on coaching. After reading the reasons you identified, I am now better educated and other coaches will be also.
There are about 60 more names on my list of influencers (I add one a week). If anyone has someone else to add, please do so. Don’t wait for me to add them.
Thanks again Jim.
Comment by Abiel Guerra on 16 May 2008:
Vikki, I would like to nominate Chris Argyris (1923- ) to the coaching Hall of Fame. The Ladder of Inference and The Left-Hand Column are conversational tools used now by coaches and developed by Argyris.
Argyris has contributed to the field of organizational learning / organizational development with his theories of action, double-loop learning and organizational learning, the relationship of people and organizations and action research.
You can find more information regarding Argyris, his ideas, work and publications here:
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm
Comment by Vikki G. Brock on 24 May 2008:
Abiel, Chris Argyris is on my list as he is indeed worthy of being in the coaching hall of fame for his achievements in support of coaching. In the next several weeks he will be added. Thanks, Vikki