100 Research Questions about Coaching: So What?
The International Coaching Research Forum
By Linda Ballew

Linda heads up the 'Breaking News' section of The Coaching Commons and coordinates all mentions of coaching around the world each week for The Chronicle of Coaching.

How does the field of coaching advance from fad to field to profession? When will coaching gain credibility? Where is the ethical mind, heart and soul of coaching? What are the questions that need to be asked and that must be answered to move coaching to the next level of maturity?

Due to the gracious generosity and vision of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative of Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, and The Foundation of Coaching, forty internationally recognized and well respected coaching researchers and professionals tackled this topic for two inspiring days at Harvard on September 28 and 29. NOTE: Whoever has a preconceived assumption that research and/or researchers are a bit stodgy and perhaps boring - well - think again - I was there, and personally witnessed the energy, passion, humor and pure delight that erupted as they talked about coaching and met with colleagues who shared (and challenged) their concepts and ideas!

Each brave and brilliant participant began with a three-minute presentation, video-taped live. This presentation was intended to pose timely, thoughtful questions that research must answer to advance coaching in the world. The variety of fresh perspectives and passion from the speakers made my heart race! Made me want to dance, actually.

For two days, with masterful facilitation from Sunny Stout Rostron, the group shared in pairs, sparred in groups, refined their questions, changed and rearranged positions, created a constant flurry of dialogue and flying post-it notes. They took their lively conversations to lunch, around the dinner table and on walks to and from the hotel…well, you get the picture. It was very exciting.

So what?

Here’s the “so what” from my “Breaking News” and “Coaching Commons” perspective…

In 48 hours, researchers created 100 (give or take a few) new proposals for coaching research projects, designed thoughtfully and strategically to advance coaching.

Colleagues were pleasantly surprised to find colleagues who shared their coaching research interests; they tapped into new professional networks; they discovered and explored various visions, missions, values of coaching.

We agreed to create inventive multi-media ways of distributing research findings for wider discussion with the coaching community and the media - in practical language - that will benefit practitioners, clients, and the widest media audience. So we will ALL be well informed and pushing ahead - together - globally.

Deepest gratitude to Ruth Ann Harnisch, David Goldsmith, The Foundation of Coaching and The Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative from Harvard Medical School for sponsoring the ICRF. Hats off to the Harvard Faculty Club for graciously hosting the forum.

Thanks and applause to Co-Chairs Carol Kauffman and Mary Wayne Bush, to Facilitator Sunny Stout-Rostron, and to Grace Russell for her work on the website and directory.

And a standing ovation to this unique group who joyfully shared their vision for coaching and began “questioning” the next thrilling chapter in the future of coaching.
 

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Practical Coaching Research

Interviews hosted by Francine Campone

Francine Campone, Ed. D., PCC hosts interviews for The Coaching Commons and serves as Docent of the Research Repository as part of The Foundation of Coaching's Research Division.

Firsts: An Historical Perspective on Fall 2008 Coaching Research
By Vikki Brock, MCC

Vikki Brock is making coaching history as well as recording it. For the first time ever, Dr. Brock is documenting the roots of coaching here at the Coaching Commons. The Virtual Museum of Coaching contains mini-chapters of knowledge gathered from her interviews with over 170 pioneers of the coaching field. Here she trains her historian’s eye on an unprecedented event in the evolution of coaching.

The world will remember Fall 2008 for unprecedented global events. While financial markets crashed and created fear worldwide, extraordinary coaching events were creating optimism and giant leaps that soared across borders and boundaries, forming a clear vision for the future of coaching. In addition to my passion for coaching history, I also am passionate about living an active legacy. Coaching researchers are indeed living an active legacy as September and October 2008 saw three firsts in coaching research.

"Coaching: A New Horizon," was held September 26-27 and was hosted by the Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital with the focus on coaching theory, emerging evidence and practice. The first coaching conference at Harvard was well attended by 450 scientists, medical doctors, psychologists and coaches from across the globe, with 100 people on a waiting list.

Program directors Carol Kauffman, Margaret Moore and Christopher Palmer created an agenda that delivered an overview of the field of coaching, including executive, life, health, and wellness coaching from the perspective of theoretical perspectives and emerging research literature, in addition to observation and practice of coaching. Ruth Ann Harnisch was the recipient of the first “Vision of Excellence Award” for her professional, personal and philanthropic gifts to the coaching profession.

The International Coaching Research Forum (ICRF) was held September 28-29 at the Harvard Faculty Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sponsored by The Foundation of Coaching, a project of the Harnisch Foundation, and The Coaching and Positive Psychology Initiative, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, this event was chaired by Mary Wayne Bush, Director of the Research Division for The Foundation of Coaching, and Carol Kauffman, Director and Co-Founder, Coaching & Positive Psychology Initiative, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital.

Forty global coaching researchers and other professionals attended for the purpose of creating a coaching research agenda and identifying a minimum of 100 coaching research proposals that could be shared among researchers and coaching students globally. The Foundation of Coaching has both a coaching research mentor program and a grants program with an award fund of $100,000 to be awarded within that fiscal year.

Notice how engaged the attendees are, the animation in their eyes and the talking with their hands. Though some of the researchers knew each other and most had heard of each other, what was discovered at this event was the commonalities they shared in research focus.

The conference started with three minute video taped statements from each attendee about what important research questions need to be addressed in order to advance the emerging profession of coaching. Sunny Stout Rostron from South Africa expertly facilitated the event with breakout assignments and exercises which resulted in completion of over 100 coaching research proposals. Read these 100 proposals.

For those of you who looked at the pictures, you might be asking yourself “What are the three pitchers?’ They were part of the experience – we drank a lot of water, were well-fed, and enjoyed stimulating conversation. Relationships were created that will continue and advance coaching research.

The Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) is holding its first Consortium on “Executive Coaching for Effective Performance: Leading Edge Practice and Research” October 17-18, 2008 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Topics to be covered during this event include psychology, effectiveness, ethics and practice of coaching in addition to coaching women leaders and an open space for networking.

From a historical perspective, these three milestone research events will be remembered as significant contributions to the field of coaching.

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Who Said THAT?

Comments from our readers

From Laura Crawshaw
“I believe that professionals from other disciplines have much to offer to the practice of coaching, and that as coaching specialties evolve, it will become clearer what levels of expertise are required for various specialties. I also recommend that if coaches without therapist backgrounds have concerns about material emerging in coaching sessions that may be indicative of referral for therapy, they should consult with a qualified therapist to discuss the appropriateness of referral.”
What else did Laura have to say?

From James Possible
“I read the title and immediately said to myself “OF COURSE THERE’S A PLACE FOR COACHING” within politics! As a tool for communication and discernment, how could there ever be a place where coaching doesn’t work? When the coach thinks they have all the answers! (sly grin here)!”
Read what James is talking about

From Janet Baldwin Anderson
“What a great conference! A particularly good outcome was our meeting each other and establishing connections for future collaborations. I too feel this meeting has started something big – a great big conversation among coaches globally.”
What conference is Janet talking about?

A Season of (Turbulent) Change: This Month’s Quote

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