IN SEARCH OF A GREAT COACHING MODEL
(Where Science, Intuition and Experience Come Together To Optimize Client Change)
Introduction
I believe there is an art and science in great coaching. Up until now, our young profession has leaned heavily on the art, with much of what we know about coaching coming from intuitive insights of those passionate souls who were first called to do this work.
To anyone who has been trained in the various models and techniques of coaching, their impact is evident. A variety of studies have verified the value of coaching. Early ICF studies indicated 98.5% of clients saw value in working with their coach. Subsequent studies indicate that over 83% of clients stay with their coach for over 3 months. The majority of clients stay with their coach over 6 months. Other studies have shown return on investments of over 500% when coaching is taken into organizations.
Yet for all the progress we have made in our now billion-dollar industry, there is precious little in the way of hard science to provide structure and direction to the art. Many of the existing coaching models make sense and certainly help people gain clarity and move forward. However the typical;: set a goal, raise awareness, evaluate alternative courses of action, commit to action, set up accountability, approach has its limits.
The Need for Research Based Coaching Models
Conventional coaching approaches work well if the intended result is within the comfort zone or the existing developmental level of the client. However for big client agendas that would require a significant change in behavior, many of the existing "will-yourself-forward" models fall short of achieving the desired results. As coaches we have few scientifically proven tools to help clients convert their intention into new behaviors. (There is a rising tide of research that shows that intention is not enough to change behavior. If it were we would all keep our New Year’s Resolutions.)
It strikes me that to reach more of its potential, and deliver better and more consistent results to our clients, the profession of coaching needs models based on verifiable science. I suggest the era of proprietary coaching models not supported by first-rate research has outlived its usefulness. I believe our evolving profession needs and deserves an evidence based model of human change that optimizes the realization of human potential, and stands up to professional scrutiny.
The Science – Some Relevant Work to Date
Over the past few years there has been some excellent research that, I believe, sets the foundation for a science based coaching model. Here are some findings of particular note:
- Dr Paul MacLean’s work on the Triune brain, which essentially mapped out the differences between the reptilian, limbic (feeling) and neocortical (thinking) brain. http://www.ezls.fb12.uni-siegen.de/mkroedel/paul_maclean.html
- Further work to clarify how behavior is influenced by the limbic and cortical brains such as Drs. Lewis, Amini, and Lannon outline in their book A GENERAL THEORY OF LOVE. http://www.nobeliefs.com/theoryoflove.htm Of particular relevance is the limits of the thinking brain to influence behavior. It turns out we cannot easily “will” or “think” ourselves into new behavior that does not “feel” right. In other words coaching that relies solely on supplying insight and accountability is not sufficient to effect major changes in behavior.
Relevant quotes from A GENERAL THEORY OF LOVE include:
- “He cannot will himself to want the right thing, or to love the right person, or to be happy after disappointment, or even to be happy in happy times. People lack this capacity not through a deficiency of discipline but because the jurisdiction of will is limited to the latest brain {neocortical} and to those functions within it purview. Emotional life can be influenced, but it cannot be commanded.”
- “To the neocortical brain, rich in the power of abstraction, understanding makes all the difference, but it doesn’t count for much in the neural systems that evolved before understanding existed. Ideas bounce like so many peas off the sturdy incomprehension’s of the limbic and reptilian brains. The dogged implicitness of emotional knowledge, its relentless unreasoning force prevent logic from gaining salvation just as it precludes the self-help book from helping.”
- “The neocortical brain collects facts quickly. The limbic brain does not. Emotional impressions shrug off insight but yield to a different persuasion: the force of another person’s Attractors {established neural responses} reaching through the doorway of a limbic connection {relationship}.” (This means, we revise our behavior through emotional connections to others who have different behaviors – not through the power of reason or will. This points to the importance of an ongoing relationship {such as with a coach} to effect behavior change.) - Dr. Richard Boyatzis has contributed a great deal to our understanding of the effects of stress on our ability to learn and function effectively. He has also created “The Boyatzis Model Of Intentional Change” as a template to optimize change. Some of Boyatzis’ key insights (from the book RESONANT LEADERSHIP by Boyatzis and McKee) include:
- “As humans, we have the distinctive ability to create our own stress, with its full bodily response, merely by thinking about our anticipating future episodes or encounters that might be stressful.” (Many researchers including Dr. Gregg Jacobs, in his book THE ANCESTRAL MIND concur and point to the fact that our ability to think ourselves into stress, coupled with our busy and uncertain modern lives leave far too many of us in a chronic state of stress.)
- “Under stress not only does the brain shut down and lessen our ability to function, it also loses capability to learn.” (It seems that when we are under the effects of stress, we cannot learn, grow, or change. Under stress we cannot access our creativity, intuition or people skills. In coaching terms we are at a level one – focus on self – place and are essentially uncoachable.)
- “Mere rest does not lead to recovery...”, “So among other things, to renew ourselves, we need to remain hopeful even in the midst of real difficulties. We need to truly care about the people we are leading, and we need to experience compassion – both directed toward other people and coming from people to us. We need to attend to ourselves and to other in mind, body, heart and spirit. Mindfulness, hope and compassion enable us to be resilient and function effectively even in the face of challenges.” (To effectively coach people they need to be in a place where their parasympathetic nerve system – think relaxation response – is engaged, which in turn changes their body chemistry and allows new behavior to be learned. Helping people find their own daily “renewal” routine is important to keeping them out of a downward spiral of stress that would preclude growth and change. Connecting clients to a hopeful or inspiring future vision moves them out of the stress response and available for growth and change.)
- “Don’t try to do this alone. As you begin to engage in intentional change, you need to involve other people – connection is essential.” (Relationship is needed to effect significant change.)
- Boyatzis’ Model of Intentional Change can be seen at the bottom of this link http://www.ncsl.org.uk/media/F7B/92/randd-boyatzis-emotional.pdf . This model backs the intuitive leaning of many natural coaching approaches and, I believe, provides a theoretical structure that can be adapted for effective coaching models. One of the key contributions of this model is to recognize that by having a client focus and connect to the ideal, hoped for, future state, actually moves them out of the realm of the sympathetic nerve system (the place of reaction and stress where growth is not possible) and stimulates the parasympathetic nerve system (the relaxed normal state where change and growth are possible).
My Disclaimer
I am not a researcher and I claim no authorship. I am not suggesting this is the only or best path forward. Nor do I claim to have completed a thorough review of the state of the art.
My goal is to begin a dialogue that will result in the raising of the bar on professionalism in coaching, and hopefully lead us to an effective, simple, powerful, science-based model for optimizing human change.
What follows is a first attempt to adapt, capture and apply some of the latest findings in the field. Taking what research has created, and integrating the practical considerations of dealing with a wide variety of coaching agendas and situations, I have synthesized a draft of a coaching model currently named “THE MODEL OF INSPIRED CHANGE.”
This is a work in progress. I am not putting this forth as my work or arguing that this is the ultimate coaching model. Rather I am putting it forth to start a discussion with other professionals that might lead us all to higher ground, where the great power of our intuition and experience meet on a structure of good science.
Also please consider this a meta-model. Its goal is to provide a strategic structure for the work we do with clients. The specific coaching techniques and processes you use to move a client through the stages can vary according with your training and preference.
THE MODEL OF INSPIRED CHANGE – VERSION 1.0
Step 1 - Create A Vision of an Inspiring Ideal State Or Outcome
This model begins in the center with the client imagining and connecting to an outcome that inspires. They need to “feel” this outcome as a real and compelling possibility.
This is the place to ask questions such as: “Where do you want to be in your business or life one, two or three years down the road?”, “What is the best possible outcome?”, “ Who do you need to be, or what qualities do you need to bring forth, to be the person more success will flow to?”
This is the stage where a coach would ensure the client’s agenda aligns with their values, and would lead them to a place of greater engagement, expression, effectiveness and fulfillment.
The greater the client’s emotional experience (the more they can actually connect with and embody) of this future state, the more energy will be available for change.
Ongoing - Renewal / Support /Relationship
To make substantial change, we need to routinely move past our existing comfort zone or limiting beliefs and fears. To do that, we need to keep the vision of our desired outcome alive, so our internal state is one of resilience, hope, inspiration and possibility (not fear or stress). Therefore we need to create a daily renewal process, and establish support structures to keep us inspired, accountable, experimenting, and moving forward. This is best done in relationship with others.
Step 2 - Compare The Ideal to The Current State
Once we have clearly pictured the ideal state, we can contrast it to where the client is now. This process will clearly identify the gaps we need to close in the areas of who we need to BE, what we need to KNOW, and what we need to DO, to achieve the outcomes we desire. Once we have identified the gaps, we can prioritize our action. The introduction of the factors associated with BE, KNOW, DO provide distinctions that help the client raise their awareness on all the factors that will contribute to their successful outcome. For example – if they just focus on what they need to know, or who they aspire to be - and never translate it into action - success will not be possible. Note - Boyatzis points out that attempts to effect change by going directly into a discussion of shortcomings put individuals under stress and therefore minimizes the chance for change. By starting in the ideal future state, you prepare the client to look at the gaps from a non-stressed state. However caution should be exercised to ensure you do not focus on too many gaps at one time. Generally you want to focus on building strengths rather than mitigating shortcomings. Experience indicates that for most people a good news/bad news ratio of 5 to 1 keeps people inspired and moving forward.
Step 3 – Create a Plan, Learn and Grow
Knowing where we want to end up, where we are now, and having a clear understanding of priorities in the gap we want to close, we can create an action plan, to learn, grow and build the strengths required. (Good plans would build on signature strengths, and benefit from all prior art on good goal setting.) This is also the stage to draw on our allies and try out our new knowledge and behaviors in safe places.
Step 4 - Move Into Action
Implement the plan by taking sustained and courageous action while maintaining the support and renewal you require. Again here, ongoing accountability, support and relationship are crucial.
Step 5 – Evaluate Results
Compare our results with our intentions, and make whatever adjustments are necessary.
Participation
If you would like to be part of finding, adapting or evolving a new coaching model please feel free to participate. It would be very useful to hear your feedback on:
- Does this approach make sense to you?
- What works, what doesn’t?
- How could we make this simpler, more effective, more useful?
- Are there any other science based models you like?
- Etc.
Keeping Informed
If you would like to simply keep informed of the developments on this topic, simple email
SteveMittensCoachingNotes-on@zines.webvalence.com
(I will update everyone on my almost monthly newsletter.)
