Coach in VET Coaching Handbook

Coach in VET
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Handbook

DG Education and Culture
Leonardo da Vinci Partnership
1. Coach in VET: project summary ..............................................................................3
2. The partnership ...........................................................................................................4
3. Contents and results of the Coach in VET project ........................................... 10
3.1 Reasons to start coaching / coaching subjects ..................................................... 10
3.2 Protagonists/setting in coaching processes........................................................... 11
3.2.2 The Coach ............................................................................................................. 11
3.3 Theories in coaching................................................................................................ 13
3.4 Disambiguation counseling – coaching – consulting ............................................ 13
3.4.1 Definition of consulting ........................................................................................ 14
3.4.2 Definition of counseling ....................................................................................... 14
3.4.3 Definition of coaching .......................................................................................... 15
3.5 Coaching factors ...................................................................................................... 18
3.6 Process and methods in coaching .......................................................................... 19
3.7 Coaching Models ...................................................................................................... 19
4. Methods used in coaching processes .................................................................. 21
4.1 Communication theory “four sides to a message” by Friedemann Schulz von
Thun ................................................................................................................................ 21
4.2 phase 1 in coaching processes: .............................................................................. 24
contact/ opening the conversation ............................................................................... 24
4.2.1 Method 1: yes-set ............................................................................................. 24
4.2.2 Method 2: everyday object .............................................................................. 25
4.2.3 Method 3: open questions ............................................................................... 25
4.3 Phase two in coaching processes: contract........................................................... 25
4.3.1 Contract in coaching ......................................................................................... 25
4.3.2 Three types of clients (Steve de Shazer) ....................................................... 26
4.4 Phase three in coaching processes: questioning techniques ............................... 27
4.4.1 Method 4: scaling questions ............................................................................ 27
4.4.2 Method 5: circular questioning ........................................................................ 28
4.4.3 Method 6: questions of difference .................................................................. 28
4.4.4 Method 7: problem-oriented questions .......................................................... 29
4.4.5 Method 8: solution-oriented questions / future-oriented questions ............ 29
4.4.6 Method 9: wonderquestion (Steve de Shazer) .............................................. 29
4.4.7 Method 10: reframing ...................................................................................... 30
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1. Coach in VET: project summary
Coaching in vocational education and training (VET) is becoming more and more
important. It is a flexible and yet specifically applicable tool, which arouses interest
and receives appreciation. As such it has replaced counselling for learners in VET on
a large scale. Coaching represents an offer which serves to canvass new target
groups. Furthermore, it has become a tool for the self-reflection of management
boards in the system of VET. It meets employed people's and members' of
organisations' common needs when it comes to the question how life and work
should be organised. Many teachers in VET are not yet prepared to live up to the role
of vocational education pedagogue. The personnel in vocational education needs to
be professionalized.
There is a growing demand for coaching in terms of counselling aimed at the
professionalisation of executives in VET. Executives in VET need coaching: the
humanist holding a doctorate is no longer in demand, the people sought after now
are VET managers. Coaching can facilitate the fit between the individual and the
organisation. It helps executives to work on the improvement of their skills as far as
their function, the context of their work, and processes of their core business are
concerned. On the other hand, there is a growing need for coaching offers aimed at
customers in VET.
The demand for learner counselling is decreasing; coaching has superseded offers
consisting of mere accompanying support for the counselled customer and it is
currently replacing offers of continuing education (CE). Training related to e.g. time
management, communication, conflict coping, and other soft skills is no longer
carried out in terms of courses or workshops. Instead individual or group coaching is
being offered. The project "Coach in VET" intended to develop guidelines for the tool
coaching in VET and make them accessible to the systems in the partner countries.
Eleven European organisations cooperated with the respective national networks in
order to create a web-based tool for the knowledge management device "Coach in
VET". This tool, available for download or on CD, enables VET managers,
practitioners, and professionals to optimise their own professional development and
their learners' individual professional skills in a quicker and more satisfying manner.
The project "Coach in VET" created a space for exchange of experiences and
cooperation. EU added value was obtained from European exchange of experiences.
The present development of VET needs new impulses concerning the culture of
counselling. The project identified innovative trails of development by using coaching
as an instrument. The project enables the participating partners, to analyse and to
reflect complex ways of looking at problems in professional education in a systematic
way.
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2. The partnership
Coordinating organisation:
weiterbildung netzwerk GmbH (Tübingen, Germany)
Weiterbildung netzwerk GmbH is a provider in vocational education and training
(VET) and adult education(AE). The main scope of duties are training, coaching,
counselling, intercultural education, networking with other VET and AE organisations.
Competences are methods, train-the-trainer experience, inhouse training and
assistance in development of professional identity.
For further information see the website: www.weiterbildung-netzwerk.de (German)
Partner organisations:
Activité Conseil / Boutique de Gestion (Cayenne/Guyana, France)
Since 1996, Activité Conseil, member of the national network “Boutiques de Gestion”,
provides vocational training and courses, coaching and advice, to learners
throughout French Guiana, an overseas department of France and the only European
land located in South America. 23 staff members are currently involved in the
association, whose scope is regional (210000+ inhabitants). More than 1500 learners
are concerned each year by its activities. Those are divided into three domains:
integration (~1800 beneficiaries), entrepreneurship (~500 beneficiaries) and
vocational training (~200 beneficiaries):
Integration focuses on the definition of a professional project and provides guidance
throughout the completion of it. It aims at empowering unemployed people with the
lowest chances, and helps them finding an occupation as well as solving other
personal issues (housing, health, etc.)
Entrepreneurship focuses on the definition of a business project and provides
guidance throughout the completion of it. The target group is vastly composed of
people with low levels of education and neither background nor experience in
business. They are mostly unemployed people and the business they are generally
planning is only meant to make them a decent living.
Vocational training‟s target group is centered on migrants and the local people with
no educational background. It mainly aims at strengthening their language skill so
that they can better write, speak, and express themselves, with a focus on key
technical words required as part as their individual professional project, and the
wider process of integration through work.
The three domains are linked, with frequent bridges between them. All focus on the
same target group composed of unemployed people with low levels of vocational
education and low chances, including those from the remote traditional villages,
notably on Maroni river, deep in the forest, without any access by road and far from
the populated coast.
For further information see the website: www.boutiques-de-gestion.com
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Agenzia formazione Orientamento Lavoro Sud Milano (Milan, Italy)
Agenzia per la Formazione, l‟Orientamento e il Lavoro Sud Milano a.s.c.
(AFOL Sud Milano) is a Consortium of Public Institutions whose shareholders
are the Province of Milan (33%) and 26 Municipalities of the southern area of
Milan (67%).
Agenzia is the outcome of the merging of :
- 2 educational/training centres (Consorzio per la Formazione Professionale e
per l‟Educazione Permanente and Consorzio Sud Ovest Milano);
- 3 employment agencies (“Centri per l‟Impiego” owned by the Province of
Milan)
Through its employment agencies, educational/training centres, front offices
and other structures located in the area, AFOL Sud Milano provides the
following services:
- employment administrative acts
- matching (job requests and offers)
- labor active politicies
- actions planned to prevent and counteract the risk of long lasting
unemployment
- integration of disabled people in the labor market
- life long education
- vocational training (starting with compulsory
- training on the job
- services related to the territorial needs (cultural and social)
- transnational projects
For further information see the website: www.provincia.milano.it/agenzia/
Asociata pentru Educatie si Dezvoltare Durabila (Association for
Education and Sustainable Development) (Calarasi, Romania)
The Association for Education and Sustainable Development in Calarasi,
Romania is an educational center and its main activities are focused on
delivering formal courses and informal lifelong education, as well as on
contributing to building a system offering consultation, information and
training on continuous education.
The goal of the Association is to promote lifelong learning in society in order
to facilitate the development of an active citizenship, social cohesion and
employment. In order to achieve this goal we are developing local, regional,
national and trans-national partnerships and projects for applying the lifelong
learning concept and implementing new ICT technologies (education through
internet and computers).
One of the activities of our association includes an ongoing analysis of the
needs of our region and setting up a network of local centers of distance
learning (education), that could be easily accessed by the disadvantaged
areas.
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Our association endeavors to complement the formal educational system and
to offer more flexibility to the lifelong learning processes.
Hüyük Halk Egitim Merkezi (Hüyük Public Education and Training
Center) (Konya, Turkey):
Hüyük is a small town situated in middle west Anatolia. Our organisation
which is in Hüyük is a public education centre and it organizes seminars and
courses in town. One can say that the courses are especially vocational and
socio-cultural courses. Persons who take vocational courses have better
chances to find jobs with their certificates that we can offer them.
On the other hand; with the help of socio-cultural courses, sport courses,
foreign language courses and different subject courses; school education
supporting, kids‟success accessing are also part of our portfolio.
The education is carried out by the teachers of our organisation and teachers
who work part time in our organisation. The courses are opened not only in
the centre of the town or in the organisation‟s building but also in villages and
different schools. Our local managers collaborate with us when organising the
location of the courses.
initial-training (Karlsruhe, Germany):
Main tasks: Adult and vocational education, educational offers relating to
personal development, examination of concepts in continuing education as
well as transfer of and discussions on these concepts. Expertise in Coaching.
Initial training offers an extensive network of partner organisations in
Germany.
For further information see the website: www.initial-karlsruhe.de
Saaremaa Educational Center (Kuressaare, Estonia)
Is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and the aims and activities are
directly connected with the development plans of rural areas in Estonia. Main
tasks are: offers in VET and cooperation with other institutions,
entrepreneurship training to create new jobs and to promote local life. The
main target groups are women, disabled people and unemployed people.
For further information see the website: www.sok.ee
Telsiu svietimo centras (Telsiai Education Centre) (Telsiai,
Lithuania): TELSIAI EDUCATION CENTRE is the only – in-service training
institution in the region providing qualitative education services and enabling
the community of Telsiai to get lifelong professional development .
Activities
Writing of qualification programmes and their implementation, project writing
and expanding of resources, disseminating good experience, organising inservice
training for teachers, organising foreign language and computer
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literacy courses for the community, establishing and maintaining contacts with
various institutions, accumulating library resources, lending methodological
materials, organising conferences and continuing education studies, organising
study trips for teachers, working with teacher trainers, lecturers,
accumiulating information about funds, the initiatives of other centres and
programmes of in-service training made by other institutions.
Aims
Providing qualitative educational support for the teaching community in regard
to the idea of life long learning and the requirements raised by science,
culture and technology.
For further information see the website: http://sctelsiai.lt;
TRANSFER Slovensko, spol. s r.o. (Bratislava, Slovakia):
The company TRANSFER Slovensko, spol. s.r.o. was founded in 1994 as a
Slovak privat educational institution without foreign capital. It is currently one
of the major educational and consulting companies on the Slovak scene. The
company is based in Bratislava and have 5 internal employees and about 35
external co-workers.
The company‟s purpose and mission is to provide an integrated system of
human resources services by covering three areas, which constitute our
company‟s core products:
educational programmes;
training programmes;
consulting.
international projects
For further information see the website: www.transfer.sk
Union Nationale Retravailler (Paris, France):
Retravailler National Union is a countrywide structure constituted by 15
territorial associations. Each territorial association is self-directed and develops
specific furnishings which respond to its regional publics‟ needs. Territorial
associations are organised as a network which is coordinated by the National
Union. Retravailler‟s craft heart is professional guidance and insertion. Work
identity stays its action rules hardcore, and professional guidance its field of
action. That field has widened to the questions of changements in professional
trajectory : first insertion, renewal after layoff or voluntary break, career
progress, business turnaround and all the situations that require special
guidance.
Union proficiency is :
- 34 years of background, more than 600 000 probationers,
- an 80 sites network in France, a National Union,
- a European network, European Working Association (EWA),
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- 450 trainers and counsellors, multidisciplinary pools,
- an engineering and a guidebook for pedagogical tools and practices,
- a French standard Quality Label (OPQF),
The action of Retravailler network is organised on a statement of guidance
engineering which consists in giving to stakeholders reference frame and tools
that are chosen according to beneficiaries‟ needs.
Key points of professional guidance :
- a self-construction process,
- actively involving the person, «first and foremost»
- with on-going adjustment to a ever-changing environment :
- local labour markets characteristics,
- internal job opportunities (mobility),
- adaptation to the changes in work practices and requirements, etc
- and driving the person towards a new job, new responsabilities, new
practices, etc.
For further information see the website: www.retravailler.org
Die Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH, Volkshochschule Alsergrund,
Währing, Döbling (Vienna, Austria):
The Volkshochschule Alsergrund is part of „The Wiener Volkshochschulen
GmbH“.
Since 2008, the Wiener Volkshochschulen (Vienna Adult Education Centres)
have been a non-profit private limited company. Owners of "Die Wiener
Volkshochschulen GmbH" are the Verband Wiener Volksbildung with 74,9 %
and the City of Vienna with 25,1 %.
Today, the 16 Wiener Volkshochschulen offer a varied programme of
educational courses and lectures that are low-threshold and tailor-made
concerning the needs of the population. A typical feature of the
Volkshochschulen is their openness for all residents of Vienna – especially
those who cannot normally afford education profit from this philosophy.
The Volkshochschule Alsergrund Währing Döbling is situated in the 9th
district. Its staff consists of 20 employees and 300 free-lance teachers. It
offers about 1000 courses every year. The main topics are languages, health
exercises, creativity, politics, society, culture, vocational training, natural
science, technics and environment.
For further information see the website: www.vhs.at/vhs09_home.html
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At the first meeting in Milano the partners discussed what they are expecting of the
Coach in VET project and what they could offer to the other partners. Here are the
results:
What are we looking for?
having an interesting exchange and discussions about coaching
getting some information about the other organisations´ daily work in other
countries concerning VET.
Personal progress regarding the work with instructors and students through
application of coaching instruments
methods/trainings to support the staff of our organisation in their daily work
methods to give advice for companies in further education for their employees
exchange of best practices, the concept of coaching, new tools, point of views
have cultural and social benefits for the all project partners
New experiences
to learn something about coaching in a nice atmosphere
to get to know different strategies or perpectives in coaching
getting information about the aims of coaching in other countries and how
coaching works there
getting to know and establish contacts with the other participants, establish
new partnerships
working together and empowering coaching in European organisations.
My/our offer for contributions to the project Coach in VET:
experiences and knowledge in coaching
our experience in coaching as a practice tool for all
we have developped a methodology and tools in vocational guidance
we have 34 years of experience in this field and in gender mainstreaming
we hope to exchange information and experiences about coaching,
offering a different point of view from an overseas region which is far less
developped than the rest of Europe and which has an overall lower level of
education and more unemployment.
integrated tools for motivation and activation
to applicate coaching elements in pilot groups (target group: staff,
trainers/teachers, learners)
a functional model of best practices in coaching for VET and utilising this
model
to disseminate the results
to be a good partner.
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3. Contents and results of the Coach in VET project
3.1 Reasons to start coaching / coaching subjects
People seek coaching for a broad variety of reasons. The following problems could be
a reason for a person to seek professional support by a coach. There are also many
possible reasons which are not mentioned here, it is just a compilation of examples.
The common basis for all the subjects is, that they are problems and challenges
which are relevant for the coachee´s future.
• I have a new job/role in my institute
• My students are panicking before their exams
• I am panicking before my exam
• I cannot learn things I should
• My colleagues criticize me often
• I didn‟t get the promotion
• I have too much work
• My health is becoming bad
• Conflicts in team
• My team leader doesn‟t make decisions
• My boss says I have to change
• Our project is too late, nobody has time
• I am not allowed to make any decisions
Because there are so many reasons to seek coaching, there are many types of
coaching.
Types of coaching:
• life coaching,
• business coaching,
• executive coaching,
• sports coaching,
• performance coaching,
• transitional coaching,
• transformational coaching, etc.
It seems like every aspect coaching deals with generates a specific form of coaching.
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3.2 Protagonists/setting in coaching processes
And therefore many professionals deal with certain matters and can be called
coaches. Usually two persons – the coachee (person who seeks support/ has a
problem) and the coach (professional supporter) build the personal constellation in a
coaching process.
Types of coaches
learning counseling
career guidance
business start-up consulting
management consultation
problem
substance abuse counseling
educational guidance
coachee
sexual counseling
3.2.2 The Coach
nutritional counseling
financial advice
The coach wants to help persons who seek his/her support. The coach relies on
his/her personality (experiences, emotions...) and professionality/theories, which
build the foundation to distinguish what is good and bad and to know how persons
develop, change and communicate.
Coaches` ways to look at the coachee:
- problem-oriented: the focus is the problem.
Typical questions would be “How do you feel/ what do you think/ what are your
experiences?”
Usually the way therapists look on their clients in long-term therapies like
pschoanalysis (Sigmund Freud) can be called problem-oriented.
- solution-oriented: the focus is the solution to the problem. Problem and solution
are regarded as two different things, which are relatively independent from each
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other. The problem is not so important, the solution is. The efforts and energy is
aligned to the goal which is a good solution for the coachee. Typical questions would
be “What if...?”, “Which ideals/antetypes do you have?”, “ What makes this situation
good/ better than...?”, “How would it feel...?”
It is important to define for each coach if his/her personality fits to the theories
he/she relies on. If the personality is for example problem-oriented the appropriate
approach would also be a problem-oriented one.
Coach values in coaching processes:
the coachee has the freedom to express him-/herself,
the coachee gives the answers for his/her questions, the coach does not
directively give answers to the coachee´s concerns,
the coach has to look for the coachee´s demands,
coaching is an temporarily intervention,
a coach must believe that people are able and want to change, improve and
cope with their problems,
a coach has to reflect on him-/herself to be aware of his/her strengths,
emotional setup and limits.
Coaching competences and qualifications
no formal qualifications are needed/requested to become a coach (the title
coach is not ´protected`),
communicative skills: to be able to listen carefully, asking properly and deal
with different target groups,
being trustful so that the coachee can develop a trustful relationship to deal
with his/her often intimate matters,
personal and technical confidence,
multi-disciplinary skills and knowledge (f.e. social, economical...),
specific coaching apprenticeship,
before becoming a coach it is useful to have experience as a coachee to know
both sides of the coaching process.
The approach a coach is using to support his coachees can be more or less based on
theory and empirical knowledge.
fortuneteller
scientist
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3.3 Theories in coaching
Theories give ideas to the coach, what is healthy and what is harmful, what are good goals
and what could be harmful goals. Theories used in coaching cover a wide variety of aspects
and deal with the development of humans, about change processes and how human
communication functions. So coaches use theories from diffferent scientifical disciplines like
psychology, educational science, economics, sociology, biology, etc.
It is important that the theories a coach uses fit to the personality of the coach, so that a
authentic communication becomes possible.
3.4 Disambiguation counseling – coaching – consulting
It is necessary to set the terms right. In everyday life counseling means a lot of
things. Even when we exclude the function of a salesman/-woman, who calls himself
a counselor, counseling involves two very distinct courses of action: consulting and
coaching. To define what is understood as coaching, consulting and counseling the
distinction between the terms is essential.
Coaching
Consulting
Counseling
What brings a good counselor with him-/herself?
A good counselor should know about two aspects: expertise in the subject the
support-seeker wants to be professionally supported – this part can be described or
referred to as consulting. Also the counsellor should have counseling methodology
and is then able to decide what to do in a certain situation.
Human beings are autonomic, stand-alone systems – advice can be meant good and
nevertheless result in the contrary. This maybe sound incomprehensible, but
everybody knows that from one´s own experience. How do you react, if a friend tells
you, what you should do? Even when he/she is right? You should save money, limit
your alcohol consumption, look for a new job, let others finish speaking, etc.?
Hardly ever such a demand is useful. Psychology shows that real motivation and
strength arises out of oneself, human beings have to feel out of their inner self the
comprehension, the wish to change something. He/she has to get to a solution by
him-/herself, maybe with the help of another person. Here counsellors are
specialists. The definition of counselling means: initiate and accompany processes.
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No one is an expert for everything and knows the solution for a client. In every
company, in every team, for each learner the solution to a problem is different and
no one knows it from the outside. What takes affect on someone, has no effect on
another person. We always have to work with the person, if we want to be effective.
On all accounts there are moments in the professional work with people where
approaches are required, where it would be of advantage if we can switch. Mostly
these are moments where we fall back to counselling methods, if goals are or
become dubious. Always at the clarification of the assignment (contracting), always if
conflicts arise, always when we get annoyed by the client, always when the client
does not want, what I as a coach want.
3.4.1 Definition of consulting
The perspective of a consulting process can be summarized as “the power is in the
consultant”.
Usually consultants are paid to provide expert knowledge. Companies or persons use
consulting when they need an outside opinion to make a decision and want to use
best practice experiences from an professional outside the company.
The consultant knows about the matter and is able to give advice, how the supportseekers
should position themselves. The best consultant is firstly the one who gives
the best advice. It is also important, if the advice is given it is still not sure that the
customer wants to or is able to implement them. The consultant has the knowledge.
3.4.2 Definition of counseling
The credo of counseling can be formulated as “the power is in the client”.
A counsellor reacts distinct to a consultant. Even if the knowledge about the current
situation and the context of the problem is useful the counsellor focuses on the goal
and asks the client a lot. Questions which enable the clients to evaluate and
complete their strategy.
It is not about the expertise of the counselor about the problem and its effects, it is
about a clarification process with the idea of the power is with the client.
Out of these kind of processes clients leave invigorated with the feeling that they
know what to do and how they should do it.
Counseling offers scientifically based and evaluated methods and knowledge for an
aggreed-on advancement of clarification processes, decision support and actions that
initiate, accompany and implement processes.
With other words it is a system of skills and abilities, which an expert can use to
support a client to achieve the goals which were defined at the beginning.
These skills are more than intuitive people skills, which every consultant or counsellor
needs.
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3.4.3 Definition of coaching
In professional literature there can be identified many different coaching definitions.
Here are some examples:
The international coach federation defines coaching as:
“An on-going professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary
results in their lives, careers, businesses or organisations. "
Myles Downey (a recognised and respected coach and coach trainer) of the
Executive School of Coaching defines coaching as “...the art of facilitating the
learning and development of another without prescription".
Within the duration of the project partners where exchanging their views on the topic
coaching and worked on a common understanding what coaching means.
The basis of this common understanding is that coaching is a context created for
professional help to an individual in her/his situation. In this context a process
consultant and a client equitably work togehter to help the coachee to (re)gain
access to his/her resources and options. The coachee should be empowered to deal
with problems, new situations or personal matters.
Coaching aims at...
establishing a coach-client relationship,
working in a one-on-one-situation on personal and professional topics,
the coach works with a client on the current situation and helps him/her to
carry out his/her intentions,
the future well-being of individuals concerning f.e. individual development,
improvement of skills/ situations/ self-confidence,
providing assistance in change processes regarding skills, attitudes,
empowerment, success, overcoming limits, reflecting the coachee´s situation,
providing the coachee with tools to handle his/her situation.
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All partners agreed on a model for the process of coaching. The following graphic
shows the process understanding:
coaching process
evaluation
& future
change
contact
contract
This is the ideal, smooth, simple session which is more a theoretical structure.
Usually clients jump forward and backward, and sometimes the counselor/coach also
does not know what he is doing - but this is a structure which can be helpful to have
an overview which parts a coaching process consists of.
Definition of the process of coaching by the international coach federation
"Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their
performance and enhance the quality of their life. In each meeting, the client
chooses the focus of the discussion, whilst the coach listens and contributes
observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the client
into action. Coaching accelerates the client's progress by providing greater focus and
awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where the clients are now and what
they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future, recognising that
results are a matter of the client's intentions, choices and actions, supported by the
coach's efforts and the application of the coaching process."
(source: www.coachfederation.org)
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Skills coaching
Skills coaching adresses client„s needs to develop specific needs and abilities.
Therefore skills coaching is similar to training but individualized in an one to one
setting. It can contain an expert advice, so the coach tells the coachee what to do.
It is often used in group based training, to provide individual support. It is a common
way to coach executive managers who have a limited amount of time. Characteristic
attributes of skills coaching are a concrete goal, a directive intervention by the coach
and a short term duration.
Performance coaching
Performance coaching aims at the client‟s performance more generally in her or his
current role. This is usually done by enabling her/him to develop particular
behaviours or remove blockades. A typical problem to seek performance coaching is
an unclarity about the coachee´s current role or the coachee moving to a new role.
If the reason to start the coaching process is underperformance by the coachee, it
has to be clarified, whether the „boss“ gave direct and clear feedback about the
coachee´s performance. A first step in a performance coaching is to enable to get a
feedback by relevant stakeholders about the coachee´s current and desired
performance. For the success of the coaching in the first sessions client„s active
participation has to be ensured by the coach. The average duration of a performacne
coaching is three to six months. The coach has a quite directive role in „keeping the
client on the track“.
Development coaching
In a development coaching the client wants to change in her/his personality. The
coaching objectivs are complex and emergent und therefore a development coaching
has a long term duration.
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3.5 Coaching factors
personality
of the coach
context
relationship
process
methods
Coaching deals with several factors: context, process, methods, relationship and the
personality of the counsellor.
Context: Where am I working, what is my role and my assignment, what am I
allowed to tell whom?
Process: How can a coaching run, how do I start, what has to be agreed on in
advance, how does the clarification and change of the client happen? How can I take
care that the change is useful to the client and that the effects of the change
becomes predictable (not that we coach a team leader how to handle his team
better, but then he/she becomes too good for his position and he gets fired).
Methods: which methods get used in the coaching to achieve the agreed goal.
Relationship: How can I arrange the relationship between me as the coach and the
client, so it becomes beneficial for both?
Last but not least: Which are significant aspects of a good coaching personality:
which personal characteristics are useful, not useful, which are essential and which
are not acceptable?
All these factors cause another. A coach with a certain personality will tend to other
methods which have an effect on the process. The process and the methods effect
the relationship and these will affect the personalities.
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3.6 Process and methods in coaching
systems
relationship
history
problems
goals
abilities
client 1
client 2
counselor
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3.7 Coaching Models
Coaching Models can be used as a way to connect principles and create an
understandable image inside one´s imagination. They reduce a complex action into
easy-to-remember and easy-to-follow model.
GROW-Model
The GROW-Model describes a coaching session as a four-part-process. GROW in this
model is an acronym for the four phases of a coaching and can be described as:
1. G-oal
2. R-eality
3. O-ptions or O-bstacles
4. W-ay / W-rap up / W-ill
It is not possible to define who was the inventor of the GROW-model, but Graham
Alexander, Alan Fine and Sir John Whitmore, who are well known in the world of
coaching, made significant contributions.
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1 st step Goal:
This description of the first part of a coaching process as goal shows that the coach
and the coachee have to agree on an issue which should be discussed/worked on
during the coaching. Also the goals the coachee wants to achieve have to be defined
and/ or possible aspects the coachee wants to change. The coachee has the
opportunity to describe what he/she thinks the possible outcome / success of the
coaching should be. After the goals or aspects to change are defined the coach can
determine if this is a realistic goal that he and the coachee can manage to achieve.
2 nd step reality:
This next phase in the coaching process is about defining the relevant aspects of the
coachee´s current situation. The coachee should describe the problem as he/she
sees it to the coach. Also current developments and possible effects of the
problematic situation should be discussed here. Also the coach tries to figure out
who are the involved persons and which factors are relevant to the coachee´s issue.
Also the coach should ask the coachee about previous attempts of the coachee to
cope with the problematic situation.
3 rd step options or obstacles:
This third step is about exploring options. The coach and the coachee try to find out
what are the resources or possible courses of action the coachee has to cope with
his/her problematic situation. The coach can try to find out with the coachee wich
resources of the coachee have not been used or have not been used to their
optimum. Also possible supporters or persons who could help the coachee should be
identified. The both protagonists try to develop alternatives and figure out which is
the best way to proceed for the coachee, by anticipating benefits and pitfalls of the
possible solutions. Also the coach should support the coachee to structure the issues
of the coachee by assisting him/her to find out a order of which are the most
important problems.
4 th step way/wrap-up/will:
In this final step a way to establish the will of the coachee is determined. The coach
works out with the coachee the next steps in his/her new course of action. Also it is
talked about when to take these steps and what aspects could get in the way of
carrying out as planned. This gives the coachee a possibility to get aware of the near
future and for what and by whom he/she can get support.
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4. Methods used in coaching processes
The interventions used in the coaching process by the coach are all actions and notactions
the coach uses to help the coachee. This means that even if the coach
chooses not to react this can be an intentional intervention. Remember Paul
Watzlawick: “One can not not communicate.”
Basically every coaching process is a communication process so a theory of human
communication is essential for every coach.
4.1 Communication theory “four sides to a message” by
Friedemann Schulz von Thun
This basic communication theory divides every communicational act into four parts.
factual information
self-revelation
appeal
relationship
1. factual information
First of all a message includes facts. Vital aspect of objective communication is
comprehensibility: simplicity, structure, briefness, additional stimulation
If a disturbance occurs in a communication about objective goals there are two
strategies to cope with this situation:
1 ´this does not belong here`: common point of view, appeal for dicipline. This way
often leads to arguments and not to a consense.
2 ´interruptions have priority`(Ruth Cohn - tci): courage to change to metacommunication
(talking about how the communication is percepted) by emphasising
the other sides to a message.
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2. relationship
By the way to adress someone I express what I think of him/her and define the
relationship between him/her and me.
attitude-cross
appreciation
control
freedom of choice
disrespect
3. self-revelation
By communicating everyone reveals something about him- or herself and gives some
kind of a sample of one´s personalit. This side is psychologically explosive, because
it is connected to the fear of revealing something which others can interprete
negatively.
Senders tend to take care and use energy to create their self-revelation by using
certain techniques like impressing, facade or self-reduction.
For succesful communication Schulz von Thun suggests
- congruency between inner experiences, consciousness and communication
- selective authenticity: clarity of own emotions and communication.
4. appeal
By saying something usually the sender of a message wants to achieve something.
The problem of influence and manipulation is located here.
In difference to the other three sides, which describe what is, this side is pointed
towards the future because of the anticipated effect.
Appeals can be send
- open: direct expression of the sender´s wish or
- hidden: often unconscious behaviour. To reveal hidden appeals it is useful not to
ask for the (past) causes but for the goals the behaviour is aiming at.
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Schulz von Thun pointed out a very interesting and helpful aspect: every person
tends to one side of these four sides of a message. On this preferred side a receiver
(to whom a message/communication is sent) is especially sensitive. This may help a
coach to find out what kind of person is approaching him/her as a coachee.
the four-eared receiver (Schulz von Thun 1981)
self-revelation
ear
What does he/she
say about him-
/herself?
What kind of
person is this?
fact ear
What is the issue?
relationship ear
What does the
other think about
me?
How is he/she
talking to me?
appeal ear
What should I do,
think, feel?
essential findings out of the Schulz von Thun communication theory for
coaches:
communication/messages can consist of multiple layers
senders and receivers tend to focus on one of the four sides and do not
necessarily tend to all sides of the message
succesful communication has to make sure both sender and receiver
understand each other and which side they are focussing
meta-communication is a useful tool to avoid or clear misunderstandings.
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4.2 phase 1 in coaching processes: contact/ opening the
conversation
In the beginning of a coaching process the coach and coachee define the subjects to
deal with and which results the coachee wants to achieve and the coach believes he
can be an assistance for. The coach has to make the coaching process transparent
for the coachee and clearly define the roles in the coaching process. The coach has
to establish a safe and trustful atmosphere to help the coachee to reflect on him-
/herself.
Here we want to present some examples how a coach can start into a coaching
process and establish an open, trustful atmosphere between him/her and the
coachee.
4.2.1 Method 1: yes-set
This method was invented by Milton Erickson, a humanist psychologist. The intention
is that the coach is asking questions, to which the answer of the coachee should be a
“Yes”. Thereby the coachee can get a feeling of being understood and that the coach
is listening carefully.
To achieve this “yes-set” it is important for the coach to follow the interpretations of
the coachee and not his/her own view. It is easy to achieve by asking for emotions,
but these questions also produce emotions, so the coach has to be careful if it is
wise to eventually produce negative emotions at the beginning of the coaching
session. It seems to be useful to leave decisions to the coachee at the beginning of
the session, for example where he/she wants to sit, if he/she wants something to
drink, etc.
To make it more concrete: the coach is mirroring the statements of the coachee and
can ask the coachee if he/she has understood the statements correctly.
Example:
Coachee: “I cannot finish the current task because I am not able to do it.”
Coach: “So you have the perception that you are missing competences to fulfill your
assignment?”
Coachee: “Yes.”
It is also possible to use the momentum of the repetitive response to have someone
agree to something without full consideration. Sales people often utilise this
technique by asking a series of innocuous questions for which the answer can only
be "yes" followed quickly a line such as "so you want to buy this then?" When the
unwary will often answer "yes" without due thought.
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4.2.2 Method 2: everyday object
The coachee can be told to bring an object from his work, which he uses regularly/ is
related to a certain point in his life. For many people it is easier to start talking about
themselves if they can use this object as a starting point. It is a way to get the
coachee focussed on the situation he/she wants to work on.
4.2.3 Method 3: open questions
Open questions help to build trust, collect information about topics, cognitive
patterns and emotions. Often the clients direct the conversation to the points which
are important for them, if the coach leaves them the space to do that. In contrary to
closed questions, which can be answered by simlpy saying “Yes” or “No” the coachee
is pointed into a direction to tell and explain his/her issue and that the coach is
interested in his problem.
Examples: “What is it why you are coming to me?” “What is your request?”
4.3 Phase two in coaching processes: contract
4.3.1 Contract in coaching
The contract is the most important legal instrument for a coach and serves two
purposes. Firstly it sets the ground rules for the coaching relationship so that both
parties know their obligations. Secondly, it keeps the liabilities of the coach to an
absolute minimum.
The formal contract sets the basic conditions of the coaching relationship between
client and coach. It is a service contract and defines what the coach has to provide
to get paid by his/her customer. It usually consists of the following aspects:
- number of dates,
- duration of the single dates,
- intervals of the dates,
- overall duration of the coaching,
- places, where the coaching takes place,
- concerned persons,
- fee rate,
- allowable expenses,
- accountability,
- sort of payment.
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Also the coach and the coachee should agree on a psychological contract. Here the
rules of the coaching are defined. It is essential that the coachee expresses his
expectations and wishes, especially which topics should be worked on and which
topics should not be worked on.
Also the coach has to present his conditions to the coachee. It is important to resolve
wrong expectations of the coachee, which f.e. can be a cure offered by the coach, so
that the coachee realizes that the coach is a process accompanist and can give
impulses for change. This is not a routine operation because persons and situations
vary in every coaching, the relationship between coach and coachee has to be
defined time and again.
Aspects to define in the psychological contract are:
- do the ideological orientation of coach and coachee match to one another
- the willingness to challenge self-critically one´s values and perceptions
- the concrete expecations of the coaching
- the to-use methods in the coaching process
- the extent of the desired change
- the limits in coaching: are there any aspects the coachee wants to exclude, on the
other hand the coach has to inform the coachee which goals can be achieved in a
coaching process and which can not.
To agree on a contract with a possible client, the coach has to find out if the person
who seeks his support is a coaching client or not. For this purpose Steve de Shazer
developed a distinction of three types of persons who seek professional support in a
therapeutical way:
4.3.2 Three types of clients (Steve de Shazer)
Even if this model descends from a therapeutical background, it can be also very
useful in a coaching setting, even if these support structures have a lot of
differences. Many problems dealt with in a therapeutical setting can not be worked
on in a coaching process.
visitors: people who start a coaching process because they were told to do that, for
example by their boss. A "visitor," at bottom, maintains a wariness or distance from
the expectation that he or she might change. Sometimes when a client is sent by
someone against his will, he arrives in a "visitor" mode, that is, he just physically
shows up for his sessions without the intention of making any personal changes
complainants: a complainant comes into therapy/coaching complaining that
someone else is responsible for their difficulties, or feels frustrated by their
difficulties yet isn't ready to change. The client may feel no need to change. Visitors
and complainants often are in therapy at the suggestion of someone and are less
there out of their own choice or sense of needing help. These are problems the
coach can not work on, because he/she can only work on the coachee´s situation
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and not “the others”. So it is important for a coach to find out if a complainant
respectively his/her problem can be transformed to become a customer. A possible
way to transform a complainant to a customer is to find out if the coachee has a
concern he/she has not yet realized.
customers: the customers seek help to change themselves and believe that they
can change. With this type of clients a coach can start working.
A "customer" for therapy/coaching is ready to do the "work" of therapy/coaching
because he or she recognizes, in his or her own way, the benefits of actively
participating in therapy.
4.4 Phase three in coaching processes: change
To establish a contact between the coach and the coachee, to identify the problem,
the coachee seeks coaching for and also to set impulses for reflection and change, it
is vital to define what is exactly the problem. Questioning techniques therefore are a
key instrument in the beginning of the coaching process, nevertheless they stay
essential to all parts of the coaching circle as seen above.
Questions are powerful tools to
direct inner search processes,
change topics,
cause emotions,
disburden the person who is asked the “right” question.
For coaches it is important to know about the effects their questions could possibly
have.
4.4.1 Method 4: scaling questions
Scaling questions help to gain information to which extent the problem affects the
actions and thought patterns of the coachee. Steve de Shazer used scaling questions
in his solution-oriented therapy to reduce the complexity of clients´ problems and to
generate options for (future) action. With scaling options a coach has a useful tool to
help the coachee to express complex and intuitional observations as well as
estimations concerning their future options.
Example: If a coachee has a problem with the level of his/her excitement while doing
presentations, a possible scaling question could be: “On a scale from one (not
excited) to ten (extremely excited), how did you feel when you were going inside the
room where you had to do the presentation/during the presentation/after the
presentation?”
The example above shows that with scaling questions it is possible to analyse the
problem of the coachee at different points in time and to give the coachee a chance
to achieve a more differenciated perception of his/her problem.
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4.4.2 Method 5: circular questioning
Circular questioning is a questioning technique in systemic coaching that
opens up a new way of thinking for the coachee. The coachee changes
his/her own perspective to a perspective of another individual in the
relevant social system. Beeing asked circular questions, the coachee has
to think in a round about way.
With the help of circular questions the coachee becomes empathic and
understands other role demands by changing his/her perspective.
By the way: it often makes sense to combine circular aspects with the
other kinds of questioning techniques (who do the other persons
feel/see/react to generate important information or giving an impulse to the coachee
who he/she is percepting other protagonists in the relvant situation.
Goals of circular questioning
• collect information about the communication context of the coachee,
• make communication offers transparent for all,
• disturb frozen patterns of communication, behavior and relationship,
• spread ideas for new patterns of interpretation and options.
• To generate new conversations about the situation, moving people away from
their stuck accounts, to increase the options,
• A more connected systemic perspective can help the client to understand her-
/ or himself better in the situation.
Examples:
´What does your mother think about your problem?`
´Peter, what does your mother feel like, if she sees your father crying?`
´If your boss would be here now, what would he say if he‟d be asked why he always
shouts at you?`
4.4.3 Method 6: questions of difference
To describe a phenomenon it is useful to separate it from other phenomenons. It is
important to distinguish between describing, explaining and evaluating, so the
coachee understands a phenomenon is not necessarily connected to his/her
subjective perspective.
Questions of difference can be divided into questions of qualitative and questions of
quantitative differences.
Example for quantitative differences:
something is better/worse or sth. is more/less.
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Example for questions of classification (qualitative differences):
Who is the most active/adventurous in your familiy
Who is the least active...
4.4.4 Method 7: problem-oriented questions
These questions focus the part each protagonist takes to maintain the problem and
can also be used to gather relevant information and give impulses for reflection.
Examples:
a)´What can you do to feel even worse?`
Combined with circular aspects: `What could your boss do to make you feel even
worse?`
b) The what-if-question:
´How would you have to behave, so that the others would believe your problem
came back, even though it has not?`
4.4.5 Method 8: solution-oriented questions / future-oriented questions
These questions focus improvement and the future achievement of the desired
outcome.
Examples:
a) Questions of exceptions from the problem:
´When did the problem not occur?`
b) Questions for resources:
´Which aspects of your life should remain as they are?`
c) If this discussion ended in a satisfactory way, what would be happening? How
would you recognise a successful outcome? What do you want to achieve long term?
4.4.6 Method 9: wonderquestion (Steve de Shazer)
The wonder question is a method out of short-time psycho-therapy. It is a way for
the client to get out of the problem condition and to experience a state of the
solution. By experiencing this desired state possible solutions can be developed.
The coachee is asked to imagine, that a miracle would happen at night and his/her
problem would vanish. When he/she wakes up in the morning, how would he/she
discover that the miracle had happened and what aspects would be noticeable.
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4.4.7 Method 10: reframing
Reframing is a method descending from systemic psychotherapy and NLP (neurolinguistic
programming). Human patterns of thought, attributions and expectations
usually feature a frame, which functions as a kind of arrangement to interprete
events and to percept them. F.e. one considers the glass half empty, the other as
half full. Although apparently describing the same thing, the meaning and the set
priority are different, because the one is setting a more positive frame, the other a
more negative one. If one is changing his view from the half empty to the half full
glass a reframing has taken place. It is hard to say who used this method first,
because the principle existed before it was named that way.
How to re-frame
Evaluative
words - no
Paraphrasing
Bring facts: make it
smaller/bigger, give
the coachee new
aspects
Be neutral
Examples
Coachee: “I do not know anything.“
Coach: „So your qualification is sufficient for some parts of the job.“
Coachee: „I have tried this so many times and failed.“
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Coach: „You are telling me that you will have to adopt another approach.“
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