keeping up with the cheese! - health coach training

Keeping Up With The Cheese!Research as a Foundation for Professional

Coaching

First International Coach Federation Research SymposiumDenver, Colorado, November 2003

Anthony M Grant PhDCoaching Psychologist and Director

Coaching Psychology UnitSchool of PsychologyUniversity of Sydney

AustraliaNSW 2006

[email protected]/coach

www.psych.usyd.edu.au/coach/icf.htm

http://www.psych.usyd.edu.au/coach�

(c) Anthony Grant 2003 2

Overview

Scientist-practitioner Model (1949 – 2003) The Coaching Journey – The Crossroads Professionalism Is Coaching a Fad? Overview of the Research Implications for Coach EducationWhere to next?


The Coach’s Journey

The Coach as the Guide in the Woods Coaching and the art of trekking


The Coach’s Journey

The Coach as the Guide in the Woods Coaching and the art of trekking

Coach’s Own Development as a Journey Tenuous first steps Changing and choosing new paths Self-doubt Self-development & professional development


A Mental Time Journey

Think of your first ever coaching session

What was the knowledge level that you brought to that first session? Superficial? Unsophisticated? Naive? Over-confident?



Think of a recent (successful) coaching session

Compare your current knowledge level to you first session? What is the difference between now and

then?



Think of where your knowledge will be in five years time …



Think of where your knowledge will be in five years time …

What got us here … … won’t get us there !!

We need much much more …… if we are to keep up with the cheese !


The Coaching Industry's Journey1: Coaching Industry as Naive Explorer

Coaching as a mixed-group on a day-trip




2: Coaching Industry as Emerging-Profession Formation of associations – ICF & others




2: Coaching Industry as Emerging-Profession Cross-disciplinary occupation Formation of associations – ICF & others

3: Maturation of the Coaching Industry Increasing sophistication clients / students University-level coach-specific education Foundational coach-specific research Development of evidence-based coaching


Why Research (& S-P) is Vital

True professionalism rests on evidence Extend shared knowledge base

Stop selling – start sharing! Ethical practice demands itDemonstrate effectiveness

Human change and ROI $ Basis for coach trainingCritical thinking skills

Is Coaching a Fad?

First mention of Workplace Coaching in academic press in 1937 (1)

A long-standing “fad” !

Genuine interest from business (2)

Business looking for credibility and substance

Coaching touted as a huge growth industry Driven by coach training schools & credentialing mills

Many claim to be qualified coaches (EMAHD Coach Accreditation) – many are not well trained (3)

Do they have an understanding of coaching that goes beyond their own personal “coaching system” and explicitly links to established theory and practice ?


Coach-Specific Research


Four Key Phases of Coaching Research

1937 20031960 19901980

Phase 1 –

Internal MAC

Phase 2 –

PhD & Internal MAC

Phase 3 –

Evaluations of effectiveness

Phase 4 –

Aimed at prof. coach

Human change

N = 128• Articles

• Case Studies

• Group Studies (pre/post)

• Group Studies (Controlled)

Peer-reviewed Coaching Papers from PsychInfo & DAI (1937 – Nov 2003)

2

49

212

1278

110 1 2 2

29

0102030405060

1935

- 19

39

1940

- 19

44

1945

- 19

49

1950

- 19

54

1955

-195

9

1960

- 19

64

1965

- 19

69

1970

- 19

74

1975

- 19

79

1980

- 19

84

1985

- 19

89

1990

- 19

94

1995

- 19

99

2000

- Nov

2003

To

tal

Cit

ati

on

s: (

N =

12

8)

Types of Papers from PsychInfo & DAI (1937 – Nov 2003)

26

0 0 0 0 0 1 1 02

6

23

02 1 1

14

1 1 1 25

86

4

815

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1935

- 19

39

1940

- 19

44

1945

- 19

49

1950

-195

4

1955

- 19

59

1960

- 19

64

1965

- 19

69

1970

- 19

74

1975

- 19

79

1980

- 19

84

1985

- 19

89

1990

- 19

94

1995

- 19

99

2000

- No

v 200

3

Tota

l C

itati

on

s: N

= 1

28 Articles Empirical Studies

Coach-Specific PhDs from PsychInfo & DAI (1937 – Nov 2003)

0

4 52

0010

5000 0

16

02468

1012141618

1935

- 193

9

1940

- 194

4

1945

- 194

9

1950

- 195

4

1955

- 195

9

1960

- 196

4

1965

- 196

9

1970

1974

1975

1979

1980

- 198

4

1985

- 198

9

1990

- 199

4

1995

- 199

9

2000

- Nov

2003P

hD

Cit

atio

ns

(N

= 3

3)


My Own Research Journey


My Own Research Journey 2001 - Comparing cognitive and

behavioral approaches to coaching (5)

Cognitive only group• Increased well-being – no impact on

performance Behavioural only group

• Small impact on > well-being• Short-term increase in performance

Combined group• Increased well-being• Long-term increase in performance



Life Coaching Study #1 (Grant 2003) (6)

Solution-focused CBC approach (N = 20) Group-based coaching (Pre/post only) Pre/post increase in goal attainment (d = 2.85) Decrease in depression, anxiety, stress Decrease in “Self-reflection” Increase in “Insight”



Life Coaching Study #2 (Green, Oades & Grant 2003) (7)

Intervention / Control group study (N = 46) 10-week group life coaching SF/CBC Increases in goal attainment Increase in well-being Impact measured over 40 weeks



Life Coaching Study #3 (Spence & Grant 2003) (8)

Individual / Group / Control study – (N = 64) 10-week life coaching SF/CBC All coaching > higher levels of purpose in life,

personal growth, openness to experience & goals

Increase in EI (Emotion perception facet) Individuals benefited more than group



Problems with Organisational Research Life Coaching easier to run studies

Clinical issues in coaching populations Screening for mental health impacts on

outcome measuresMeasurement issues

Use positive psyc measure – and othersCaught between several “worlds”


So, What Does The Literature Tell Us About Coaching Effectiveness?

Level 1: Reactions ☺☺☺☺☺

Level 2: Learning ☺☺☺☺? Level 3: Behaviour ☺☺☺? ? Level 4: Results ☺☺?? Level 5: ROI ☺???Kirkpatrick (1998); Phillips (2003) (9 & 10)


Evidence-Based Coaching

We Need Evidenced-Based Coaching

If there is so little coaching-specific research how can we have evidenced-based (11)

coaching?

Evidenced-Based Coaching ?

If there is so little coaching-specific research how can we have evidenced-based coaching?

Use the broader body of coaching-related knowledge

The Body of Knowledge1. Philosophy – Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills, Socratic Method, Philosophical insights

2. Behavioral Science How we think, feel and act in the way we do

3. Adult Education Principles How adults best learn

4. Economics & Business How business runs and economic systems function

Personal Development Genre Popularized, un-verified notions of motivation and change

Issues for ProfessionalisationThe Body of Knowledge Underpinning Coaching

BehaviouralScience

PhilosophyThinking Skills

AdultEducation

Economics& Business

PersonalDevelopment

Coaching ProfessionFad !Evidenced-based Coaching

University-level EducationCoach-specific Research

I read-it-somewhere-and-it-feels-right-to-me

EMAHD Credentialing(EveryManAndHisDog)

Evidenced-Based CoachingEducation and Professionalism

Need to explicitly link theory to practice Need critical thinking skills No “Gurus” – established body of testable

& shared knowledge Linked shared knowledge base means

greater credibility and a real future

Evidenced-Based Coach Education Explicitly drawn from all four areas Mental health issues – Coaches need basic

diagnostic skills 25% - 50% of Life Coaching clients have mental health issues (11)

Basic training in psychometrics Some coaching assessment / development tools are very poor Little or no critical appraisal of tools

Less focus on marketing More solid theory and evidenced-based education

Less USA-influenced coaching – OK for the USA – but not for all

More local cultural flavour


Avenues for Future Research

Impact on EI and psych constructs Impact on personality traits Workplace performance / culture / wellbeing Executive / leadership skills Cognitive and behavioural change RIO and many others ….


Barriers to Future Research

Few places to publish – uniformed reviewers

Poor training in research skillsCoach schools don’t teach application of

research / evidenced-based approachNeed a new model of coaching

- Scientist-practioner model


Where To Next ?

Four Key Players ….


The Four Key PlayersCoach Training Schools

Gatekeeper’s responsibility Shift from propriety systems Cite and reference teaching materials

ICF Push for evidenced-based links Sponsor good quality research Foster critical thinking skills


The Four Key Players Students & Practitioners

Demand more sophistication Get cross-disciplinary training Hold no Gurus - Scientist-practitioner Model

Researchers and Us Here Today Take up the challenge Remain coachable – not the expert Conduct good quality research Collaborate ….


What’s The Take Away ..? Draw on a wide body of knowledge

University-level education is vital

Research and theory development is crucial

Evidence-base will lead to professionalism

We all have a role to play

… What’s yours going to be ?


What’s The Take Away ..?

Enjoy coaching … conference

… and keep up with the cheese

… or be eaten by the mouse!!

Keeping Up With The Cheese!Research as a Foundation for Professional

Coaching


Anthony M Grant PhDCoaching Psychologist and Director

Coaching Psychology UnitSchool of PsychologyUniversity of Sydney

AustraliaNSW 2006

[email protected]/coach

www.psych.usyd.edu.au/coach/icf.htm

http://www.psych.usyd.edu.au/coach�

References(1) Gorby, C. B. (1937). Everyone gets a share of the profits. Factory Management &

Maintenance, 95, 82-83.(2) Wales, S. (2003). Why coaching? Journal of Change Management, 3(3), 275-282.(3) Brotman, L. E., Liberi, W. P., & Wasylyshyn, K. M. (1998). Executive coaching: The need for

standards of competence. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 50(1), 40 -46.

(4) Bullock, A., Stallybrass, & Trombley, S. (Eds.). (1988). The Fontana dictionary of modern thought. London: Fontana Press.

(5) Grant, A. M. (2001). Coaching for enhanced performance. Comparing cognitive and behavioural coaching approaches. Paper presented at the 3rd Spearman Conference, Sydney, Australia.

(6) Grant, A. M. (2003). The impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition and mental health. Social Behavior and Personality, 31(3), 253-264.

(7) Green, L. S., Oades, L. G., & Grant, A. M. (2003). An evaluation of a life coaching group program: Preliminary findings from a wait-list control study. Poster presented at the International Positive Psychology Summit, Washington DC.

(8) Spence, G. B., & Grant, A. M. (2003). Individual and Group Life-Coaching: Initial Findings from a Randomised, Controlled Trial. 1st Australian Evidence-Based Coaching Conference.

(9) Kirkpatrick, D. (1998). Evaluating training programs (2 ed.). San Francisco CA: Berrett-Koehler.

(10) Phillips, J. J. (2003). Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.

(11) Sackett, D. L., Haynes, R. B., Guyatt, G. H., & Tugwell, P. (1996). Evidenced based medicine: What it is and what is isn't. British Medical Journal, 13, 71-72.

Keeping Up With The Cheese!Research as a Foundation for Professional Coaching


Anthony M Grant PhDAbstract

The next five years (2003-2008) will be a critical and a fascinating time for professionalcoaches. The coaching industry has outgrown its existing theoretical and empirical researchknowledge base. Those that employ coaches and potential students of coaching are becomingmore sophisticated and better informed, demanding evidence for the effectiveness of differenttypes of coaching, and seeking an articulation of the underpinning theoretical frameworks.Consequently, many professional coaches have moved away from reliance on the proprietarycoaching systems taught in many commercial coach training schools, and are seeking to workwithin the scientist-practitioner model as both producers and consumers of coaching-relatedresearch. This is a fascinating time, because research into coaching offers far greateropportunities than just calculating effectiveness or return on investment. Evidence-basedcoaching interventions are an ideal means for investigating the personal and systemicmechanisms and processes involved in real-life human change in individuals andorganisations. Furthermore, the increase in coaching-related research marks a new stage inthe maturation of the coaching industry, and the adoption of the scientist-practitioner modelwill be a critical factor as coaching seeks to further establish itself as a respected, cross-disciplinary means of facilitating human and organisational change. This paper discussesthese issues, presents an overview of the key themes and emergent patterns in the peer-reviewed literature on coaching since 1937, and highlights the relevance of research toevidence-based coaching practice.

keeping up with the cheese! - health coach training

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