institute for employment studies

2nd Annual International Coaching Research Forum

The ‘Measure for Measure’ European working group

London, UK, 10-11 November 2009

The second International Coaching Research Forum was held in London on 10-11 November 2009. It was organised by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, part of Harvard University.

At the event, an eminent and invited audience from twelve countries worked together on how we might better measure coaching.

There were lively debates about what measures are most important and whether there a core set of measures can be recommended to the profession. Discussions on critical issues and challenges in measurement and methodology were led by Dr Tatiana Bachkirova (Oxford Brookes) on qualitative research issues; Dr Susan David (Yale & Harvard) on quantitative research issues; and Dr David Peterson (PDI Ninth House) on evaluating instruments and measures.

Advice for the research community emerging from discussions included the need to undertake more multiple method studies, and to learn from the literature across disciplines (training, adult education, mentoring, HR, management and well-being as well as psychology). Items worthy of further development included outcome measures for team coaching and process measures for effective supervision. One area for employers to consider is whether their programmes are allowing the right relationships to evolve so that their coaches have the space to make a difference. Coaching is after all more than a process, it is a relationship.

Event podcast

During the event, Wendy Hirsh of IES conducted interviews with thirteen of the delegates. Each person was asked to say what, in their view, made for effective coaching. The podcast brings together a sequence of these short statements about effective coaching from this group of world leaders in the coaching field. Together we believe they offer a unique set of insights into the nature and process of effective coaching.

There are many themes one could highlight, but three seem especially strong:

• The coach as a reflective practitioner. Coaches who have a range of techniques they can use – acquired through training and good supervision – become more confident and able to focus on their clients rather than on what question they should be asking next. Supervision can also help coaches to reflect on their practice. So, even with managers and others who are not full-time professional coaches, we should think about continuing learning and supervision, not just a once-off training session in coaching skills.
• Coaching for moments of insight rather than solutions is a theme which emerged vividly in several interviews. Coaches are aware of crucial moments in a coaching conversation where real breakthroughs are possible. People talked about the need for the coach to be there ‘in the moment’ - really focused on the needs of the other person. Some talked about a moment of calmness – the ability to ‘slow things down’ – in order to attend fully to the client’s thoughts and emotions. Some talked about the willingness to ‘step off a cliff’ into important but risky issues. Experienced coaches have learned that too heavy a focus on goals or solutions can prevent important insights from occurring at such moments. It is these insights which then lead to solutions emerging. So organisations should avoid trying to over-control what a coaching relationship will discuss.
• Coaching as a shared endeavour. The experts spoke here of coaches and clients as ‘co-creating’ insights, development and solutions to problems. It is crucial that the coach is sincere in his or her intent and can develop a trusting dialogue within which the client can be open. It is also important that the client comes willingly to this relationship, knows what to expect from coaching and has the skills to participate effectively in it.

Click the link to play, or right click to save the file to play later:

• download podcast (8Mb, 25 minutes play time)
• download higher quality podcast (24Mb, 25 minutes play time)

Podcast speakers

• Dr Sunny Stout-Rostron DProf. MA, Resolve Encounter Consulting, South Africa
• Professor Reinhard Stelter PhD, Copenhagen University, Denmark
• Dr Janet Baldwin, JBA Coaching Services, LLC, USA
• Professor Peter Hawkins PhD, Bath Consultancy Group, UK
• Professor Robert Garvey, Sheffield Business School, UK
• Dr Carol Kauffman, Assistant Professor, Harvard University, USA
• Professor Roland Foucher, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), Canada
• Professor David Clutterbuck, Clutterbuck Associates, UK
• Timothy So, University of Cambridge, UK
• Dr Susan David, Harvard University, USA
• Dr Thomas Hellwig, INSEAD, France
• Dr Daniel Doherty, University of Bristol, UK
• Professor David Gray, Surrey University, UK

Co-chairs for the 2nd Annual International Coaching Research Forum

Useful links

• International Coaching Research Forum
• IES coaching research and services