Professional Coaching Models - Coursework Example

Professional coaching models Professional coaching models Introduction The primary logic behind coaching is to unlock an individual’s potential for the maximization of his or her performance (Stoltzfus, 2005). An effective coaching relationship involves and focuses on improving performance, as well as the development of skills. There are two basic approaches to coaching, which include the directive and the non-directive forms. The directive form of coaching involves the provision teaching, advice and feedback from the coach. Conversely, the non-directive method requires the coach to listen and ask the person being coached some questions (Stoltzfus, 2005). This exploration and probing make it possible for the person being coached to find solutions to some of the problems that he or she might be facing. With the aforementioned definitions, it is possible to determine that some coaches only assert their expertise, whereas the effective coaches make it possible for individuals to surpass their boundaries. In spite of the different forms of coaching, the application can take place in a variety of areas. The various fields are inclusive of delegating, relationship issues, staff development, team building, and motivating members of staff. The different applications focus on the needs of the individuals, their goals, and the manner in which they can achieve the goals. There is a possibility of indicating that coaching is a form of a collaborative relationship that encourages individuals to determine their values and live by them (Stoltzfus, 2005). Effective coaches can challenge the limiting beliefs of individuals, thereby reinforcing positive beliefs through the provision of tasks followed by feedback. Coaching as a discipline Historical perspective on coaching It is possible to trace the concept of coaching to Ancient Greece. During this period, coaches provided wrestlers with instructions on the art of wrestling as well as other disciplines. Such disciplines are similar to some of the events that take place in modern Olympiads. The Greek athletes’ training in the 4th and 5th centuries was based on the physical education system implemented for Olympic competition (Robinson, 2010). Conversely, the ex-gladiators during the Roman period were acting as instructors as they provided gladiators with some of their roles using particular weapons, and they provided them with instructions about fighting techniques. Conversely, longbow training was compulsory in medieval Britain. During this period, government edicts, for instance, King Edward, banned sporting activities on Sunday for people to practice archery (Robinson, 2010). The participants received formal coaching, and the training began at the age of seven years. From the ancient Greece to the early 1900s, coaching developed sporadically. The development started with the preparation of runners and boxers in the 1800s, through to the development of coaches for team sports in the public schools (Robinson, 2010). The coaches were ex-university athletes who chose teaching as a career. This form of coaching remained for a considerable period. Subsequently, a number of countries were developing coaching structures, such as the first coaching course developed by Stanley Rous. This course was for the FA staff. In was not until the mid 1900s that coaching education began to emerge on the national platform (Robinson, 2010). Apart from coaching in the sports field, personal and business coaching developed during the second half of the twentieth century. The emergence resulted from the intersection of disciplines, individuals as well as the socioeconomic factors that were characteristically generational. The factors were also exhibited linking influential patterns. At the turn of the 21st century, coaching made way to the global mainstream amidst a proliferation of media coverage, training organizations and professional associations. These factors led to the blossoming of the evidence-based coaching approach. The developments resulted in the emergence of coaching in the business field in the late 1970s (Brock, 2009). This development was responsive to some of the unmet needs of the changes in organizational structures and the leadership models. As an extension of business practices, other areas that saw the development of coaching were in human potential movements as well as self-improvement movements. Consequently, the dawning of the information age spread coaching into a hyper-drive, which not takes place in the form of workshops, forums, and conferences (Brock, 2009). These practices occur either virtually or face-to-face. Essentially, coaching emerged from the rapidly changing socioeconomic environment, whose development and nourishment were rooted in the disciplines of adult education, business, sports and psychology (Lennard, 2013). The professional coaching history characteristically comprised of interactions between disciplinary developments of the root disciplines. However, in the modern world, a significant number of challenges are facing the coaching field. The varying professional backgrounds, as well as generational differences of the originators, complicate the challenges. Conversely, complications emerge from the socioeconomic conditions in the modern world and the early period. The need for managers to be trained as coaches Evidence-based coaching has been increasingly becoming popular in the modern business world (Lennard, 2013). However, very little information is available regarding the manner in which managers can coach, the approaches they can use, the purpose of implementing coaching practices as managers and the beneficial aspects of this form of coaching. In spite of this consideration, it is necessary to indicate that coaching managers are those that coach in the work context. In this case, coaching in business involves the implementation of regular engagements, structured conversations with individuals or teams within the business or the recipient institutions of business coaching. The primary objective of business coaching is to enhance the awareness of the client and create vital behavior that will assist the client in achieving his or her business goals, as well as the objectives of the organization. One of the primary reasons explaining the need for managers to train as coaches includes the idea that they can assist team members to visualize the future of the subject organization. For this reason, a coaching manager will be in an excellent position of generating options for the achievement of business goals (McCarthy, & Ahrens, 2012). In the process, it will be possible to provide feedback on the coaching progress towards the achievement of business goals. With the aforementioned considerations, it would be vital for managers to receive coaching training in order to develop goal-oriented models necessary for developing solutions to organizational issues. Business in the modern society is increasingly becoming competitive. For this reason, managers should be effective in implementing strategies that will enhance the competitive power of their subject organizations (Lennard, 2013). Consequently, managers have to be effective with their people, which mostly require learning how to coach. They have to implement a directive form of coaching since it focuses on assisting the employees to determine where they fit in the broader organizational context (McCarthy, & Ahrens, 2012). In spite of the fact that the organization is responsible for setting goals, a coach can assist an individual to align his or her intrinsic and extrinsic drivers with the organizational objectives. Without the alignment, the goals might be mechanistic, devoid of actual engagement, consequently promoting unwanted behavior and negative collusions that might nonetheless meet the set objectives. Practical application Explanation of a coaching model A coaching model refers to the underlying structure that an individual can use to coach someone. This structure allows a coach to observe the actions of his or her subjects, thereby increasing the ability to respond adequately to the situations they face. The development of a coaching model requires the development understanding and recognizing the cultural orientation of individuals. The effective management of the behavioral tendencies, personal styles and limits of an individual emanates from acquiring an understanding of these factors. Studies on coaching models recognize the fact that the professional development of coaching focuses on instructional and theoretical training that is subject-specific. Through the use of a repertoire of instructional guidance, coaches collaborate with their clients to identify some of the practices that can address their needs. Through such a process, the coaches work in collaboration with individuals in order to set goals necessary for the development, extension and improvement of some of the research-based skills and practices. Effective instructional strategies lead to a profound difference for participants when implemented by a skillful and caring coach. These considerations factor in the particular coaching model as the most appropriate for a specific group of people. Three common coaching models used today One of the most popular coaching models used today includes the behavioral coaching model. In this case, the definition of behavior incorporates the actions, reactions and responses of the organization, a team or an individual. Behavioral coaching is a work of art and science that involves the facilitation of the performance, development and learning of the individual or a team. Consequently, the considerations assist in the development of an organization. The overall goal of this coaching model is to assist individuals in increasing their happiness, as well as effectiveness in their social setting, study or work. A significant number of coaches and organizations claim to be using the behavioral coaching model simply because the model deals with employee behavior. However, the organizations and the coaches simply attach the name to the traditional counseling model. In this case, the implementation only takes place with the developing needs in place of the requirement to consider the application as an on-going process. Conversely, some professionals in the coaching field claim to be practicing behavioral coaching since they employ personality profiling in their practice. However, the behavioral coaching model involves a scientifically validated and research-based means through which the coach instills optimism in the achievement of change. The other coaching model used today includes the GROW (Goals, Reality, Options and Will or Wrap-up) model. The model is attributed to Sir John Whitmore (Lennard, 2013). The model emphasizes on the exploration of several options that make it possible for individuals to commit themselves to the achievement of their objectives (Lennard, 2013). The model’s traditional application assumes that the coaching professional is not an expert. For this reason, he or she should act as a facilitator, whose task is to assist the client in selecting the best options. The coach using this model does not offer the client direction or advice. The structure of the GROW model involves four steps. These steps include the establishment of a goal, an examination of the current reality, the exploration of the options available, and the creation of the will to achieve the predetermined objective. The other coaching model implemented today is the FUEL (Frame, Understand, Explore and Layout) model. In this case, a coach frames a conversation, whose context involves agreeing to the purpose, the process and the desired outcome of his or her discussion with the client. With the framing of the conversation, the coach should then explore the current state from the viewpoint of the individual undergoing the coaching process (Lennard, 2013). This exploration expands the awareness of the coach in terms of determining the issue at hand. Subsequently, the coach will assist in the articulation of the vision of success, which involves the exploration of a number of strategies. Consequently, it will be possible to prioritize on the methods that will assist the client in achieving the predetermined vision. After the prioritization, the model emphasizes on the laying out of a success plan. This plan should identify the actions or steps that might assist in the achievement of the desired results. Christian Worldview The Role of Coaching In Developing Christian Leaders To develop Christian leaders, the need for coaching is usually fundamental. Coaching Christian leaders is an effective technique of producing leaders of unmatchable qualities since it addresses the biggest obstacle that stand as hindrances in the demand for excellent leadership roles. Some of the obstacles that a leader without proper coaching can show are isolation, lack of proper clarity in speech and overextension of timeframes in the execution of leadership roles (Jones, 2004). A Christian leader who shows some of these obstacles lacks a maintenance mode that is necessary to eliminate wishful thinking. However, these obstacles are to some extent important in the process of honing the leadership skills of a Christian Leader. As the Bible cites, God Himself molds the leaders in the Bible such as Jethro, Moses, and even Jesus Christ by putting them through various tests in a bid to polish their leadership skills (Haneberg, 2006). At a more insightful level, excellent coaching is workable when the pattern of coaching abides by Christian principles. Thus, coaching that is based on the bedrock of Christianity cultivates a healthy way of molding a leader into developing as a great one. In this case, relating the development of a leader through coaching hold an explanation according to the GROW (Goals, Reality, Options and Will or Wrap-up) coaching model. This model relates to the development of a Christian leader, which starts with the formulation of a goal. The primary goal of a leader who takes coaching is to get some important leadership qualities that he does not possess in the formulation of the goal (Haneberg, 2006). A coach usually helps a person to gain what he or she is wishing for in the entire coaching progression. Thus, the formulation of a goal for a Christian leader who is undergoing coaching according to the GROW model is defining the primary goal for the undertaking the coaching. The most notable goal that a Christian leader can formulate is the desire, hankering, or objective to improve oneself as a leader through learning various leadership skills, etiquette, and qualities. Subsequently, the GROW model holds that after the creation of the goal, it is important to review its feasibility. Thus, a Christian leader should not set goals that cannot be achieved through coaching. Coaching is a process that inculcates a person with ideas, qualities, and skills that are not innate. Thus, a person who undertakes coaching must be able to understand his or her capabilities so that he or she understands the feasibility of his or her goals before undertaking any form of coaching to become a Christian leader. The feasibility of the goals is the reality that the coachee must apprise himself or herself with after setting the goal of undertaking the leadership coaching. The underlying principle of this particular model is that the coach does not provide the coachee with the direction in choosing the goal he or she wants. It is thus the responsibility of the coachee or leader undertaking the coaching to make a circumspect decision on the best goal or feasible goal that can easily be achieved. After assessing the feasibility of the goals, a coachee can now evaluate the most effective option out of various goals he or she wishes to accomplish in the coaching. This is an important stage of the GROW model type of coaching since it determines the most feasible effective goal that can benefit the coachee substantially. The most effective goal is the pathway that a coachee takes in transforming to a great leader with exceptional leadership skills. Thus, a Christian leader should ensure that the choice he or she makes from the numerous goals that come by is adhering to the will of God and the Christian values. A Christian leader must be a proponent of Christian values since any undermining of the Christian principles will result to an ineffective leader without the required skills to pass the message of God to other people. A coachee should then wrap up after choosing the best option out of the available ones. The wrap-up involves the concentration that the coachee shows in learning about the qualities, skills, and etiquette about his or her desirable leadership style. In this case, the coach only educates and trains the coachee on what he or she desires according to the leadership style that he or she wants by abiding by the Biblical principles. The rationale behind adhering to biblical principles is to ensure that the leader is instilled with the best leadership qualities of a Christian leader (Turansky & Miller, 2013). Since Christian leaders are technically agents of spreading the gospel of God, instilling a Christian leader with the required biblical principles will result to an effective leader. Examples of Coaching and Mentoring Found In the Scripture Example 1 One of the leadership mentoring in the bible is depicted by the life and immense contribution of Jethro to Moses, his son-in-law according to the book of Exodus, Chapter 18. In the Bible, Jethro has been expressed as an epitome of excellent discipleship, encouragement and counseling and the manifestation a faithful mentor who greatly contributed to the life of Moses. Jethro shows his concern for the welfare of Moses after finding Moses is overworked and troubled as a leader after the numerous hurdles he faced in the arduous journey of Egypt and Rephidim. Jethro shows outstanding listening skills and a genuine concern for the welfare of Moses. He is a great leader who enjoys the victory that the people of God receive under the leadership of Moses. Jethro is vividly an observant leader who asks the most appropriate questions to Moses, a factor that makes Moses take a closer look at reality in serving the people than before (Rev. Davis, 2014). He helps Moses as a friend with invaluable wisdom, and he passes it to Moses as a way of ensuring Moses leadership is excellent and pleases the people. Jethro ensures that he eliminates all the unproductive behaviors from Moses by using the friendship gear and not being authoritative. In addition, Jethro brings out the theme of mentoring and coaching through what he teaches his son-in-law, Moses on delegation of power and empowering him by giving him a workable plan to acquit others with the responsibility of judging other people. In this aspect, the wisdom of Jethro serves two purposes: one of enhancing Moses capacity in leadership and ensuring a good future for the people of God (Rev. Davis, 2014). Thus, Jethro is a good mentor and coach according to the Bible since he upholds the God-given leadership in Moses by streamlining him for his unproductive behaviors and reaffirming the purpose of God for the nation that Moses led. Example 2 Another example of a biblical example of coaching and mentoring is the story of Moses and Joshua. Joshua was the successor of Moses to lead the Hebrew into entering the "Promised Land" after realizing that he would be unable to accomplish his mission. Moses prepared Joshua as the future leader of the Hebrews people who would lead them into Canaan, which was the Promised Land. Moses wanted Joshua to understand that the strength required for leadership emanates from the Almighty God. Thus, Moses ensured that Joshua understood that, and he urged him to make incessant prayers to God for the strength so that he would lead the Hebrew into the Promised Land (Rev. Davis, 2014). Moses coached and mentored Joshua to develop imperative leadership skills that would help him handle numerous taxing responsibilities. Thus, the leadership skills that Moses had learned the lessons of religious principles and self-practice, he was an exemplary leader and a great teacher of leadership skills and qualities for Joshua. Thus, the time that Joshua used to spend time with Moses before taking the mantle of excellent leadership was a transformation point that enabled him to embrace some exceptional qualities that were important in his leadership (Rev. Davis, 2014). In effect, Joshua became a man with an unmatched wisdom because of the coaching and mentoring he received from Moses. The evidence of the coaching and mentoring in the Bible confirms that God used Moses as a veteran leader to help Joshua for the challenge of leadership that was ahead of him. The outcome was Joshua being a visionary leader with wisdom and credibility among Gods people. Thus, the coaching and mentoring that Moses put into transforming Joshua, as a great leader was instrumental in shaping him as wise Christian leader. The Hebrews required a leader of Moses caliber who would not relent in accomplishing the mission of reaching the Promised Land (Rev. Davis, 2014). Joshua did not disappoint since Moses ensured that he acquired all the qualities that would help him finish the mission and lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land without fail. A Biblical approach for Christians to apply in coaching others (both believers and unbelievers) The Biblical approach that is used in the coaching of a Christian leader should fundamentally be under the principles of Christianity. It should be cogent enough to convince non-believers that a leader born out of the approach used in coaching him is the best approach. Thus, the first step in the Biblical approach form of coaching begins with ensuring that the coachee is on top of the Slippery Slope (Jones, 2004). The step is explained below as well as other steps to undertake in a Biblical approach form of coaching. The Slippery Slope Coaching a person to be a Christian leader entails the inculcation of strong judgment acumen in them. The initial step is to make the coachee understand that whenever a problem arises, the best option is to handle it and not escape it. Escape responses do not offer a solution to the problem since they only postpone it. Thus, it is most important to take the conciliation process in cases where a problem is too challenging. The conciliation process includes mediation, arbitration or any form of church disciplinary measures (Mayo & Margolis, 2012). Taking Conflict as an opportunity to learn The art of resolving conflicts is an important skill that Christian leader must possess. Thus, one fundamental principle of understanding conflict especially personal ones is the ability to accept them as a challenge in life. A coach must teach a Christian coachee about the importance of viewing conflict as a challenge at times. This aspect is important since it enables a coachee to have wisdom in solving matters. Taking conflict as a grave thing in life and overreacting to a situation does not qualify one as a great Christian leader (Mayo & Margolis, 2012). The Centrality of Jesus Christ The importance of Jesus Christ in Christina life is paramount. In coaching Christian leader, it is imperatively fundamental to ensure that the role of Christ is not sidelined. The coaching must ensure that it is exemplary and abides by the various teachings of the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ was a great leader who had twelve disciples and He managed to contain them all despite their various weaknesses (Winston, 2014). The coaching of a Christian leader must thus fundamentally take the course or principles that Jesus used in managing His disciples. This is an important aspect since it develops the mind of a coachee about the way to handle different people in the Christian way. On the other hand, such a technique enables the coachee to develop spiritually. The Bible streamlines leaders into maintaining their wisdom in making decisions or resolving conflicts, a factor that can substantially help a coachee to transform into a better person (Winston, 2014). References Brock, V. (2009). Professional challenges facing the coaching field from a historical perspective. The international journal of coaching in organizations. Vol. 7(1), 27-37. David, S. A., Clutterbuck, D., & Megginson, D. (2013). Beyond goals: Effective strategies for coaching and mentoring. Farnham, Surrey : Gower Publishing Limited. Haneberg, L. (2006). Coaching Basics. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training & Development. Jones, T. (2004). Church planting from the ground up. Joplin, Mo: College Press Pub. Co. Lennard, D. (2013). Coaching models: A guide to model development for practitioners and students of coaching. Routledge. Mayo, A.J. & Margolis, J.D. (2012). Mary Griffin at Derby Foods. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.  McCarthy, G., & Ahrens, J. (2012). How and why do managers use coaching skills? University of Wollongong, Sydney Business School. Rev.Davis, K. (2014). Mentoring Church Planters. The Journal of Ministry and Theology, 25-78. Robinson, P. E. (2010). Foundations of sports coaching. Routledge. Stoltzfus, T. (2005). Leadership Coaching: The Disciplines, Skills, and Heart of a Christian Coach. Virginia Beach, VA: BookSurge Publishing. Turansky, S., & Miller, J. (2013). The Christian parenting handbook: 50 heart-based strategies for all the stages of your childs life. Winston, B. (2014). The Four Cs of Christian Leadership. Inner Resources for Leaders, 2-13. Read More