Current Challenges and Future Directions in Coaching Research

1
Current Challenges and Future Directions in
Coaching Research

• Dianne Stober, Ph.D.
• Carly Parry, Ph.D.
• Coaching Research Consortium

2
Challenges in Coaching Research

• Lack of coherent definition of coaching
• Distinct from related fields
• Specifies uniqueness of coaching
• Sampling of current professional definitions
• a coach is a person who facilitates experiential
  learning that results in future-oriented
  abilities (Hudson, 1999, p.6)
• coaching is unlocking a persons potential to
  maximize their own performance (Whitmore, 1992,
  p.8)
• coaching is a profession that works with
  individual clients to help them achieve results
  and sustain life-changing behavior in their lives
  and careers (Whitworth, Kimsey-House, Sandahl,
  1998, p. xi)
• coaches aid clients in creating visions and
  goals for ALL aspects of their lives and creating
  multiple strategies to support achieving those
  goals (Williams Davis, 2002, p. xv)

3
A unifying definition of coaching

• Coaching is a collaborative process of
  facilitating a clients ability to self-direct
  learning and growth, as evidenced by sustained
  changes in self-understanding, self-concept, and
  behavior.

4
Instructive Examples of Development of a Field

• Psychoanalysis and Behaviorism
• Initial evaluations used case studies
• Psychoanalysis loss of impact in
  research/practice vs. cognitive-behavior
  therapys growth

5
Practical Challenges

• No organization with a main focus of research on
  coaching
• Australian Evidence-Based Coaching Conference
• ICF Research Symposium
• ICF website repository
• ICF Research Forum monthly call
• Lack of peer-reviewed journal of coaching
• Funding

6
Challenges in Dialogue

• Academic research vs. coaching practice
• Practice training interests beginning to see
  need
• Established social sciences beginning to take
  notice
• Need for integration between coaches from various
  disciplines

7
A Framework for Coaching Research

• Definition of coaching
• Effectiveness of coaching
• Theory development of coaching process
• Characteristics of coaches and clients
• Evidence-based technique refinement

8
Definition of Coaching

• Testable, standardized methodologies can be
  developed
• Studies might include language and word analyses
  of coaching sessions comparisons of language in
  coaching and other growth modalities descriptive
  analyses of coach and client perceptions of
  essential components

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Effectiveness of Coaching

• Does coaching have a demonstrable, positive
  effect?
• Need for group studies and controlled outcome
  studies
• Measurable outcomes and outside ratings are
  important in addition to self-report measures
• Cross-sectional designs needed initially,
  longitudinal designs needed for long-term effects
• Comparison studies of coaching vs. psychotherapy,
  peer support, self-help programs, etc.
• Comparisons of types of coaching

10
Theory Development

• How does coaching effect change?
• What constructs are involved? Self-efficacy?
  Readiness for change? Meta-cognition?
• What is an effective coaching alliance?
• What environmental factors are important?
• Client-related factors such as organizational
  structure and cultures, social support, etc.

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Characteristics of Coaches and Clients

• Client characteristics
• Motivation, personality characteristics,
  readiness for change, demographic factors
• Coach characteristics
• Training background, style characteristics,
  coaching experience

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Towards Evidence-Based Coaching
Further research
Theory technique refinement
Empirical investigations
Present theory practice
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A Framework of Coaching Agendas
Definition of Coaching and Current Practices
OutcomeStudies
ClientCharacteristics
CoachingProcess Studies
ComparisonStudies
CoachCharacteristics
Evidence-BasedCoaching
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Summary

• There is a pressing need for theory development
  and rigorous research
• Challenges include
• A formal definition
• Developing the research community and its
  structures
• Bridging the gap between practice and research
• Integrating relevant thought from other
  disciplines
• Research directions
• Development of a standardizable definition
• Evaluating effectiveness
• Developing theories of coaching process and core
  components
• Delineating coach and client characteristics
• Refining theory based on evidence