A Critical Review of Coaching Approaches Based on a Case Study

Introduction

This work intends to critically review the prospects of various approaches of coaching including a humanistic approach which encompasses elements such as listening, questioning, reflecting feelings, and summarizing; GROW Model and cognitive behavioural model. While reviewing these parameters, the work seeks to draw insights and logical conclusions from secondary scholarly works and relate evidence and findings to the presented coaching case study. For students seeking education dissertation help, understanding these coaching models can provide a robust foundation for their research and practical applications.

Humanistic Approaches

Bartlett (2007) presents active listening and powerful questioning as two entwined competencies working in tandem to forth effective communication between the coach and the client. In active listening, the client speaks (Gabrielle) while in powerful questioning the coach speaks. It is through the intrigues of active listening and powerful questioning that the presented case created a dance where understanding, exploration, realization, and meaning of the challenges facing Gabrielle emerges; the problem of decision making.

According to Cox, Bachkirova, and Clutterbuck, 2014), the principles of active listening are whole body listening (somatic listening) where the client provides a rapport, and presence through undivided attention to the client’s prior experiences and communication. It is through active listening the coach finds the missing links in the dimensions presented by the client. Besides, active listening encompasses the coach’s listening filters; the demarcation line between self and client and reactions which may ascend from self-habits. Active listening paves the way for the coach to perceive the client’s perspectives, language use, and what she can or cannot do; and therefore the potentials and limitations.

Combs, Richards, and Richards, (1976), presents powerful questioning s a reaction to active listening which provides a basis for a dance between the coach and the client; such that powerful questions focus on a proposition that the client is a rich source of answers to the challenges the client has. Besides, powerful questioning permits the coach to dig into what might be the client’s awareness; to unravel the client’s underlying mantle of identity, assumptions and belief systems. Moreover, powerful questioning allows the coach to test various hypotheses concerning how the Gabriele’s worldviews enabled me attain insights into which factors are likely to induce a positive change and how to be supportive to the needs of the client.

According to Elkins (2005), summarising and reflective listening are crucial skills for reacting to the client’s comments. The scholar maintains a view that the two arts enable the client to exemplify and demonstrate her worldview without the coach’s helping out in writing the script. That which the client has been shown ought to be checked out in summarizing and reflection. Pre-existing ideas and stories cause the coach to focus on evidence and ignore other information. In this path there become a story making sense of the evidence; and which inspires a plan of action to unravel and resolve.

In reflection, Goldstein, (1986), shares that the coach is listening to the client’s reality enabling her to see for self that her world can be transformed if she so chooses. If the coach’s understanding of the client’s world is faulty, he/she finds it cumbersome to react to the existing impediments. Reflection allows the other client to rectify any misunderstanding, thereby imposing genuine empathy. Reflection helps to ascertain the disclosed information by the client is not the information generated by the coach but rather from the client. An intervention, which short-circuits the talk to the aspects perceived vital, causes true concerns to remain concealed. When unravelling the story and the motivational balance, a reflection, with basic open questions usually lead to the provision of what is really to the other coach (Stober, 2006).

A Critical Review of the GROW Model

The GROW Model is an acronym for the following;

G–Goal setting for the session as well as for the short and long term

R–Reality checking to dig into the current state of affair

O–Options and alternative strategies, or action plans

W-What ought to be done, when and by whom and the pursuit to do it

Dembkowski and Eldridge, (2003) attribute the GROW model of coaching to Sir John Whitmore based on his best-selling book “Coaching and Performance.” This coaching framework can be applied to orient mentoring talks. It is primarily instrumental the coach is new in the realm of mentoring since it offers a skeleton within which to operate mentoring conversations which enables you and your mentee to explore relevant goals, spend time on the goals, arouse self-awareness, unravel solutions, and action plan; and set forth a commitment for development in the client.

Goal Setting

In Goal setting, Smith, Smoll, and Curtis 1979), share that there is a constant need to comprehend the objectives of the mentee. The coach’s role is to facilitate and poke the mentee into the discovery of self and what she intends to achieve at the end of the day. In the context of the case study, questions which the coach asks Gabriele including; “Why do you feel uncertain with your decision?” and “What is currently most important for you to achieve?” contributes into the basketry if goal setting; concerning what she intends to derive in the end.

Sherin and Caiger, 2004), maintains that the objectives ought not only to be Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART); but also Positively stated, Understood, Relevant and Ethical (PURE); and also Challenging, Legal, Environmentally sound, Appropriate and Recorded (CLEAR)

Reality Checking

Upon the establishment of goals lies a need to explore the facts and feelings around the identified problem. This analysis is to arouse the self-awareness and awareness of the mentee. Rowan, 2006, defines awareness as perceiving things as they are and self-awareness as the recognition of internal factors which distort one’s perception of reality. To adequately disclose the intrigues of awareness and self-awareness, the case study taps into emotions of Gabriele by asking her aspects related to areas which she feels passionate about (Finances, Health, Career, and Personal Growth); which she rates according to her increasing urgency. The intent was to lay the ground for her abilities and provide a desirable platform for meaningful advisory conclusions. Besides, it is through the presentation of such emotions answers that the coach finds a base to want further to know which actions have Gabriele put in place to achieve the most desired options and related obstacles for making the same.

Options and What ought to be done

Once Gabriele is aware of the reality around the situation she becomes inspired to cogitate about actions, ideas, and solutions which can assist resolve or spearhead the situation forward. Having options is crucial as a choice makes her feel in control and empowered. According to Roth, and Fonagy 2006), it is fundamental for opportunities to be generated by self as in the case of Gabriele who comes out with various options including venturing into business industry, job searching to meet financial goals and develop a deeper understanding of the business world which she considers a breakthrough to joining her master’s degree later. According to Whitmore (2010), when asked to think about options for pursuing forth an issue forward one can be faced with elemental negativity originating from self-limiting beliefs. As a mentor, there is an obligation to get people to look and see beyond these belief-systems.

Once the choices for moving forward have been agreed, Jenkins, (2009) notes it is critical for a mentee to have wholly bought into the action; if they are to feel confident in completing it. This phase needs to constitute the what, when, who (stakeholders) and the willpower to do it. When this is not effectively explored, the coach may think your client has left the session with agreed actions and be surprised to find that when you next meet that nothing has happened!

Cognitive Behavioural Approach

According to Ducharme, (2004), cognitive behavioural Approach constitutes one of the orientations of psychology and denotes a sinister typology based on the premise that it ascends from both behavioural psychological and cognitive models of human behaviour. The cognitive element amidst the cognitive-behavioural psychotherapies constitutes the mannerisms on how the mentee considers and induces meaning from situations, signs, and events in their lives and develops beliefs and perspectives about self, others, and the larger world. Based on the case study; the coach provides Gabriele with time to consider her options; the chance also intends to help her become sensitive about of how she reasons, and the kinds of automatic thought that spring to mind and give meaning to things which matters to her the most.

Besides, Cognitive interventions apply the interrogative methodology to establish peoples’ meanings and harness this to inspire alternative ideas or viewpoints (guided discovery) and encompass the reflection and exploration of thinking and reasoning. It is based on these alternatives that coaches carry out behavioural experiments to establish the accuracy of these alternatives, and consequently, adopt new insights of viewing and acting. The rationale is to shift away from extreme and unhelpful ways of seeing things to more essential and sound conclusions (Edgerton, and Palmer, 2005)

The effectiveness of the cognitive behavioural approach is enhanced by various aspects such as the application of Socratic dialogue (guided dialogue) to gently investigate the mentee’s meanings and stimulate different alternative ideas (Green, Oades, and Grant, 2006). Through Socratic questions, I (coach) equally become aware of Gabriele’s achievements and progress, and it is through such I begin realizing a change in self-confidence in her and the ability to make justified decisions on what she wants in life. Besides, the cognitive behavioural approach is manifested through assigning homework to the mentee and in the context of this study may be referred to as behavioural assignment. The homework seeks to provide Gabriele with an avenue to find herself through the perspectives of that which she wants in her life and gives her time to ponder over the same before coming to logical conclusions.

Collaboration and therapeutic relationship between Gabriele and I crucially provided a safe, trusting, safe and therapeutic alliance for the success of the coaching session. My roles primarily were based on providing knowledge and skills in psychological processes, emotional theories, and techniques which were deemed applicable to Gabriele’s context. The aggregate aim was to improve Gabriele’s challenges to her efforts, through mutual collaboration (Neenan, and Dryden, 2013).

According to Brockbank (2008), therapy in cognitive behavioural approach calls for skills such as abilities to engage clients and bond amidst collaborative working relationship. Besides, there is a need to carry out an in-depth assessment to unravel the mentee’s needs by use of observation and interview and other relevant techniques. Moreover, the application of educational frameworks and relationship skills plays an essential role in informing the active participation in the entire coaching process. The awareness in relationship and communication skills inspires my meaningful cooperation with Gabriele which brings forth satisfactory mentorship.

Conclusion

The assignment intended to critically review instrumental parameters in the realms of coaching and mentorship, including humanistic approaches such as listening, questioning, reflective feeling and summarizing; GROWing model, and cognitive approaches with an application to the coaching case study. As presented above, an in-depth understanding of the mentioned parameters is crucial to the successful coaching leading to satisfaction and elevation of mentees.

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