Ben Hughes: Working with charity leaders
It can be helpful and interesting to hear from others what being a ‘coachee’ involves, how it helps and what it can mean for your organisation. Building on Bion's theory of groups - and particulary the 'work group' - along with subsequent work developed by the Tavistock on organisation theory, the Institute now applies some of these principles to a range of coaching situations.
There are a number of different coaching models and approaches that can provide a helpful framework for coaching practice. Notable amongst these are GROW, TGROW (yes, I know..) FLOW, CLEAR and OSCAR. Others too will offer useful resources to draw on. Increasingly though, many coaches - myself included - apply a hybrid approach that is responsive to the specifric circumstances and style of the client, rather than stick to any one distinct model. In this context Narrative Coaching is increasingly used as a frame to work with clients on whatever they bring to a session - in a real time manner; working in this way is all about being in the present and responding to wherever the client takes the session. It is quite different in approach to the more traditional cognitive, goal oriented models highlighted above and offers what some may find a freer, more fluid style of working.
Management theory has become an industry in itself. The proliferation of material could fill 00’s of websites, never mind pages! But that would be neither useful or bearable…..yet there are some fine thinkers who have contributed sound, creative and genuinely helpful ideas and approaches to this evolving practice. I find these fit that description.
...and finally, research. There is a growing body of academic study interested in understanding more about management and leadership coaching, and wider organisation development (although little of this, significantly, relates directly to civil society leadership). This aims both to inform practice and establish a common understanding around good process and accountabilities. This paper explores Bion's basic assumtions and work group model (above), as relevant today as when developed c70 years ago.