according to Kathy Toogood in her paper “Strengthening Coaching: An Exploration of the Mindset of Executive Coaches Using Strengths-Based Coaching” (International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue No. 6, June 2012, pp. 72-87), the movement towards strengths-based coaching is growing. Read on to find out the why and how of a strengths-based approach to coaching clients.
COACHING RESEARCH:
Toogood interviewed six self-employed executive coaches who had used strengths identification tools in their practices for a number of years. Her research was inductive in nature, which means she collected data via in-depth interviews with the coaches and extracted an explanation for strengths-based coaching from the interview transcripts.
Toogood’s research findings highlight the reasons why coaches believe in strengths-based coaching. It can “lead to higher levels of well-being and confidence,” “assist goal achievement” and promote “energy, effectiveness, productivity and a sense of meaning through the coaching process” (p.72). In addition, Toogood outlines the following perceived benefits:
- Conscious awareness leads to faster growth
- Goal achievement is easier and more fun
- Better and faster results
- It’s more energising
- Broadens perspective and options
- Builds confidence, self-belief and identity
- Leads to satisfaction and fulfillment (p. 74)
Toogood continues to explain that strengths-based coaching allows clients “to be more of the person they are” (p. 75). Thus, strengths-based coaching promotes authenticity, which the literature describes as a powerful alignment between who we are, what we think and what we do. Plus authenticity has a self-actualising effect and, in fact, accelerates the coaching process.
Understandably, the recognition and witnessing of the above benefits and outcomes had a “significant impact upon the coaches’ satisfaction and continued motivation to take a strengths-based approach.” However, there was an additional benefit: “when the coaches consciously draw on their own strengths to help others to grow and become more of themselves, simultaneously, the coaches feel that they are also growing and becoming ‘more of who they are’ – there is a mutual benefit or a symbiotic effect” (p. 76). In the light of this, Toogood cites “Linley’s (2008) pillars of responsibility: firstly, the responsibility to use and develop our own strengths, and secondly, the responsibility to create the conditions to enable the strengths of others” (p. 76).
IN PRACTICE:
Also part of Toogood’s research were explanations for how coaches practise strengths-based coaching. As you put this ‘coaching research into practice’ you may want to consider these strategies (pp. 78-79):
- Focus “on the strengths as opposed to weaknesses of your clients and deliberately move away from focusing on ‘the problem’.”
- Focus on striking the strengths/weaknesses balance and recognise “when it would be inappropriate to have a strengths-based conversation at all.”
- “Let people embrace strengths at their own pace.”
- Be aware that “traditional coaching models such as GROW (Whitmore, 1996) encourage coaches to explore what is not working. The participants believe that strengths coaching is about the main focus of attention being on what is working and what is energising, but not exclusively, and a right balance needs to be found. They all believe that coaches need to be sensitive to the client’s needs and to client readiness to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses.”
- Try using a strengths identification tool accompanied by one of the less structured approaches, such as questioning, to further identify strengths and complement your use of the tool. Some such tools include:
- Solution-focused model, (Berg, 2005)
- Myers Briggs, (Briggs Myers, 2000)
- The Logical Levels of Change (Dilts and DeLozier, 2000)
- Hogan (Hogan and Hogan, 2001)
- Time to Think (Kline, 1999)
- Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider and Srivastva, 1987)
- Use yourself as a tool by:
- “always looking for strengths in the coachee”
- “seeing clients as having strengths to achieve what they want”
- “applying [your] own strengths to the coaching process in order to strengthen the coaching process by doing so”
- “being a role model in the way that [you] apply [your] own strengths”
If you like this snippet of Toogood’s research, you may also want to download the entire paper via this link:
I recommend taking a look. It’s very readable and provides a lot more information then I’ve been able to present in this short article!
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Translating coaching research into coaching practice,
Dr Kerryn Griffiths
Global ReciproCoach Coordinator
