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Featured Article #1: Ethical Issues in Developmental Coaching Developmental Action Learning Practicum: New Perspectives on Action Learning from Developmental Coaching Other Fall Offerings Getting Started in Developmental Coaching (IDM Gateway) Deepening Developmental Listening (IDM Module A) Behavioral Assessment in Executive Coaching (IDM Module C) Starting Cognitive Coaching: How to Boost Your Client's Systemic Thinking Choice Magazine Overview of IDM Program

Ethical Issues in Developmental Coaching

[see also Choice Magazine, September 2006]

By Otto Laske

Developmental Maturity Matters in Coaching

If you come to think about it, both coaches and clients are adults who have achieved a certain stage of maturity, both in their thinking and their emotional life. In coaching, this fact has up to now rarely been seen as significant, or else has been taken for granted. But if we consider that there are validated empirical theories of how adults mature, in their thinking and emotional intelligence, over the life span, this fact takes on greater significance.

Essentially, it means that the higher stage of maturity a coach has reached, the greater is his or her potential to help clients. Of course, this only holds to the extent that the coach has learned to recognize and take into account the client's own developmental stage. It also means that if the coach functions at a lower stage of maturity than the client, ethical issues can arise since in that case the coach may arrest or delay, and thus harm, the client's mental growth.

What is a Stage of Development?

A developmental stage is simply a specific mode of functioning in the social world that is determined by how an individual makes meaning of his/her experiences. Through semi-structured interviews, stage can be precisely assessed.

The term 'stage' entails:

• You can't go to stage X if you haven't been at stage X-1.
• Making a developmental shift to X is a discontinuous process,
• Learning and development differ, the former depending on available developmental potential.

Now let's work toward an example.

With R. Kegan (1982; also Laske, 2006), we can distinguish three 'main' adult stages, 3, 4, and 5, neglecting here intermediate stages. Stages are not well predicted by either age or education. However, age is a 'boundary variable,' in that you wouldn't expect a 20-year old to be at stage 5. Stage 3 is called “other-dependent,” stage 4 “self-authoring,” and stage 5 “self-aware.” At each of these, individuals have starkly different world views, define themselves differently, and therefore have different goals.

At stage 3, individuals define themselves by the expectations of (external and internalized) others, while those at stage 4 act from their own authentic value system. Stage 5 individuals no longer define themselves by their personality, career, achievements, life history, or indeed any particular part of themselves. They are rather "in the flow", able to use others as midwives of their own development. So, clearly, the world — including the coaching world — is developmentally stratified.

What the Table Says

To make what I've said about stages clearer, below you'll find a that establishes comparisons between the coach's and the client's developmental stages. Although you only have an approximate notion of the three stages, you should be able to follow the argument.

• If you are presently making meaning of your life at a stage below your client, you will miss much of what your client is saying since you have not learned to “listen developmentally.”
• As a consequence, you will misconstrue what you hear the client say in terms of your own present developmental stage, and this may be disorienting, or even harmful, to your client (who knows his/her developmental stage as little as you).
• What will result from this fact is an ethical situation best described as the blind leading the blind.
• Practically it means that the coaching relationship is likely to be counterproductive or even harmful to the client since you cannot match the client's meaning making.
• Outside of making behavioral changes (e.g., skills), you would be reinforcing the client's developmental risk. If both you and your client are at stage 3, you will unknowingly keep the client there although his/her developmental potential to go to stage 4 may be greater than your own.

In the summary below, rows in italics list situations of ethical concern:

Table 1: Typology of coach-client relationships
(Measuring Hidden Dimensions, 2006, p. 237)

Except for the last case (which is too complicated to address here), these cases are straightforward. Let's look at two short examples.

Example

Imagine your client is a Director of Sales in a global company, and expects you to clarify with her issues of company integrity in dealing with other countries that she is deeply concerned about. These issues play out in her meetings with directors from the international branches of her U.S. company.

Imagine also that you presently define yourself at stage 3, in contrast to your client, who has matured to stage 4 (although younger). Consequently, while you define yourself by peers, community, convention, your client is anchored in her own autonomous value system, able to stand back from conventions and expectations of others, and is highly reflective of her own unique self-positioning.

In this case, you may not be able to assist her, given that maturity levels differ sharply. You will necessarily misconstrue her concerns, interpreting them from your own, less developed, value system and self-concept. You may even do her harm by holding her back developmentally, and moreover may re-ignite developmental risks the client has already overcome (such as regressing to a lower stage). (See row no. 2 of the table).

Why Not Knowing the Stage of Your Adult Development Can Become an Ethical Issue

As good as your intentions may be, if you don't know your developmental stage, given that the client does not know hers either, you are unbeknownst yourself in an ethical muddle. You owe it to your client to refer her to a more mature coach, not because of lack of expertise or pragmatic issues, but because you cannot guarantee not to do her harm.

However, the muddle is easy to clear up. You can opt for a developmental assessment that puts you in the picture as to how you presently make meaning of your experiences. This gives you better insight into which clients you can productively work with, and also sensitizes you to your own developmental potential.

To learn more about thinking developmentally in coaching, go to http://interdevelopmentals.org/book.html.

Further Reading

Kegan, R. (1982). The evolving self. Harvard University Press.

Laske, O. (2006). Measuring Hidden Dimensions, IDM Press (ISBN 0977680002)

New Perspectives on Action Learning from Developmental Coaching: A Practicum

[For 8/28 and 9/11 Information Sessions, see below]

This 16 (8x2) hr Practicum introduces coaches and action learning practitioners to new ways of “composing,” “looking at,” “sizing up,” and “working with” teams, based on a framework of evidence-based cognitive coaching. The emphasis is on learning and practicing new thinking tools by which to boost a team's performance. The Practicum familiarizes participants with a typology of teams, and teaches them how to match cognitive feedback to teams to the phase of cognitive development team members are presently in. There are no preconditions for participation, but action learning and coaching experience are helpful. [This course counts toward the future IDM Certificate in Developmental Action Learning.]

The Practicum unfolds within the framework of contemporary, “conventional,” action learning and gradually broadens participants' purview to its hidden – social-emotional and cognitive – dimensions. The center of attention is the coach's relationship to the team. The coaching function, initially carried by the instructor, is increasingly taken over by participants.

Procedure

1. We will form a 'multi-problem' action learning group in which individuals take turns as problem presenters.
2. Upon consensus, we can also take on a 'single problem' and work on it as a group.
3. Initially, the instructor will serve as the action learning coach.
4. Increasingly, volunteers will take over the coaching function, to further their own and the team's action learning.

Objectives

• Strengthening perception of the nature and structure of specific teams
• Strengthening critical reflection skills
• Deepening inquiry and question-asking ability
• Promoting systems thinking
• Enhancing problem solving skills beyond strictly formal logical thinking
• Strengthening active, developmental listening skills

Practicum Materials

1. Marquardt, M.J. (2004). Optimizing the Power of Action Learning Teams (emphasis on chapters 2 (the problem), 4 (questions and reflections), and 7 (the coach)), Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black [ISBN 0-89106-191-6) Optimizing the Power of Action Learning Teams on Amazon.com

2. Laske, O. (2006). Measuring Hidden Dimensions. Medford, MA: IDM Press, http://interdevelopmentals.org/book.html (e-book $46.95; soft bound $ 59.95)

3. Laske, O. (2006). Course materials entitled "New Tools for Coaching Action Learning Teams " (PowerPoint slides/PDF files).

Schedule and Tuition

The practicum meets for 16 (8x2) hours by telephone. Additional course materials are sent to participants electronically before the start of the course. Tuition is US $495, and is paid by check to Laske and Associates LLC, 51 Mystic St., Medford, MA 02155, or via Paypal at http://interdevelopmentals.org/registrations.html#ALpracticum.

Starts: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

*** Tuition payment must be received at least 1 week before the first course session ***

Register Now for the Action Learning Practicum ($495)

Information Session on Action Learning Course

To help you decide whether IDM's unique Action Learning training program is for you, we've scheduled two information tele-sessions (free conference calls). Pre-registration is required. Two sessions will be held:

• Monday, August 28, 06, 6 pm ET
• Monday, September 12, 06, 6 pm ET

In these sessions, questions on the course can be aired, and suggestions about the direction of the course be made. Information on an IDM Certificate for Action Learning Coaches will be available.

Those interested are asked to pre-register at least 3 days in advance by sending a message with your name and email address to otto@interdevelopmentals.org.

IDM Fall 2006 Course Offerings

Also see http://interdevelopmentals.org/course-descriptions.html

*** Payment Policy: Tuition payment may be made by check or online and must be received at least 1 week before the first course session ***

Getting Started in Developmental Coaching (IDM Gateway)

This 16 (8x2) hr hands-on workshop introduces participants to thinking, listening, and working with client’s developmental stages in their coaching practice. By understanding developmental stage as a mode of functioning that directly determines performance, participants gain clarity about where they themselves are in their lifespan development, and what are the criteria to listen for in conversations with their clients. Participants begin to understand the social stratification of the social world, and the impact of this stratification on their day-to-day work. [IDM has received many testimonials as to the transformative character of introductory course.]

Please indicate your interest in this course by writing to otto@interdevelopmentals.org.

Register Now for the Gateway Course ($495)

Order the text book for the course at http://interdevelopmentals.org/book.html.

Deepening Developmental Listening (Module A)

This 16 (8x2 hr) course is a continuation of Gateway for the sake of deepening developmental listening, and understanding better how clients presently make sense of their experiences in life and work. Emphasis is on understanding the client’s Frame of Reference that determines their goals, ways of working, and ways of relating.

Participants learn the art of developmental interviewing and acquire the techniques to evaluate (“score”) interviews in terms of the client’s present developmental range. Technically, participants move from working with illustrations of developmental stages to interpreting entire interviews, thus increasing their fluency of developmental knowledge.

Register Now for Module A ($700).

Order the text book for the course at http://interdevelopmentals.org/book.html.

Starting Cognitive Coaching: How To Boost Your Client’s Systemic Thinking

Please indicate your interest in this course by writing to otto@interdevelopmentals.org.

Register Now for Starting Cognitive Coaching ($495).

Behavioral Assessment in Executive Coaching (Module C)

This 16 (8x2) hr course introduces to a deep-digging questionnaire regarding executives’ self conduct, approach to tasks, and emotional intelligence seen as intricately related. Emphasis is on better understanding the unconscious barriers to success in executive performance, including ‘energy sinks’ and ‘frustration index.’ Participants take the questionnaire themselves, and then learn how to interpret questionnaire data in order to build a profile of their executive client. This profile helps clarify clients’ coaching needs, and can be used to develop realistic coaching plans.

Register Now for Module C ($700)

Fall 2006 Course Schedule

[With class consensus, course times can be changed]

choice Magazine - Coach Training School Entry for Interdevelopmental Institute

The following is an excerpt of the listing in the choice magazine training directory.

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