Discuss the ways in which coaching psychology research might advance the practise of executive coaching

Coaching psychology as a practise is a relatively new phenomenon which encourages an individual to realise and ultimately develop their personal strengths and attributes. Although it is a new practice, psychologists as a whole are yet to determine an exact definition of the meaning coaching psychology. However one of the most applicable definitions to this subject matter is “Coaching maybe defined as a goal - directed multifaceted process for enhancing people, work and life and, as an industry, it has and still is experiencing rapid growth” (Brock, 2006). This essay will examine coaching psychology and how its research will benefit the development of executive coaching and how previous research can enhance this particular sector in psychology. Some of the main areas that will be explored are how positive psychological research has informed this particular area as a whole, the relationship between a coach and client, what qualities make for a good coach and how future research can improve our knowledge and the practice of executive coaching.

Positive psychology despite, being considered an applied science it is an empirical science by virtue of scientific method and research. Positive psychology is imperative to the practice of executive coaching as it concentrates on utilising an executives/managers ability to improve an “individuals traits which manifest themselves as character strengths and talents” (Peterson 2006). Both positive psychology and coaching psychology are concerned with how one can improve themselves in all aspects of their lives, which has an incidental effect on their work. Research which explores such subjects is presently limited as the research area and the actual field as a whole is relatively new. Positive psychology, unlike most other field of psychology not only focuses on how to improve the negative aspects of one’s nature but also how to recognise and utilise an individual’s positive attributes. Coaching psychology and positive psychology are two of the limited areas within psychology which acknowledge this and try to ‘to promote optimal functioning across the full range of human functioning, from disorder and distress to health and fulfilment’ (Linley & Joseph, 2004). Such progress in the field of positive psychology has made psychologists focus not only on the bad aspects but in actuality explore the positive qualities that an individual may possess and how such qualities can improve one’s quality of life and how these qualities can be applied to each aspect of one’s life including the work environment. One of the most important developments within positive psychology which is vastly considered in relation to executive coaching has been the VIA Classification of strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). The VIA Classification of Strengths is a tool which helps ascertain one’s positive strengths and then maximize such strengths with the hope of then putting these strengths into practice to improve one’s executive skills and in turn ones productivity within the organisation. Positive Psychology when applied correctly in the coaching of executives can be extremely effective in accordance to Peltier, 2001.
Another fundamental factor to take into consideration is when studying the ways in which coaching psychology research may progress the practice of executive coaching is the coach-coachee relationship. This is a matter in which very little research has been conducted, even though various authors have insinuated that a good coach-coachee relationship is a vital factor for the success in executive coaching (Lowman, 2005). Baron and Morin (2009) conducted research into this area to gain a better understanding into the relationship between a coach and coachee. In this report the author refers to previous research by Kampa-Kokesch and Anderson (2001) which observed that a trusting relationship signifies the initial step in the executive coaching path. It is during this step that the coachee forms an opinion on how they perceive the coach in a professional manner. Research in this area previous to this report (McGovern et al., 2001; Dingman, 2004; Berry, 2005) was informative and offered an insight that the relationship between a coach and coachee was indeed imperative to executive coaching success. However, these earlier studies failed to examine exclusively the mutual coach-coachee relationship in an empirical study. The study conducted by Baron and Morin (2009) uses the idea of working alliance which in this study as opposed to being in relation to therapist and client relationship refers to the relationship between coach and coachee, therefore applying the concept of working alliance including all relationships that are change-inducing (Bordin, 1979). This study was the first of its kind as it was an empirical study solely investigating the relationship between the coach and coachee and how this relationship effects executive coaching. The results of this study support previous studies conducted but provide necessary empirical evidence that there is a positive correlation between coach-coachee relationships and successful executive coaching.
When looking at how coaching psychology research informs ones knowledge of executive coaching, another area which is very important is a coach’s competency and what exactly deems a coach as competent. Research undertaken by Dagley (2010) explored this issue. For his research he interviewed 20 coaching purchasers over a 90 minute time period during which the subject completed a questionnaire that consisted of 40 questions. After analysing the results of these interviews and collaborating information the study had gathered Dagley documented nine capabilities that a “competent” coach possessed. These nine capabilities were in three separate categories: engagement, insight and responsibility and deeper conversation. Within each of these categories key areas were defined as crucial. These areas were presented as subheading within their appropriate category. Engagement deals with the ability of the coach to engage the client and so the subheadings deemed vital are credibility, empathy and respect and holding the professional self if these criteria are met Dagley hypothesised that the coach and coachee would connect and establish a good working relationship. Insight and responsibility is a key attribute in order for a coach to be considered competent the main factors considered insightful and responsible are that the coach works to the business context, realising their loyalty to both the coachee and the company they are employed by, philosophy of personal responsibility and skilful challenging which refers to the coaches ability to deal with issues that are considered uncomfortable/tricky. The third capability that is a must, in accordance with Dagley's research is deeper conversation coachee considered the coaches ability to understand and diagnose underlying issues and have a deep understanding of the human condition another important aspect that was the coachee stressed was the coaches ability to be flexible within their approach therefore tailoring their approach to each individual making them more personable. Although much of the responsibility for success within executive coaching falls on the shoulders on the coach, one must also consider the clients role and how they can contribute to successful coaching. The research on this subject is currently quite limited. One of the most influential research in considering the clients characteristics and how they impact on whether the outcome of coaching is successful or not is a study by Caley et al, 2002. In this study research showed that a client who is well informed and agreeable will gain more from the coaching experience when it is perceived as beneficial and relevant. Other studies into this particular area have yet to offer an insight as to what client characteristics either help improve or disprove the likelihood of coaching being considered successful (e.g. Dawdy, 2004).
In conclusion, executive coaching is undoubtedly advanced by research in coaching psychology. Research in coaching psychology explores issues that are applicable to all discipline within coaching psychology, including executive coaching. Studies examining issues such as looking at not only the negative aspects but the positive ones too are imperative as they boost ones confidence and in turn their performance within the company. Coach-coachee relationship is a hugely influential research area in terms of executive coaching as it explores what type of relationship has the best outcome, what aspects of individuals personalities contribute to a “good relationship” and how such relationships can be possibly improved. Even though much of the research that has been carried out has been invaluably informative within this specialised field of executive coaching there is still much to be desired in relation to gaining a better understanding of what makes coaching successful. As coaching psychology is a recent area of research there needs to be more research which looks at larger population samples in order to gain a broader understanding. Currently there is a study being conducted in collaborative research. This study encompasses 33 countries, 1550 clients, 900 coaches and 100 sponsors. When this study concludes in March 2013 it is thought that it will offer a greater understanding of how coaching psychology and therefore executive coaching, this can then be applied to the science in order to develop and improve coaching in the future

References:
Books:
Peltier, B (2009). The Psychology of Executive Coaching: Theory and Application. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.

Peterson, C (2006). A Primer in Positive Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Peterson, C. & Seligman, M (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p413-429.

Journals: Baron, L. & Morin, L. (2009). The coach-coachee relationship in Executive Coaching: A Field Study. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 20(1): 85–105.
Berry, R. M. (2006). A comparison of face-to-face and distance coaching practices| The role of the working alliance in problem resolution. Georgia State University.
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