Coaching with Compassion Rather than For Compliance
by Marci Wilson-Boggs
As a lifelong learner, I am delighted when I’m able to encounter an insight that pops up when I learn something new, or perceive something in a different, often better, way. This light bulb moment happened recently when I decided to re-read a book we use in Summit Coach Training entitled, Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth.[1]
When I began my career, I worked as a temporary employee in lots of different industries, but primarily all in secular businesses, not churches or non-profits. When I reached management level, I can remember receiving specific training about how to coach others for compliance and not with compassion. In business, our goal was continuous measurable improvement that included fixing potentially negative employee behavior or performance issues, rather than coaching to inspire, encourage, partner or lead them to a path of discovery.
Now, all these years later, coaching with compassion rather than for compliance has been researched, tested and proven to be much more effective for causing lasting change in individuals. The social science research in this book revealed the following to the authors: “To make changes stick, our research shows that it has to be intentional and internally motivated rather than imposed from the outside.” At this point in time, that seems like simple common sense to me. People cannot be forced into compliance that is truly meaningful to them, and negative consequences only go so far for any employee (or leader). So, why would we believe it still works to coach in order to fix people so they fit into some pre-defined job description or leadership position?
The best coaching is inspiring change, growth, learning and discovery. “It is about helping people figure out what might be possible or desired in their lives and then helping them figure out how to achieve it.”[2]
Summit Coaching Training from Pinnacle is a great way to learn how to become an inspiring, encouraging and insightful coach to help anyone looking for direction and clarity. This training has freed me from the negatives of compliance and transported me to the positives of dreaming, planning and achievement. Classes are open now for registration for this fall, so check out our website for current offerings.
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1. Richard E. Boyatzis, Melvin Smith, Ellen Van Oosten, Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth, (c) 2019, Harvard Business Review press.
2. Ibid, p.21.