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Beyond Goals: Effective Strategies for Coaching and Mentoring
What is there in developmental relationships beyond setting and striving to achieve goals? The presence of goals in coaching and mentoring programs has gone largely unquestioned, yet evidence is growing that the standard prescription of SMART, challenging goals is not always appropriate - and even potentially dangerous - in the context of a complex and rapidly changing world.
Beyond Goals advances standard goal-setting theory by bringing together cutting-edge perspectives from leaders in coaching and mentoring. From psychology to neuroscience, from chaos theory to social network theory, the contributors offer diverse and compelling insights into both the advantages and limitations of goal pursuit. The result is a more nuanced understanding of goals, with the possibility for practitioners to bring greater impact and sophistication to their client engagements. The implications of this re-assessment are substantial for all those practicing as coaches and mentors, or managing coaching or mentoring initiatives in organizations.
Beyond Goals advances standard goal-setting theory by bringing together cutting-edge perspectives from leaders in coaching and mentoring. From psychology to neuroscience, from chaos theory to social network theory, the contributors offer diverse and compelling insights into both the advantages and limitations of goal pursuit. The result is a more nuanced understanding of goals, with the possibility for practitioners to bring greater impact and sophistication to their client engagements. The implications of this re-assessment are substantial for all those practicing as coaches and mentors, or managing coaching or mentoring initiatives in organizations.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Susan David
4 books439 followersSusan David, Ph.D., is a Psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School; co-founder and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital; and CEO of Evidence Based Psychology, a boutique business consultancy. An in-demand speaker and advisor, David has worked with the senior leadership of hundreds of major organizations, including the United Nations, Ernst & Young, and the World Economic Forum. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Harvard Business Review, Time, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal. David is on the core faculty of the extraordinary global program Homeward Bound which culminates in an all-women expedition to Antarctica and is being filmed as a documentary. The program aims at increasing the influence and impact of women in the sciences. Originally from South Africa, David lives outside of Boston with her family.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 8, 2022
The book is a series of treatises by experts looking - as a theme - at the value of setting goals for proteges by coaches and mentors. The contention seems to be that such an approach can create "goal-fixation" - that is, by focusing on hard goals, developmental opportunities to learn and develop may be missed.
Many of today's current models for coaching - GROW and the like - are reviewed in terms of their application in the real world.
It is the general opinion that for "coachees" to progress, their inner values must line up with the goals they set for themselves. If there is a disjoint, progress will be difficult. It was described in some articles as the battle between our inner drivers and external expectations (in society, in work, in family).
The expectations of others are generally regarded as negative drivers (where the effort of a coachee to improve won't be sustained because they're doing it from fear). However, if goals line up with our inner values (you are positively disposed to it because it lines up with the inner self), we are more likely to succeed.
Negative drivers are less successful for sustained effort (this is where we focus on improving on our weaknesses) whereas positive drivers (building on our strengths) seem to be more successful.
There was a distinction made between goals brought by the coachee to the coaching conversation as against a coachee arriving with general ideas around future, allowing goals to evolve in the course of coaching. Goals should continue to evolve throughout time; fixed goals in an evolving world are unlikely to succeed either.
What I thought the authors missed was that goal setting is not necessarily the issue. I think that coaches should help build a plan for Project Coachee (... which can be reviewed at regular intervals and adjusted/changed) to allow the coachee to move forward in a more general way towards mature development. The book did point out the dichotomy between short and long-term goals. However, I think a project plan would overcome that dilemma, where the coachee can see - or not - how all the different pieces link together.
All in all, I found it a good collection of essays on coaching. I got some great coaching questions from it, a better understanding of mentoring/coaching dilemmas and an understanding that all coaches seem to have the same issues as myself around the world.
Many of today's current models for coaching - GROW and the like - are reviewed in terms of their application in the real world.
It is the general opinion that for "coachees" to progress, their inner values must line up with the goals they set for themselves. If there is a disjoint, progress will be difficult. It was described in some articles as the battle between our inner drivers and external expectations (in society, in work, in family).
The expectations of others are generally regarded as negative drivers (where the effort of a coachee to improve won't be sustained because they're doing it from fear). However, if goals line up with our inner values (you are positively disposed to it because it lines up with the inner self), we are more likely to succeed.
Negative drivers are less successful for sustained effort (this is where we focus on improving on our weaknesses) whereas positive drivers (building on our strengths) seem to be more successful.
There was a distinction made between goals brought by the coachee to the coaching conversation as against a coachee arriving with general ideas around future, allowing goals to evolve in the course of coaching. Goals should continue to evolve throughout time; fixed goals in an evolving world are unlikely to succeed either.
What I thought the authors missed was that goal setting is not necessarily the issue. I think that coaches should help build a plan for Project Coachee (... which can be reviewed at regular intervals and adjusted/changed) to allow the coachee to move forward in a more general way towards mature development. The book did point out the dichotomy between short and long-term goals. However, I think a project plan would overcome that dilemma, where the coachee can see - or not - how all the different pieces link together.
All in all, I found it a good collection of essays on coaching. I got some great coaching questions from it, a better understanding of mentoring/coaching dilemmas and an understanding that all coaches seem to have the same issues as myself around the world.
Displaying 1 of 1 review