“Uncommon Coaching” Fuels Discussion

What is Uncommon Coaching and how does it vary from more traditional leadership coaching practiced today? How does coaching differ from therapy? How does the alignment approach in Uncommon Coaching relate to intentions, behaviors and motives?

These topics and others were presented by Leadership Worth Following (LWF), a Dallas-based leadership consulting firm, and Aaron Friedman, PhD, manager, global leadership development (Flex Ltd.), to the 2018 Conference of the American Psychological Association.

Their Uncommon Coaching presentation attracted approximately 60 conference attendees, representing multiple disciplines of psychology. Common assumptions about coaching, human behavior, and the growth process were also discussed. In evaluating personal growth, LWF and Friedman suggested that integrity should be considered as the alignment of intentions and impact, rather than the alignment of intentions and behavior.

Other coaching topics discussed included confidentiality, participant commitment and goals, and the ideal length of coaching engagements. While many coaches advocate for a long-term commitment, Uncommon Coaching considers such an approach unnecessary and potentially irrational in that the duration of a coaching relationship should be primarily influenced by that relationship’s usefulness to the coachee. If there’s not engagement and growth – with the coachee doing better and being better – the coaching relationship should be addressed, shifted, or discontinued.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF), a standard-bearer for coaching certifications today, defines coaching as: “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

In contrast, Uncommon Coaching is defined as the process of inviting, facilitating, teaching, and encouraging leadership to embark on a lifelong process of: 1) having the impact they intend to have: 2) aspiring to do better and be better; and 3) transforming the world around them. This transformation from self-focus to other-focus is a key differentiator.

Attendees were encouraged to understand the boundaries of coaching – for themselves, their clients, and their organizations – and also anticipate appropriate responses when their own boundaries are reached or tested.

To learn more about Uncommon Coaching, LWF’s Worthy Leadership model, or other ways LWF can positively impact your organization, please contact Myranda Grahek at myranda@worthyleadership.com or 214-260-8001.