Jake's Talent & Learning Newsletter
The Neuroscience of... Coaching?
Greetings, everyone! And as always, a special welcome to those of you receiving this newsletter for the first time.
This newsletter is about something that has been on my mind (pun!) quite a bit lately: neuroscience and coaching. Growing access to fMRI technology has enabled academic research to dive into just how coaching activates certain brain systems, but there seems to be something missing. Much of the academic lab research that I have been exposed to around coaching has a distinct flavor, which I tend to see flaw: it views coaching as a distinct, discreet activity.
And it certainly is.
However, coaching is much more than a point-in-time exercise done by a professional coach. It's also a posture and broader approach to managing and mentoring others.
That's why this recent academic article, The Neuroscience of Coaching, caught my eye. The replication lab study itself is quite robust, but more importantly are the implications for coaching shared by the authors:
"Whether coaching is being delivered by a professional coach or it is a form of helper guidance offered by a manager, parent, teacher, [...] the best way to engage a mind-set that will lead to sustained effort in learning or change is to coach in a manner that first engages and then sustains the individual’s own vision of his or her dreams and aspirations. In contrast, many coaches (or helpers/managers) focus from the start on the problems and challenges that an individual faces and then coach in a manner that ends up being driven by their own expectations and their desire to fix or resolve the issues for the other person," (Boyatzis & Jack, 2018, emphasis mine).
Most managers that I work with don't view themselves as coaches. At most, they may see coaching as something that they are occasionally required to do. As a result, providing developmental feedback is often triggered by a negative event, meaning that any coaching is likely issue-focused and as a result, less-likely to motivate and lead to sustained change.
A few questions I'd love to hear your thoughts on:
What typically occurs that causes you to put on your 'coaching hat'?
Do your managers see themselves as coaches?
A related, selfish plug: I hope to have 2-3 coaching slots become available later in the summer. If your organization could use a coach - either virtually or in person - please let me know!
And as always, let me know if there are topics you'd like me to investigate for an upcoming Newsletter.