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At The Foundation of Coaching, our philosophy of research is simple: Research is important. Why?
- For the field of coaching – to establish a body of knowledge and clarify the theoretical foundations of what we do
- For coaches – to develop and explore what we do, how we do it, share best practices and learn more about what works
- For consumers of coaching – to know what coaching is about, what to ask for and expect in a coaching engagement, how to choose a coach or coaching method, and how coaching impacts individuals, organizations and social systems.
- For others interested in coaching – to find out more about the field, its development and growth as an inter-disciplinary phenomenon.
Coaching-related research is the key to discovering:
- How, when, where, and why coaching works.
- What approaches, theories, models and fundamental assumptions inform coaching – both in practice and as a profession.
- How coaching is similar to and distinct from other practices and disciplines.
Got questions about what coaching-related research is, and why you should care? Post them at the ‘comments’ link below.
Or, perhaps you know of, or are already pursuing a research project that you think would be of interest to the community. By all means – we’re glad you’re here. Post below at the ‘comments’ link, or visit this link if you’re interested in our grant criteria.
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There are 6 Responses so far...
One caution I’d have about research in coaching is to prevent the transfer of bad habits of research in other disciplines to coaching. For example, don’t bring irrelevant research questions that focus on minutiae and triviality. Direct coaching research efforts to truly worthwhile areas that strengthen coaching practice and enhance client growth. Keep an eye on the big picture…the whole.
In addition, be cautious about participating in survey research allegedly about coaching but with virtually no foundation in theory, existing research or known practice. We receive dozens of requests from graduate students and coaching organizations to include the members of our Peer Resources Network in their research projects, yet the researcher has done nothing to connect their survey to existing literature; and often they cannot provide a compelling reason for the research other than “wouldn’t it be nice to know.”
It’s great there is an interest in conducting research in coaching, and I would hope that the ICF, as the largest coaching organization, could educate members about legitimate research requests. It seems that the Coaching Commons will more likely be the place for that type of education. Congratulations to the Commons group for getting this going.
I believe and agree that coaching related research is crucial to this field, and would be interested in more conversation about ‘legitimate research requests’. I am exploring ideas for my dissertation and am interested in researching ‘best practices’ for coaching youth/adolescents/teens. Because this has been my field of interest and specialty for 20+ years, it seems like a viable topic and could benefit the coaching community (enhance coaching practice for those coaching youth and enhance client (youth) growth. I am involved with the ICF Teen SIG group, and am aware of a growing number of coaches who are coaching youth. I’d be interested in any ideas or discussion that might assist me in this endeavor. I am excited to read and learn about both The Coaching Commons as well as the Foundation of Coaching as resources, so THANK YOU for being here!!
Hi, Mary Wayne: The link you have to the Foundation of Coaching at the beginning of this section is inaccurate. There is an “o” in the link that needs to be removed.
Hi Mary,
You got my attention with your comments in the “Coaching Works…” post when you said:
“The questions that we ask about the field of coaching are not just for academics or scientists. We believe that it is important for coaches to be savvy about research so they can examine their own practices and add valuable data to marketing and training ‚Äö√Ñ√¨ and their own development! This is the model of the ‚Äö√Ñ√∫scholar-practitioner‚Äö√Ñ√π: a coach who regularly reflects and examines his or her own practice using short research projects.”
That paragraph really helps me re-frame this whole discussion of research…and evidence based models.
Thank you,
James
Hi – thanks for all your enthusiasm about our support of Coaching-Related Research (I have started using “coaching-related” rather than “coaching research” since a conversation with John Bennett, who reminded me that coaching is multi-disciplinary, and our research can be, too! Great point, John – research about coaching can be drawn from many fields, including education, psychology, sports, health, anthropology, etc.! And I’m all for ‘opening the aperture’ on our view of coaching!
One thing that intrigues me at present is the differential impact of either of two methods of delivering coach training (in-person versus telecourse) on the success of becoming certified by the ICF, IAC, etc. I think this might make a good research study. I wonder if anyone would like to join me in preparing a proposal to submit to the Coaching Foundation to examine this relationship?