A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
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A professional development study:
The lifelong journeys of coaches
Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
Every coach is on a journey. The moment they enter a coach training programme or begin coaching, they
enter a path of exploration with clients as well as beginning self-exploration, discernment and experiencing
profound shifts. This study investigates that journey through the lens of professional development, expertise,
and a way of being. Through semi-structured interviews of a wide range of coaches, from novice to expert,
a set of differences along a spectrum has been compiled, along with development strategies to assist coaches
on this journey toward expertise. Also explored is how coaches stay fit for purpose and an assessment of
the demand for coach education, the offerings for such education, and an assessment of the real needs for
coaches to develop toward expertise.
Keywords: Professional development, coaching, reflective practice, lifelong learning.
‘Intellectual growth should commence at birth and only cease at death.’ Albert Einstein
W
E FREQUENTLY say that coaching mation to understand coach–client relation-
is about transformation and change ships (i.e. how coaches learn and how they
(Bennett & Bush, 2013). That is, apply their knowledge and skills to support
transformation and change in a client. While positive client outcomes).
competency models have been developed for This paper is intended to synthesise
the profession as a way to define standards research on professional development prac-
of practice for a coach to facilitate change tices and provide lessons and experiences
within their clients (Campone & Ruth, 2012; among coach practitioners. Coaches can
Vandaveer et al., 2016), the field has not then, in turn, use this information to formu-
fully explored what the process of change in late and implement a personalised profes-
the coach looks like as she transforms from sional development plan. To protect privacy,
a novice, through proficiency, to becoming the names of participants have been omitted
an expert coach. from the narrative. Participants are simply
An examination of this transformation referred to as ‘coach’ followed by a letter or
requires information from several domains. an Arabic numeral.
First, the field of education offers several
theories on adult learning used to explain the Professional development
process of professional development for indi- Adult education theory attempts to explain
vidual change. Second, the field of cognitive the process of professional development
psychology looks at the characteristics, stages for individual change. Models relevant to
and cognition of expertise. And finally, the the coaching context include: andragogy
field of positive psychology studies the signif- (Knowles, 1980), reflective practice (Dewey,
icance of relationships in bringing about 1910; Schön, 1983), transformative learning
growth and change (e.g. a way of being). (Mezirow, 1990) and experiential learning
While much of the research tends to focus (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 1984).
on teacher–student or leader-subordinate Knowles’ (1980) andragogy model states
relationships, we can extrapolate this infor- that adults have lifetime experiences to draw
8 International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
Title
upon to inform learning processes. The prin- (1984), any experience has the potential
ciples of the model suggest that self-directed, for learning, but reflecting, interpreting and
experiential and problem-centred approaches experimenting are the active ingredients for
are best for enhancing adult learning practices. yielding growth and development.
In turn, activities based on these principles
increase motivation and enable achievement Expertise
of adult learners (Knowles, 1980). Research on expertise in the field of cogni-
Reflective practice, another profes- tive psychology can also contribute to the
sional development activity, derives from the professional development of coaches. The
works of Dewey (1910) and Schön (1983). field has looked at these concepts to better
According to Dewey (1910), reflective prac- understand the processes and outcomes of
tice refers to ‘the active, persistent and careful learning and performance. Much of the
consideration of any belief or supposed form research has concluded that experts are
of knowledge in the light of the grounds that made and not born (Ericsson et al., 2018).
support it’ (p.6). This means the adult learner With the right ingredients, individuals can
takes a questioning approach to learning, turn themselves into an expert of their craft.
considering ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions. For In expert performance studies, psycholo-
Schön (1983), a reflective practitioner is one gists have identified key characteristics that
who is able to think in the moment or after contribute to learning, including deliberate
a situation has occurred and uses feedback practice, motivation, coach or teacher role,
loops of experience, learning and practice to feedback and performance (Ericsson &
improve their work. Smith, 1991). Deliberate practice – persis-
Mezirow (1990) introduced transforma- tent training with full concentration –
tional learning to understand development is an important piece of the expertise puzzle
as a process for changing an individu- but not necessarily the only or leading factor
al’s frames of reference. Frames of reference (Macnamara et al., 2016). Practice is often
refer to ‘the structures of assumptions guided by a skilled expert, coach or mentor
through which we understand our experi- who serves as a feedback loop. Training
ences. They selectively shape and delimit is a qualitative difference in paying atten-
expectations, perceptions, cognition and tion, not a quantitative measure of clocking
feelings’ (Mezirow, 1997, p.5). Building a certain number of hours (Ericsson, 2008;
on Mezirow’s work, other models account Goleman, 2013).
for the role of context, varying nature of Studies on motivation characterise
the catalysts of transformative learning, growth and learning as a drive to make
increased role of other ways of knowing and progress and get better and better at some-
importance of relationships (Kitchenham, thing that matters (Herzberg et al., 1993).
2008; Taylor, 1997). Taylor (2007) finds that The yearning to learn and create new
relationships that boost confidence and things is an innate human drive (Deci &
develop mutual trust and respect are the Ryan, 2000). The emotive drive to be chal-
most significant factors for creating trans- lenged and to comprehend guides behav-
formative learning experiences. Critical iour and influences the choices individuals
thinking and reflection – that is not just make (Lawrence & Nohria, 2002). In other
rationally based but also includes emotions, words, the desire to become proficient in
intuition, and empathy – are also important a craft is an important driver of behav-
for transformative learning (Taylor, 2008). iour. If desire or motivation is low then
Finally, there is Kolb’s learning cycle, learning, or growth and development, may
which stipulates that individuals learn from be a challenge.
their life experiences, even on an everyday Two stages models are also useful for
basis (Kolb, 1984). According to Kolb the field of coaching: the Dreyfus model
International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020 9Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
of skill acquisition and Bloom’s taxonomy. to and understood) in order to grow and
The Dreyfus model (Dreyfus, 2004; Dreyfus reach their full human potential (Rogers,
& Dreyfus, 2008) describes six different 1980). This perspective on humaneness can
stages an individual must progress through be applied to the professional development
to achieve mastery in which only a small of coaches. Coaches should nurture their
number of experts achieve the final stage. environment to become more in touch with
Similarly, Bloom’s taxonomy identifies three their mind, body and spirit. Professional
domains (cognitive, affective and psycho- development, then, entails developing the
motor; Bloom et al., 1956). Each domain conditions that enhance a coach’s own way
is broken down into levels of objectives, of being.
moving through the lowest-order processes
to the highest (Krathwohl, 2002). Both Methods
models represent a progression in learning. A review of literature on adult learning from
Cognitive psychology has looked at the fields of education, cognitive psychology
the automaticity of thinking processes to and positive psychology were examined to
better understand learning (Howell, 1982; inform the creation of qualitative interviews
Taylor, 2007). Research has pointed out aimed at examining the perceptions, mean-
that automaticity plays an important role in ings and practices of professional develop-
expertise (Feltovich et al., 2006). Automa- ment of coaches. An exploratory qualitative
ticity is the ability to do something through grounded theory methodology was applied
nonconscious thinking (Bargh & Chartrand, to data collection and analysis to allow for
1999). Working towards expertise means emergent, descriptive themes (Charmaz,
continually shifting away from autopilot 2006). This approach was selected in order
(automaticity) and back into active, correc- to get rich, detailed accounts of profes-
tive attention (cognition; Foer, 2011). The sional development.
intuition, or essence of being, that develops Interviews followed a semi-structured
from this interactive process of learning format to allow for both structure and
is a combination of understanding the theory flexibility by providing consistency while
and becoming skilled at the practice of the allowing for opportunity to explore and
craft (Fromm, 1956). The same research indi- to clarify responses. These interviews were
cates that expertise also involves the ability to used to better understand the experiences
reflect and to adapt (Feltovich et al., 2006; and insights of participants (Lincoln &
Zimmerman, 2006). Being in tune with the Guba, 1985).
self through reflective thinking means an Three samples were selected for
individual can make necessary adjustments this study. The first sample included 11
to practice, in the moment or in the future. expert coaches (based on their creden-
tial, years of experience, and reputation
A way of being in the field) who were selected using
In the field of positive psychology, Carl purposive sampling to get insights from
Rogers advocated for person-centred advanced level practitioners. Skewing the
learning in his seminal work, A Way of Being, sample allowed for preliminary findings to
in 1980. He encouraged individuals to adopt inform the second phase of interviews. The
a more person-centred mindset in order to second sample included eight coaches who
tap into human potential. According to were chosen randomly from a volunteer
Rogers, an individual needs an environ- panel of International Coach Federation
ment that provides them with genuineness (ICF)-identified coaches who had previ-
(openness and self-disclosure), accept- ously agreed to assist with research. This
ance (being seen with unconditional posi- random (within-group) probability sample
tive regard), and empathy (being listened selected for different coaches based on ICF
10 International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
credentials and no ICF credentials. ICF Interviews were conducted via phone, Skype
offers three levels of credentials: associate or Zoom.
(ACC), professional (PCC), and master Field notes were used and entered into
(MCC). For the third group of participants, MAXQDA software for coding. Methods for
a snowball sample was used to recruit five coding, organising and analysing the data
coaching supervisors. Supervisors provided were adopted from grounded theory (Strauss
their perspective on the professional devel- & Corbin, 1994). An eclectic combination of
opment needs of coaches. structural, descriptive, in vivo, holistic, provi-
In total, 25 coaches voluntarily partici- sional and thematic coding were applied
pated and reached saturation. Saturation, to the qualitative data (Saldaña, 2013). Data
or point of redundancy, occurs when no from the documents were organised into
new information or ideas surface during major themes, categories and examples.
the data collection and analysis phases The code system included 10 overarching
(Guest et al., 2006). Reaching saturation, codes broken down into 46 sub-codes and
or redundancy, in a qualitative study signals 109 in vivo codes. The iterative coding
that sufficient data has been collected to process resulted in two overarching themes
yield results. Sampling targeted a broad and five sub-themes. As part of the analysis,
sample of professional coaches from global checking with participants (member checks;
settings and with different backgrounds, Denzin & Lincoln, 2011) was done to verify
training and certifications in order to get the main themes.
a range of perspectives.
Participants resided in Australia, Results
Canada, France, Ireland, Philippines, Singa- Analysis resulted in a rich description of profes-
pore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK and sional development experiences of coaches.
US. Of the 25 participants, 20 were ICF The themes are derived from an interpretive
members and 5 were not a member of ICF. paradigm getting at the interconnected and
Out of the 20 ICF members, 18 held an holistic qualities of professional development.
ICF coaching credential (5 ACC, 9 PCC, The themes do not capture a linear logic of
4 MCC). Age of the participants ranged causation nor do they assume external gener-
from 41 to 68. Of the 25 participants, 19 alisability (positivist paradigm). Instead, the
were female, 6 were male. Coaching hours of themes are an interdependent mix of quali-
the participants ranged from 500 to 14,000. ties that contribute to the self-development
As a highly educated group, the majority experience of coaches. This means the themes
of the coaches, 18, had post-undergraduate focus on the process and not the content of
college education (e.g. master’s or doctoral professional development.
degree). A majority of the coaches, 22, had
also participated in some formal coach certi- The self-development experience
fication training. For coaches, staying fit for purpose means
The interview guide was sent to partici- going on a journey of practice and engaging
pants before their scheduled interview so in reflective practice. The first theme, going
they had time to reflect on their profes- on a journey, involves being a lifelong learner,
sional development and coaching experi- modelling the way for transformation, and
ences. Questions asked about their coaching deepening belief in coaching. As a second
background, their definition of effective theme, engaging in a reflective practice
coaching, skills required to perform effec- involves deepening coaching presence and
tive coaching, their professional develop- taking care of self. The main takeaway from
ment activities, strategies and insights, their the narrative is that these practices are
perspective on levels or stages of coaching, equally important for every level of expertise
and their view on continuing education. and experience.
International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020 11Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
Going on a journey of practice – oping’ (Coach E). Continuous learning is
A way of doing about constantly increasing knowledge and
‘The good life is a process, not a state of being. expanding skills. This finding is in line with
It is a direction not a destination.’ (Carl Rogers) adult education theory that posits lifelong
Many of the coaches talked about both learning is a concept, a value, and a practice
coaching and professional development (Crowther & Sutherland, 2008).
in terms of a journey. As Coach B emphasised, Even those considered to be top in
‘the journey of becoming a coach is trans- the field talked about the desire and need
formative in and of itself’. Going on the to continuously learn. Learning for the
coaching journey means putting in quality advanced coaches partly came from being
practice and engaging in life experiences. a leader in the field – they are the ones
Many coaches talked about how just the teaching, mentoring, supervising, assessing,
act of coaching has helped them develop researching and writing for the field. They
their practice. But putting in coaching hours also turned to affiliations and collegiality by
on its own was not sufficient to grow. The going to conferences to have conversations
professional development journey is not just about coaching, the industry and future
about the amount of time invested but the trends. Advanced-level coaches talked about
quality of that time (Ericsson, 2008). their deliberate engagement in the field in
Many of the coaches referred to their terms of learning.
previous life and work experiences as part of What was clear from the coaches is that
their journey for development. This is not to continuous learning comes from a variety of
say that life experiences make for an effective sources, including engaging in life experi-
coach, but significant life experience is part ences, practicing coaching, reading books,
of the journey of learning. This appears to attending trainings, or doing tai chi. As life-
be in line with adult learning research – long learners, many are constantly reading
life experiences contribute to development up on coaching and other fields related
(Kolb, 1984). to their specialty area, such as neuroscience
A journey of practice, quality time, and or leadership. They are learning through
experiences involved the subthemes of various activities in order to avoid stagnation
being a lifelong learner, modelling the way and to tap into their potential.
for transformation, and deepening belief For these coaches, they have learned
in both the process and the client. The from all different things and people. Life-
professional development journey theme long learning is about trying to be aware of
also supports the Dreyfus model of skill what is going on in the world, recognising
acquisition (Dreyfus, 2004). what it means to live in a global community.
Coach E emphasised this point, saying ‘My
Being a lifelong learner whole life is a training ground’.
‘Professional development is a lifetime journey’
(Coach G) Modelling the way for transformation
On the whole, participants viewed profes- Modelling the way for transformation means
sional development as an ongoing pursuit. that the coaches were open to change within
Coaches depicted themselves as lifelong themselves in order to support transforma-
learners, which means they are continu- tion within their clients. Many see coaching
ously seeking out and are open to personal as a way to make the world a better place
and professional growth opportunities. As by helping individuals and organisations
one of the expert coaches stated, profes- make changes. For most of the coaches,
sional development is about ‘having the change starts with the individual, and this
humility to realise that a coach is always in includes the coach doing the coaching. For
the process of learning, growing and devel- change to occur at the macro-societal level,
12 International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
individual change is necessary – coaches when they first started out coaching.
included. As coaches progressed through their
On the whole, coaches felt they should journey, they realised that they needed to get
be responsible and accountable for their themselves out of the way in order to be fully
own professional development because available for their client. In order to believe,
that is what they demand of their clients. they had to go through their own journey
Coaching is about facilitating learning and of transformation, or ‘aha’ moments, to
awareness in the client; therefore, coaches truly believe ‘coaching actually works’.
felt they should be familiar with the process In the process, they shifted to what Dweck
for themselves. As one coach said: (2008) refers to as a learning or growth
mindset. According to Dweck, a person with
If I’m not passionate about growing and a learning mindset is someone who is moti-
developing my skills and continually have vated to increase their competence and to
a learner mentality, a lack of learner mentality, overcome challenging situations. A growth
I imagine, would show up in my clients, and mindset sees obstacles as opportunities and
I want my clients to feel like I’m in there with as a constructive part of the learning process.
them.’ (Coach E). Learning also means finding lessons and
inspiration in the success of others. This
This finding is in line with Silsbee’s sentiments shift meant coaches turned their focus to
on creating client self-generation, ‘coaches the client by allowing the client to own the
with integrity demonstrate the same levels session and do more of the work.
of introspection and commitment to their As coaches progressed on their journey,
development as they expect of their clients.’ they let go of their mask of grandiosity
(Silsbee, 2010, p.291). and embraced humility and vulnerability,
Supervisors concurred. As one supervisor as supervisor Coach 2 described. Instead of
observed: thinking that they were supposed to have
all the answers and ask all the right ques-
If we [as a coach] don’t know what it feels like tions in a session, coaches recognised and
to be a learner, how do we create the safety and accepted that even an expert cannot know
trust to enable learning and change in our everything. As one supervisor declared,
client[s]’ (Coach W). This means, ‘coaches ‘We can’t know it all’ (Coach W). This shift
must be able to deepen their own aware- meant that coaches could sit with themselves
ness, fluency, and capacity to do the work. in not knowing everything and still show
(Coach W) up to a session with a client with complete
confidence.
Deepening belief in process and in client
A shift in belief in both the process and the Engaging in reflective practice –
client appeared to be part of the profes- A way of being
sional development journey for coaches. For the majority of the coaches, their learning
When coaches started out on their journey, journey entailed engaging in some type of
they had more of what Dweck (2008) refers ongoing reflective practice in order to stay
to as a performance mindset for learning. fit for purpose. This finding is in line with
A performance mindset focuses on task research on reflection and professional devel-
competence in order to gain approving judg- opment (Schön, 1983). As one of the supervi-
ments from others. In doing so, coaches sors shared, reflective practice ‘is about going
focused more on themselves than the client. deeper and discovering themselves and their
Coaches talked about how they were absorbed impact on others and how they are impacted
in trying to ask the right question, applying by others so that they are serving their client
a technique in the right way, or seeing results from the stance that they hold’.
International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020 13Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
What does a reflective practice look like? of what triggers them. As one supervisor
Strategies mentioned by coaches included: pointed out, ‘Where does the coach go to
mindfulness, yoga, meditation, self-care, take their own “stuff”?’ (Coach T).
physical activities, spiritual practice, therapy, As another supervisor observed, many new
observing life, being curious, experimenting, coaches ‘do not always either have the time
listening to or watching coaching session or the muscle built for reflexivity. It’s almost
recordings, taking notes of coaching sessions, like it’s a new skill to some of them’ (Coach
journalling, going to trainings, and super- 2). A supervisor is an important professional
vision. These reflective practice activities development tool that can help a coach
require having a ‘rigorous self-discipline for ‘awaken their own internal supervisor’ as one
self-awareness and self-knowledge’. (Coach C) of the supervisors said. Many of the coaches
External feedback is also an important have worked with a supervisor in the past,
element of reflective practice. Coaches also currently work with one, or plan to.
talked about external feedback opportunities
through peer coaching, mentor coaching, Deepening coaching presence
team coaching or supervision. As one of the ‘Presence is the state that allows us to be the most
supervisors shared: resourceful, resilient and self-generative person we
can be, and that this is, in fact, part of the promise
Supervision is a reflective process [for the of coaching.’ (Doug Silsbee)
coach]. Sitting quietly to think about what Presence is an ICF competency and has
they’ve done, why they’ve done it, and how been discussed throughout the coaching
they’ve done it is a struggle for many coaches. literature (Hargrove, 2008; Harvey, 2015;
Sitting in a dialogue with another helps them Wasylyshyn, 2014), so this finding was not
do that. (Coach W) a surprise among the ICF-credentialled
coaches. However, the presence theme also
According to the coaches, these activities surfaced among non-ICF coaches and super-
help the coach to ground or centre them- visors. This finding can also be attributed to
selves, to learn to be present in the moment, the field of psychology’s influence from Carl
and to clear their mind. Reflective practice Roger’s notion of a way of being. Research
was seen as a way to deepen consciousness on expertise has also indicated the signif-
of the inner self along with external others. icance of presence for learning processes
Engaging in reflective practice helped and performance (Waitzkin, 2008). Pres-
coaches to be fully available for their client ence has been studied as a significant factor
and to foster a quality relationship with their in quality relationships in psychotherapeutic
client. Reflective practice is ‘all the inner (Colosimo & Pos, 2015; Geller et al., 2010)
work that helps create a great deal of resil- and executive leadership (Dagley & Gaskin,
ience’ in coaching and in life (Coach B). 2014; Macaux, 2014) settings.
Most of the coaching supervisors iden- Why was developing presence so impor-
tified reflection or awareness as the skill tant among the coaches? Coaches viewed
that coaches were lacking the most. While presence as a significant part of the relation-
a coach creates a safe space for their client ship, again in line with the coaching litera-
to engage in a reflective practice, coaches ture. Participants believed that coach and
need to be intentional in giving space to supervisor are instruments of work through
themselves for their own reflective practice. their presence. As one coach put it, profes-
In their supervising experiences, coaching sional development is about ‘changing how
supervisors have observed coaches who have we show up and deepening how we show
been triggered in a session and not been up, so that our presence and our capacity to
able to control their emotions or behaviour hold the space for others is more powerful’
because they have not become fully aware (Coach 2).
14 International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
When reflecting on their professional viewed as a way to ensure the coach was at
development journey coaches referred to their best, and in turn, fully present for their
a shift in their coaching presence. Pres- client. From this perspective, a coach needs
ence was described as the authentic self to stay in shape to help other people stay in
that tended to hide in the beginning of shape, be that mentally, physically, emotion-
a coach’s journey. In the beginning, their ally, or spiritually.
being was contrived because their presence Coaches identified various forms of
was centred on themselves. As coaches deep- self-care to stay fit, figuratively and liter-
ened their belief in the process and the client, ally. Physical exercise and meditation were
their presence became more client-centred. the most popular activities among coaches.
Coaches described their client-centred pres- Getting out into nature was also mentioned
ence as: by some of the coaches. Many coaches
have done counselling or psychotherapy
‘I just listen.’ (Coach F) as part of their self-care. As one supervisor
stressed:
‘I monitor my own reactions; I make sure there
are no voices distorting my mind.’ (Coach I) The value and importance of non-coaching
personal and professional development for
‘I show up with a zen mind…I tune in to the coaches [is key], such as regular exercise,
person and pick up on the subtle things. Like tai chi, meditation, yoga (for physical, mental,
I can smell the pheromones of the other person spiritual well-being), psychotherapy, group
or sense when they are sweating or when their process experience (for emotional wellbeing and
heart is beating faster.’ (Coach I) support). (Coach W)
How do these coaches enhance their pres- Self-care requires time. Many coaches inten-
ence? Through life experiences, for one. Pres- tionally and routinely set aside time for
ence became a way of being in the everyday taking care of self. One coach talked about
– inside and outside coaching sessions. For how he protects his self-care time by putting
many coaches, life experiences were viewed it on his schedule because he knows it will
as learning opportunities connected to their help him be at his best and be able to give
presence. They have used their everyday life his entire self to his clients for the rest of the
experiences, such as going to a yoga class day. Other coaches talked about managing
for personal interest, as a presence practice. their calendar of appointments as a way
They are out there observing. One coach to coach when they are at their best.
described this continuous learning through Supervisors also talked about the impor-
life experiences as doing ethnography. tance of self-care when it comes to being
By observing the everyday, the right now an effective coach. Self-care was considered
moment, they are seeing presence through as a way to regenerate the mind, body and
a different lens. As one expert coach said: spirit. This represents the coaching perspec-
tive that a coach is an instrument of practice
Every day is a training ground for how I’m being (Bachkirova, 2016), so if the mind, body
present and what I’m being present to and how and spirit are depleted or out of tune with
that affects my questions, my listening, what the self then the coach as instrument will
I say to people, what I don’t say. (Coach E) not be able to deliver a full presence to the
client. By engaging in professional develop-
Taking care of self ment activities, such as reflective practice
Many coaches talked about the importance and self-care, a coach is able to sharpen all
of taking care of one’s self in order to stay their senses in order to tune into the energy
fit for purpose. Taking care of one’s self was vibrations of the client:
International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020 15Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
Table 1: Novice to expert-level coaching journey spectrum
Practice of coaching Novice Expert
Learning mindset Performance-based Learning-based
Education and training Credential focused Continuous focused
Development Skills, theory, knowledge Mind, body, spirit, theory,
knowledge
Confidence Hesitant Purposeful
Style Fixed Tailored
Knowledge and techniques Model rigidity Model fluidity
application
Focus Coach-centered Client-centered
Self-awareness Low High
Vulnerability Masked grandiosity Humility
Being/presence Contrived Authentic
Trust in process and relationship Shallow Deep
Relationship Rigid Fluid
This means as coach ‘I am an instrument’ where for coach development that meet the needs
I am available to the client’s intensity, intention- of coaches at various levels of involvement
ality, emotionality, tones, etc. (Coach B) and skill. This research provides some
insight into the various ways coaches have
Taken together, the themes represent how stayed fit for purpose along their coaching
the professional development of coaches is journey. The findings indicate patterns in
an active, dynamic, and emergent process. professional development that have been
Table 1 provides a summary of many aspects the most effective for participants. Future
of coaching and how these aspects might research can investigate the relationship
show up in coaching sessions for novice and between professional development activi-
expert-level coaches. ties and coaching outcomes (i.e. are those
coaches who engage in reflective prac-
Conclusion tice more effective than coaches who
The descriptions offered by the participants do not include this approach into their
in this study show that professional develop- development?).
ment is a way to broaden a coach’s perspective.
A journey of practice that involves lifelong Development strategies for coaches
learning, modelling the way, and deepening Based on the findings, coaches should
belief in the process is one part of profes- consider engaging in five key develop-
sional development for coaches. A reflective ment strategies for continuous learning:
practice that involves deepening presence a robust reflective practice, external feed-
and taking care of self is another part of back, learning network, field contribution
staying fit for purpose. and experimentation.
A challenge for curriculum developers
is to offer a diverse array of opportunities
16 International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020A professional development study: The lifelong journeys of coaches
Develop robust reflective practice: is one of deliberate practice that is maintained
■■ Find space and time. over time (Nowack & Radecki, 2018). Research
■■ Do breathing, meditation and mindful- also shows that the more experienced and
ness practices. successful people are, the more blind spots
■■ Keep a journal and review recordings of or unconscious biases they develop, and the
sessions. less likely they are to question their practices
(Ambrose et al., 2010; Chase & Simon, 1973).
Seek out external feedback: This suggests that even advanced-level, expert
■■ Find the right mentor, peer or supervisor. coaches have something to learn. Professional
■■ Ask clients what has been achieved, what development (i.e. learning and reflective prac-
worked, and what did not work. tice is for everyone).
Build a learning network: Limitations
■■ Connect virtually. The primary limitation of this study is that the
■■ Follow professionals. findings may not generalise to the majority
■■ Join groups. of coaches since the coach sample was not
taken randomly from the population of
Contribute to the field: coaches and consisted of mostly ICF-affiliated
■■ Be a thought leader in the coaching coaches. A qualitative study of this kind does
community. not lend itself to generalisability. Instead,
■■ Volunteer for a local member association a qualitative approach of inquiry with
chapter. a convenience sample of coaches allowed
■■ Teach, research, write, develop tools for for greater detail in responses (Denzin &
other coaches. Lincoln, 2011). The empirics can be used to
generate ideas for future coaching research.
Experiment in learning:
■■ Be curious. Alicia M. Hullinger
■■ Observe what is happening in the everyday International Coach Federation (ICF),
world. Lexington, Kentucky
■■ Try new things and different learning Email: alicia.hullinger@coachfederation.org
tactics.
Joel A. DiGirolamo
Some options to consider for continuous International Coach Federation (ICF),
learning include: reading magazines and Lexington, Kentucky.
online articles; analysing and critiquing case
studies; subscribing to publications in your © I nternational Coach Federation.
areas of interest; listening to podcasts; All rights reserved.
watching ‘TED Talk’ videos; connecting
to a global network of people using social
media, Skype and email; attending training
courses and events; and joining an associa- This work is licensed under a Creative
tion or group related to your areas of interest. Commons Attribution NoDerivatives
Evidence suggests that starting new habits 4.0 International Licence.
and behaviours to create significant changes
International Coaching Psychology Review l Vol. 15 No. 1 Spring 2020 17Alicia M. Hullinger & Joel A. DiGirolamo
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