Evidence Based Coaching Handbook

CHAPTER 2

People Are Complex and the World Is Messy: A Behavior-Based Approach to Executive Coaching

DAVID B. PETERSON

 

 

I HAVE A simple yet fundamental assumption about coaching: The purpose is to change behavior. The core of my coaching boils down to one equally simple yet provocative question for the participant: What are you going to do differently? Implicit in that question is a focus on action and a focus on the future (rather than the past). This chapter outlines a rich set of models, tools, and techniques designed to help people answer that question and then follow through to take the actions that lead to lasting change, better results, and greater satisfaction.

A second assumption is that people are complex and multifaceted. Therefore, behavioral approaches that reduce complex human behavior to mechanistic stimulus-and-response chains will not succeed. Human behavior flows from a combination of affective, cognitive, behavioral, and even spiritual elements. So while the focus of this approach is on behavior,

Author note: Every time I write I am reminded of how much I owe my former colleague, Mary Dee Hicks, whose thumbprint is all over this chapter. Many others have contributed to the thinking represented here, including Marc Sokol, Elyse Sutherland, Susan Mecca, my coaching clients, and the participants who have attended workshops and presentations where these ideas have been explored, tested, and refined. I would also like to express my gratitude to Lowell Hellervik, ...