Technology/Science FAQ

Many of my coaching clients have strong backgrounds in science, engineering or technology, and I find that they often have questions about both the validity and utility of coaching.  The following are my answers to some of these questions:  _____________________________________________

Q:  Is coaching an art or a science? A:  This is a loaded question, which is why I put it first.  Every technology professional knows that science is both an art and a science.  Science is based on facts and methodology.  But the best scientists are those who can step back from the obvious and wonder about their most basic assumptions regarding both facts and methodologies. We all know that the most significant discoveries have evolved through the new conceptual frameworks that have emerged from this process. In the same way, coaching is both an art and a science.  I help clients from scientific disciplines use their own insights into this aspect of the scientific process to explore the facts already in their possession and to develop new and useful conceptual frameworks that give them additional insight and, thus, greater power over their careers and their lives.   _____________________________________________

Q:  What is the scientific basis for coaching and what is the evidence of its effectiveness? A:  My practice of coaching in informed by several sub-fields of psychology including cognitive, behavioral, social, and organizational psychology—as well as psychometrics. However, I recognize that research in social science theory is notoriously "soft" and that the research methodology can almost always be picked apart by any hard scientist worth his/her salt. Moreover, the very term “coaching” itself has multiple interpretations, and coaching philosophies and practices vary widely.  For these reasons, I would be less than honest if I said that I “know” my coaching is effective because of its scientific basis.  In the final analysis, my belief in the effectiveness of my coaching rests on my experiences with individual clients and their own self reports.   _____________________________________________

Q: What is the difference between coaching and psychological counseling? A: I am not a psychotherapist and do not do psychological counseling or therapy.  My experience comes from the practical world of business and not the clinical world of the healing professions. My goal is not to delve into the past to remake the present, but to help you understand and take advantage of all that you presently are to achieve the future you desire.  _____________________________________________

Q: What role does measurement play in the coaching process? A: I prefer the term “assessment” to measurement, because “measurement” often implies a level of precision that does not exist in this business.   That being said, my clients often find assessments of leadership style, personal preferences, on-the-job behaviors and the like as useful starting points for thinking about themselves and their goals.  These assessments may be in the form of standardized on-line or paper-and-pencil instruments or an approach customized to fit your particular situation. One of the most useful techniques is a 360-degree feedback process that collects the perceptions of others regarding your on-the-job behavior, as these perceptions affect your ability to lead regardless of the validity of those perceptions.  _____________________________________________

Q: How can I get more of my questions answered? A: Please feel free to contact me directly for more information by using the “Contact Me” button in the top menu of this website.