Research Connection
Assessing
Mindfulness
Joel DiGirolamo
As ICF’s Director of
Coaching Science, Joel leads
the Association’s efforts
to develop, curate and
disseminate information
around the science of coaching.
He has more than 30 years
of staff and management
experience in Fortune 500
companies and is the author
of two books, Leading Team
Alpha (PranaPower, 2010)
and Yoga in No Time at All
(PranaPower, 2009). He holds
a master’s degree in industrial
and organizational psychology
from Kansas State University,
an MBA from Xavier
University, and a bachelor’s
degree in electrical engineering
from Purdue University.
14 Coaching World
Last year, ICF surveyed more
than 1,000 coaches and 250
training providers to identify
the most popular frameworks,
tools and techniques for coaches.
More than 20 percent of coaches
surveyed said mindfulness was
among the three theories and
frameworks most useful to
their practices, while almost 50
percent of training providers
reported that their students and
graduates use mindfulness in
their practices.
Mindfulness is described differently by
different people, but at the heart it is
about the ability to be present in the
moment. It is an important element for
successful coaching aligned with the
ICF Core Competencies, particularly
coaching presence. It is also interesting
to note that researchers Nicola
Schutte and John Malouff found that
mindfulness is correlated to emotional
intelligence, another important factor in
successful coaching outcomes.
Many assessments of mindfulness
exist. The most widely used are Kirk
Warren Brown and Richard M. Ryan’s
Mindful Attention Awareness Scale
(MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness
Questionnaire by Ruth Baer and
colleagues. Both assessments are wellvalidated. The MAAS is a single measure
of mindfulness, whereas the longer
Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire
assesses the ability to mindfully observe,
to describe actions and events, to
experience without judging, to act with
awareness, and to remain nonreactive to
inner experiences.
Mindfulness assessments are useful to
raise awareness in clients that actions
can frequently occur as automatic
responses—with automaticity, as it is
sometimes called. A frequent example
I provide is that of carrying a plate and
napkin back into the kitchen after a
meal: Occasionally, we may prepare to
throw the plate in the trash and put
the napkin in the sink. To be mindful is
to be fully aware that you are carrying
a plate and a napkin and that the plate
goes to the sink and the napkin goes in
the trash.
A mindfulness assessment will
provide an objective view of a client’s
level of mindfulness. Once becoming
aware of this information, the client