Adult development theories ...
… are evidence-based.
Over the past four decades,
data has been collected
from tens of thousands of
individuals on how they make
meaning of their experiences;
i.e., how they tell their stories.
The two primary ways to
assess an individual’s stage of
development are a sentence
completion test, such as the
Maturity Assessment Profile
(MAP), or an interview-based
instrument, such as the
Subject-Object Interview (SOI).
Today, these tools and others
are being pioneered in the field
of leadership development by
notable researchers including
Jennifer Garvey Berger,
Susanne Cook-Greuter, William
Joiner, Stephen Josephs, Otto
Laske and Bill Torbert. And
that’s a strong reason for you
to consider this theoretical
framework: It is evidenceand research-based, highly
applicable, and practical.
… define transformation.
Theories of adult development
give you a concrete, specific
way to define transformation.
When clients develop new
skills, competencies and/or
knowledge without changing
the way that they make
meaning of their experience,
it is referred to as “growth.”
When clients change the
way they make sense of
experience by taking a wider
view, evincing the capacity to
see more complexity, seeing
in genuinely new ways and
demonstrating the ability to
tolerate more ambiguity, it’s
called “transformation.” When
you have at least a hypothesis
about whether the client’s work
is growth or transformation, it
enables you to better discern
the necessary balance of
support and challenge, and
thereby meet the client where
he or she is.
… reframe resistance and
minimize self-criticism.
How often have you judged
a client as “resistant?” Clients
who are, in the words of
developmental psychologist
Robert Kegan, “in over [their]
heads,” are being asked to
perform in ways they do not
yet have the capacity for and
might not even understand.
In other words, what you see
as “resistance” might instead
be evidence that your client’s
capacity to see, understand and
take action is not the same as
your capacity—evidence that
you are expecting too much.
Understanding the hallmarks
of meaning-making for each
developmental stage further
enables you to meet clients
where they are, as opposed
to where you think they ought
to be. This, in turn, invites
compassion for your client.
By offering stage-appropriate
assignments, you might find that
clients’ resistance dissolves.
On the other hand, if a client
is at a later developmental
stage than you, you might
dread sessions for a different
reason: You don’t know what
you can offer a client who
seems to “have it all together.”
You might even wonder why in
the world she chose you to be
her coach. In such situations,
the masterful application
of foundational coaching
principles—deep listening,
creating a safe space and
asking powerful questions—is
critical to be in service of the
client. You might even want to
consider referring your client
to a later-stage colleague.
... aid selection of
stage-appropriate tools
and practices.
We tend to offer our clients
coaching tools and exercises
that align with our own
stage of development.
Think about your own go-to
tools. Do you use valuesclarification exercises? Goal
setting? Meditation practices?
Journaling? Frequently, tools
well-suited to clients at one
developmental stage will be
rejected by clients at another
stage. Coaches need the
ability to discern which tools
and practices will work for
each client, and to recognize
the futility of a one-size-fitsall approach.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >
Coaching World |
August 2013
9