Access Required
This thesis is available to approved readers only. Please sign in or request access.
Request Access
Sign In
TiffanyGray.com
Account
▼
My Account
My Dashboard
My Programs
My Events
Working Theories
Sign Out
Contents
The Relational Arc of Coaching
Abstract
Prelude
X.1 Vignette
X.1.1 Why begin here?
X.2 A practice-led study into the responsibility of coaching
X.2.1 The shift in focus
X.3 Where this work draws from
X.3.1 Action methodologies
X.3.2 Systems psychodynamics
X.3.3 Neuroscience
X.4 Why now and why me?
X.5 Inviting you into the journey
X.5.1 How I wrote my thesis
X.6 Structure of my thesis and chapter overview
Chapter 1 Establishing the Research Gap
1.0 Naming the dilemma
1.1 Introducing the dilemma
1.1.1 Exploring the dilemma
1.1.2 Exploring underlying mechanisms
1.1.3 Current coaching models
1.1.4 Coaching as a containing space
1.2 Research problem and rationale
1.2.1 The coach’s narrative as problem
1.2.2 Defining the research problem
1.3 Research aims
1.4 Research questions
1.5 Overview of methodology
1.5.1 Balancing theory and practice in research
1.5.2 Why a practice-led methodology?
1.5.3 A Flexible research design
1.6 Chapter 1 reflection
Chapter 2 The Literature Review
2.0 Exploring the landscape
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Evolution of leadership coaching
2.2.1 Coaching as a rationalist paradigm
2.2.2 The rise of developmental coaching
2.2.3 The problem of insight-to-action transfer
2.2.4 Recognising Diverse Coaching Paradigms
2.3 Systems psychodynamics
2.3.1 Origins of systems psychodynamics in leadership coaching
2.3.2 Containment as a core function of coaching
2.3.3 The coaching relationship as a site of transference and projection
2.3.4 Narratives as psychodynamic containers
2.3.5 System psychodynamics’ critique of behavioural coaching
2.3.6 Is transformation primarily psychological or behavioural?
2.4 Neuroscience
2.4.1 How habits form and persist in leadership
2.4.2 Stress, emotion and affect
2.4.3 Neural plasticity and leadership transformation
2.5 Action methodologies
2.5.1 From reflective to enactive learning
2.5.2 Bridging the knowing and doing gap
2.5.3 Leadership development as a social process
2.5.4 How does behavioural experimentation interact with unconscious resistance?
2.6 Holding the tensions
2.6.1 Revisiting the insight-to-action gap
2.6.2 Beyond tensions
2.6.3 Refining my research aims and questions
2.7 Reflexivity and researcher positionality
2.7.1 How the literature shaped my awareness and design
Chapter 3 Experimenting to learn
3.0 Asking “What might we try?”
3.1 From coaching dilemmas to research design
3.2 Philosophical stance and researcher positionality
3.2.1 Research paradigm
3.2.2 A reflexive practitioner with professional proximity
3.3 A Practice-led integrative approach
3.3.1 Origins of practice-led methodology in the creative arts
3.3.2 Applying practice-led methodology to leadership coaching
3.3.3 Integrating creative artefacts and reflexive experimentation
3.4 Research design and methods
3.4.1 Recruitment and participant selection
3.4.2 Sample saturation and scope
3.4.3 Demographic and contextual data
3.4.4 Data collection
3.4.5 Analytic tools and software
3.5 Data analysis
3.5.1 Iterative coding
3.5.2 Integration of (SP), (NS) and (AM)
3.5.3 Preliminary patterns, narrative vignettes and reflexive layer
3.5.4 Managing data volume
3.5.5 Mapping methods to research questions
3.6 Quality, validity and trustworthiness
3.7 Ethical considerations
3.7.1 Data management and confidentiality
3.8 Limitations and delimitations
3.8.1 Limitations
3.8.2 Delimitations
3.9 Practitioner reflexivity
Chapter 4 Creating a Baseline
4.0 Noticing what’s already happening
4.1 Entering the coaching room: a reflective starting point
4.2 Leader CP1
4.2.2 Surfacing the split
4.2.3 Meeting the system coaching in a developmental vacuum
4.2.4 The coaching relationship as microcosm
4.2.5 The future drawing
4.2.6 Small experiments
4.2.7 Reflections on practice
4.3 Leader CP2
4.3.1 Entering the coaching space
4.3.2 PRISM profile and projective drawings
4.3.3 Meeting the system
4.3.4 The coaching relationship as microcosm
4.3.5 Reflections on practice
4.4 Leader CP3
4.4.1 Entering the coaching space
4.4.2 Mapping patterns and self-awareness
4.4.3 Feeling cornered
4.4.4 Challenging self-perceptions and building confidence
4.4.5 Re-evaluating career and seeking fulfilment
4.4.6 Reflections on practice
4.5 Cross case analysis
4.5.1 Shared narratives, distinct defences
4.5.2 The emotional logic of stuckness
4.5.3 Coaching in systems not ready to change
4.5.4 Patterns in my practice
4.5.5 Insight, action and the organisational undertow
4.5.6 Holding the complexity
4.6 Bridge to widening the lens
Chapter 5 Listening Beyond the Self
5.0 Widening the lens
5.1 Expanding my research
5.2 Relational dynamics
5.3 Personal narratives
5.4 Unconscious resistance
5.5 Translating insight into action
5.6 Systemic pressures
5.7 Reflective synthesis and transitional questions
Chapter 6 Integrating New Awareness
6.0 Gathering meaning
6.1 A stance comes into focus
6.2 A childhood in a basket
6.2.1 Patterns in the family system
6.3 Becoming a coach
6.3.1 Containment in the corridor
6.3.2 Naming a pattern through PRISM
6.3.3 First encounters with the ‘Other’
6.3.4 Why I didn’t see It sooner
6.3.5 Responsibility
6.4 My thesis as a container for my own learning
6.4.1 Mirror effects and emotional resonance
6.4.2 Reflexivity and afterwardness
6.4.3 The parallel container and the act of bearing witness
6.4.4 Emotional labour
6.4.5 Naming the stance as alignment
6.5 Personal transformation
6.5.1 Naming the ‘Other’
6.6 Integrative framework
6.6.1 Systems psychodynamics
6.6.2 Neuroscience
6.6.3 Action methodologies
6.7 Preparing to experiment with the stance
6.7.1 Overview of the seven coaching practices
6.8 Tensions
6.8.1 Being ‘Othered’ vs choosing the ‘Other’
6.8.2 Containment vs. inertia
6.8.3 Empathy vs. distance
6.8.4 Reflexivity vs. urgency
6.9 Preparing to translate insights into action
Chapter 7 Implementing the enhanced approach
7.0 Testing new practices
7.1 Introducing the ‘Self’ stance
7.2 Introducing the three leaders
7.3 Practice No.1 ‘Sit with the Tension’
7.4 Practice No.2 ‘Map the Loop’
7.5 Practice No.3 ‘Own and Rewrite Your Narrative’
7.6 Practice No.4: ‘Breathe Before You Act’
7.7 Practice No.5: ‘Invite Real Challenge’
7.8 Practice No.6 ‘Run Micro-Experiments’
7.9 Practice No.7 ‘Reflect, Refine, Repeat’
7.10 Cross case summary seven practices in action
7.11 Linking back to my research questions
7.12 The ‘Self’ stance as complement to the ‘Other’ stance
7.13 Reflexive commentary my role as researcher coach
7.14 Path to the Relational Arc Framework
Chapter 8 Discussion and conclusion
8.0 Seeing differently from within
8.1 The relational arc of coaching led change
8.2 Synthesis of findings in relation to refined research questions
8.2.1 The coaching alliance and behavioural transfer
8.2.2 Unconscious defence mechanisms and habitual behaviours
8.2.3 Neural habit formation and stress responses
8.2.4 Comparative benefits and limitations of integrating (SP), (NS) and (AM)
8.2.5 Influence of researcher-coach positionality
8.3 Conceptual and methodological contributions
8.3.1 Conceptual contributions
8.3.2 Methodological contributions
8.4 Practical implications for leadership coaching
8.4.1 Recommendations for coaching practice
8.4.2 Organisational implications
8.5 Limitations and future research
8.5.1 Research limitations
8.5.2 Recommendations for future research
8.6 Final reflections and conclusion
8.6.1 Revisiting the personal journey
8.6.2 Central insights on complexity and integration
8.6.3 Future hopes and influences
References
☰