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Title | Psychological Dimensions to Executive Coaching |
| Author | Peter Bluckert | |
| Publisher | Open University Press | |
| ISBN | 0 33522 0614 | |
| Usefulness | 4/5 | |
| Peter Bluckert tells us at the start of his book that it was a long time in the writing. This, he says, is partly because it took time to know what he really thinks and wanted to say about coaching. In my view it was well worth the wait. The book is full of insights and awareness that can only come from years of experience. He is an excellent guide through some pretty complex areas, yet always retaining a practical focus.
The early pages deal with the coaching process and an examination of the sort of issues that clients bring to the coach. The concept of “coachability levels” offers an interesting set of guidelines for helping coaches to decide whether coaching is likely to be effective. Several other fruitful concepts are explored here, including the role coaching can play in developing emotional intelligence. What makes the book especially valuable, though, is the detailed treatment of some of the more overtly psychological approaches to coaching. If you think this would, by definition, be impenetrable, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The account of a Gestalt approach and its relevance to change is highly readable, and the descriptions of figure and ground, and the cycle of experience, are particularly useful. I think this book will reward coaches who are eager for new insights and looking to extend their own levels of perception and skill. |
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