1. Joyce Moons MA Coaching and Mentoring Practice 14 January 2016 Shift in the Room – Myth or Magic? How do coaches create a transformational shift in the room?

2. Topics of today  Why a transformational shift in the room?  Choosing the right research approach  Findings and implications  Questions and discussion

3. Why a transformational shift in the room?  Transformational learning is accorded great relevance within coaching  BUT, little is known about how to achieve such learning in practice  Also, coaches currently experience an increased pressure when it comes to their return on investment and delivering speedy results  Explore how transformational learning can be achieved within a short time frame

4. Choosing the right research approach  Acknowledging the existence of multiple realities  Exploring the phenomenon of a shift in the room  Orientation towards action and process  Intention to increase understanding but also to develop a model  Flexibility to collect further data based on hunches and analytical ideas about them

5. Constructed Grounded Theory

6. Research approach Data collection Sample Coaches experienced in transformational learning Clients who experienced a transformation during coaching Face to face/ Skype interviews, taking between 60-90 minutes Open inquiry followed by direct questions about emerging categories Data analysis Initial coding of transcripts Specific eye for action Focused coding Creation of mind-maps Preliminary model developed Memo’s Exploring relevant literature

7. Research findings Four key categories emerged: 1.Understanding a Shift in the Room 2.Setting the Scene 3.Working in the Reflective Space 4.The Happening of the Actual Shift in the Room

8. ‘Understanding a Shift in the Room’ Changing perspective  seeing a situation anew appears in two directions: inward and/or outward focused and cannot be unlearned Evolves in two stages  insight followed by changed behavior Varying views on frequency, impact and timeframe  shifts happen (in)frequent, affecting someone’s thinking, being or both  shifts develop over different time frames A shift in the room can evolve in more ways than initially thought, providing more potential for practical impact

9. ‘Setting the Scene’ Create an optimal learning vessel  establishing trust by affective attunement increases brain plasticity Increase clients readiness  working on a clients real need increases engagement and perseverance  keeping clients responsible and bringing them in positive mood provides opportunity for neuronal restructuring Be fully present as a coach

10. ‘Working in the Reflective Space’ Creating resonance  ‘attuning’ to the client (sensing, intuition, empathy)  providing questions/ interventions that are more relevant for the client  recognizing the moment for profound learning Triggering the insight  invite clients to observe (outward or inward)  acting upon own sense & intuition directs reflection, potentially leading to the insight

11. The creation of an insight Reflection is searching for connections. When new neuronal connections are made between the existing knowledge and the presented knowledge a new way of thinking or seeing (insight) is created (Zull 2002).

12. ‘ The Happening of the Actual Shift in the Room’ The Arrow Striking  Clients go quiet – hold the silence!  Silence my last as few seconds but also hours or years…  Illumination – the creation of new neuronal super-map (insight)  Energy release – positive emotions and empowerment Achieve sustained Behavioral Change  Creating and ingraining new behavioral pathways in the brain: Exploring the insight & connect to what was contracted Setting SMART action points Actual practice of new behavior

13. The Evolving Transformational Shift model (ETS)

14. Implications To enable learning in the first place, the client’s brain plasticity needs to be increased. Being able to create a trusting and caring environment is vital. Skillful use of sensing, intuition and empathy increases the likelihood of creating transformational shifts: However, tacitly learned and practiced Where can coaches learn to master these skills? Should coaching courses accommodate more of this type of learning? Directiveness of the coach seems to be an effective intervention to trigger a transformational insight: Has the time come to re-evaluate the traditional coaching conditions?

15. Implications To allow for breakthrough moments silence is required. Coaches to become aware of and skilled in using silence as a deliberate intervention. Dedicate sufficient time during coaching sessions for actual practice and rehearsal to strengthen the new neuronal map to support sustained behavioral change. An evolving transformational shift is no myth nor magic. Using the ETS-model helps coaches to achieve profound insights in a short period of time

16. Limitations and areas for further research Further development of the model by for example action research Research on what might influence the variables of the ETS- model, like for example does more directiveness have clients come to insights faster? Would using different language than ‘a shift in the room’ lead to other data?

17. Joyce Moons joycemoons@hotmail.com 07880-610109