A contemporary coaching theory to integrate work and life in changing times

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A contemporary coaching theory to integrate work
and life in changing times

• Oades, L.G, Caputi, P., Robinson, P.M.
  Partridge, B.

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A theoretical paper

• Theory rather than evidence at the EBCC
• Work in progress
• Looking for sound conceptual and theoretical
  basis for coaching research and practice
• Overview of written paper (rather than
  traditional reading of theoretical papers)

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Overview 1

• Argue that meta-theories underpinning approaches
  such as cognitive-behavioural theory and
  work-life balance are mechanistic and inadequate
  for rapid changes of modern society
• Hence, inadequate for a meta-theory underpinning
  coaching research and practice

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Overview 2

• Changes in society
• Root metaphors of machine and organism
• Self Determination Theory (SDT)
• Work-Life Integration
• Development of Self Management Model (consistent
  with SDT) to underpin coaching practice

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Social Change Labour Market

• Thought experiment 1
• What hours did your grand father work?
• What relationship did he have with his employer?
• Was there a separation of work and home life?

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Social Change Information and Communication
Technologies

• Thought experiment 2
• How did your grandfather access information?
• How did your grandfather communicate with family,
  work colleagues and community?

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Social Change Cosmopolitan Societies

• Thought Experiment 3
• Were there clear expectations of the social role
  of your grand father?
• Did your grandfather live in a multicultural and
  pluralistic society?

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Coaching in contemporary society

• The level and range of change is undebated
• The era of the industrial revolution celebrated
  the machine and mechanism
• Cognitive and behavioural approaches are based on
  the same meta-theories and root metaphors of
  psyche and world as machine
• Work-Life Balance is rooted in a work and go
  home tradition of the coal mine and
  manufacturing era

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The root metaphor of the psyche as a machine
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The root metaphor of the psyche as a machine

• The cognitive science and information processing
  movement in psychology while moving root
  metaphors from cogs to computers still remains
  mechanistic in its basis
• So what?
• The main problem still facing the Artificial
  Intelligence movement is changing conditions
• Should we have coaching based on a root metaphor
  that does not emphasise change and adaptation to
  a changing environment?

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The root metaphor of the psyche as an organism
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The root metaphor of the psyche as an organism

• Multiple theories have emerged to deal with
  complexity and dynamism of phenomena- including
  Chaos Theory, Complexity Theory, Constructivist
  Developmental Theory and Self-Determination
  Theory
• Constructivist Developmental Theory and Self
  Determination Theory include the root metaphor of
  the psyche and psychological development as an
  organism adapting to the environment via a
  dialectic of organism needs and environmental
  demands

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Self Determination Theory

• Deci Ryan (1985, 1991, 2000) describe Self
  Determination Theory (SDT) based on a
  motivational approach to self
• Within SDT the self does not simply reflect
  social forces, rather, it represents intrinsic
  growth processes whose tendency is toward
  integration of ones own experience and action
  with ones relatedness to the selves of others.

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Self Determination Theory 2

• According to SDT, humans seek out optimal
  challenges and they attempt to master and
  integrate new experiences- they are engaged in a
  developmental process that is intrinsic to their
  nature and is characterised by the tendency to a
  more elaborate and extensive organisation
• The self develops through a dialectic between
  intrinsic needs and interaction with the
  environment

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Self Determination Theory 3

• SDT suggests three primary psychological needs
• Competency- peoples strivings to control
  outcomes
• Autonomy peoples strivings to feel like the
  origin
• Relatedness- peoples strivings to relate to and
  care for others
• These are considered nutriments essential for
  psychological health and wellbeing

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Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation

• Extrinsic motivation refers to the performance of
  an activity in order to maintain some separable
  outcome
• Intrinsic motivation refers to doing an activity
  for the inherent satisfaction of the activity
  itself
• Ryan Deci (2000) claim that unlike some
  perspectives that view extrinsically motivated
  behaviour as invariantly nonautonomous, SDT
  proposes that extrinsic motivation can vary
  greatly in its relative autonomy

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Internalisation and Integration

• Internalisation refers to peoples taking in a
  value or regulation
• Integration refers to the further transformation
  of that regulation into their own so that,
  subsequently, it will emanate from their sense of
  self

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Attribution of causality

• SDT elaborates the distinction of intrinsic and
  extrinsic motivation along the perceived locus
  of causality (PLOC) dimension-
• Sheldon Elliot- Autonomous versus Controlled
  Goals is based on SDT
• External
• Introjected
• Identified
• Intrinsic

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Sheldon Elliot (1998)
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Personal Goals

• Sheldon Elliot (1998)
• Autonomous Goals
• increased effort and persistence
• leads to increased progress
• Controlled Goals
• do not represent needs, interests and values
• receive less effort
• less progress

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Personal Goals

• Progress on goals enhances Subjective Well-Being,
  measured as
• positive emotions,
• low levels of negative emotions, and
• satisfaction with life.
• but only when goals are autonomous
  (Sheldon Kasser, 1998)

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Integrated work and life self

• Work-life balance
• Work-life integration
• Google search July 2003
• Work-Life Balance
• 146000 hits
• Work-Life Integration
• 30800 hits
• Both
• 15600

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Integrated work and life self 2

• In terms of SDT work-life integration means that
  work and personal life are integrated to maximise
  basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence
  and relatedness
• Integration refers to the further transformation
  of that regulation into their own so that,
  subsequently, it will emanate from their sense of
  self (Work feels like self)
• More comprehensive than balance

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A practice model

• Aim to develop a Self-Management Model consistent
  with SDT for coaching practice
• Referred to as MANAGER Model
• Generic model combined with work-life integration
  has relevance across all coaching contexts (ie
  not just Life Coaching OR Executive Coaching
  OR.)

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MANAGER Model

• M- Mindfulness (examination of own thoughts,
  emotions an behaviour)
• A- Acceptance of self, current situation and
  behaviour
• N- Nurturing (renewing personal and professional
  resources)
• A- Authenticity to values and self
• G- Goals, tasks and time management
• E- Environmental adaptation and opportunities
• R- Responsibility for self and others

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Conclusion

• Meta-theories and root metaphors we choose for
  coaching research and practice are important
• SDT provides an example of one meta-theory that
  has utility due to its root metaphor consistent
  with adapting to changing environments
• Development of MANAGER model and construct of
  Work-life integration in SDT terms are
  preliminary attempts to move this theory to
  practice