Product Description

Coaching is based on the premise we must understand people before we can coach them. Flaherty asks fundamental questions rather than supply easy to apply tips and surface bandaids. Coaching is not telling people what to do; it's giving them a chance to examine what they are doing in the light of their intentions. (from the Preface) A coach is someone who builds a respectful relationship with a client and then researches the situations the client finds himself in, with particular emphasis on the client's interpretation of the events. (from Chapter 1) Then, in partnership with the client, the coach can work to altering actions to bring about expected outcomes. This book provides the language and operative principles and assessment models and sample coaching conversations necessary to do that. The book is grounded in many different paths of wisdom including time-tested philosophies, sociological premises and psychological discussions. Chapter bibliographies encourage further interdisciplinary reading.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #298452 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
"At long last, a book on coaching that moves beyond 'advice from the sidelines.' James Flaherty convincingly shows that the only way to truly help people grow is to help them in developing new practices and new language, and that the only way to coach effectively is to enter into a reciprocal relationship where 'coach' and 'coachee' engage in a dance of mutual influence and growth. - Peter M. Senge, MIT and Society for Organizational Learning The professional and aspiring coach who picks up this book will find the 'mother load' of coaching's guiding principles. James Flaherty has devoted his career to synthesizing and teaching the fundamentals of coaching. His models open up the conceptual framework for continuous learning for the coach and the coached. - Karen Otazo, Managing Director, Executive Coaching Connection, London, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong It is a beautiful example of the work of a scholar practitioner whose goal is to link theory and application. - Charlie Seashore, Faculty, Ph.D. Program in Human Organization Development, Fielding Institute, Santa Barbara, CA In an emerging discipline where serious practitioners are seeking reputation for integrity and outcomes, it is helpful to discover an advocate for rigor, discipline, and fundamentals... - John Hofmeister, Director of Human Resources, Royal Dutch Shell, The Hague, London James Flaherty's book is full of useful and practical ways to develop the crucial and important skill of coaching... - Jill Dodwell-Gorves, Senior Manager, Training and Development, Jardine Pacific, Hong Kong

About the Author
James Flaherty, founder of New Ventures West and co-founder of Integral Leadership, designs coaching courses and leads classes throughout North America, South Africa and Europe. He has coached top executives at many Fortune 500 companies and is a highly sought after speaker at meetings and conferences. Over the past two decades, James has led coaching and leadership courses involving thousands of people. His innovative approach to coaching, known as Integral Coaching, integrates recent discoveries in linguistics, developmental psychology, twentieth-century philosophy and biology into a widely-acclaimed, practical method of self-improvement and personnel development.

Customer Reviews

A deeper look at executive coaching
This book offers a more intellectual look at coaching than most. An interesting mix of philosophy, psychology and business, he has produced an excellent and unpatronising handbook for executive coaches of all levels. I will certainly be integrating a lot of his ideas into my coaching models.

Deeply moving and effective
I am amazed at the strength of Flaherty's first effort. The well-designed exercises he presents are amazingly effective, and Flaherty's understanding of human behavior is eminently practical. A must-read for any coaching practitioner or anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how to make changes in his/her own life or the lives of others.

Useful insights
Easy to read, Flaherty's book includes some useful insights, models and exercises. Excellent lists of suggested reading.