Product Description

Manfred Kets de Vries, Professor of Leadership Development, INSEAD:

“The author takes us on an exciting journey to explain what coaching is all about, providing us with a roadmap that is second to none. Anyone interested in better understanding what coaching is all about, would do well to have a serious look at this book.”

David Megginson, Professor of Human Resources Development, Sheffield Hallam University:

“From a vivid personal story just before the first chapter to the fascinating mass of data in the appendices, this book is a captivating read about the concrete particulars of coaching and the theoretical perspectives we can use to make sense of them. Erik de Haan makes a case for relational coaching and prescribes clearly what his research and the tradition within which it is embedded can tell practitioners in the field.”

Bruce E. Wampold, Professor of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin:

“I am thrilled that there is a coaching book that emphasizes the coachee and the relationship. In Relational Coaching, Erik de Haan places the emerging profession on a strong foundation that emphasizes the interpersonal aspects of the endeavour.”

Relational Coaching is a radically different way of looking at coaching that puts the relationship, from the perspective of the coachee, at the centre. Exploring both age–old tradition and reliable studies in recent decades, Relational Coaching gives the modern executive coach ten commandments to help improve his or her practice. The book demonstrates how each of these commandments is underpinned by sound quantitative research.

The book begins by giving a complete overview of the profession and the latest developments in coaching. The second part of the book presents new quantitative and qualitative research into effects and experiences of coaching. Part three contains an introduction to the activities that make a good coach and the mechanisms used to verify coaches’ understanding of their profession. Other topics covered include training, accreditation, supervision and recommended literature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162922 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 354 pages

Review
"De Haan's masterful and impressive book gives a complete overview of the coaching profession"
--Training & Coaching Today, April 2008

Review
“….”drawing on much quantitative and qualitative research…it has a very different focus from most of the mainstream books on coaching”.People Management 29 May

“De Haan’s masterful and impressive book gives a complete overview of the coaching profession”Training & Coaching Today April 2008

“De Haan’s masterful and impressive book gives a complete overview of the coaching profession”Training & Coaching Today April 2008

From the Inside Flap
"I am thrilled that there is a coaching book that emphasizes the coachee and the relationship. In relational coaching, Erik de Haan places the emerging profession on a strong foundation that emphasizes the interpersonal aspects of the endeavor. Communication and interpersonal relations have been used throughout evolution to convey information, influence others, and form communities. As de Haan makes imminently clear, it is these aspects of caching that lead to success and not the various models and methods that have been advocated by various proponents. Carefully, De Haan makes his case and coaches will do well to recognize that it is the relationship the coachee that is critical." – Bruce E. Wampold

"From a vivid personal story just before the first chapter to the fascinating mass of data in the appendices, this book is a captivating read about the concrete particulars of caching and the theoretical perspectives we can use to make sense of them. Erik de Haan makes a case for relational coaching and prescribes clearly what his research and the tradition within which it is embedded can tell practitioners in the field." – David Megginson

Customer Reviews

de Haan's Relational Coaching
"Relational Coaching by Erik de Haan is a book which covers the coaching profession and speaks about the personal journey on which Erik has been travelling since getting lost in the maquis. The book discusses Eriks quite earth shattering statement that in fact it is the coachee that we should focus on rather than the tools of the coach with which to "handle the client.

Part I begins: The Ways of Coaching, and this sounds like a great place to start. de Haan takes us through trends; how coaching practice has grown and what he believes are the "active ingredients"; and even raises the stone tablets of the "Ten Commandments of the Executive Coach"; before finally working through the critical moments of the coaching relationship. In each of these we get a glimpse of the profession and personal side of de Haan's practice and his passion for excellence.

There is a significant chunk of the book dedicated to the data collected. Indeed the whole of Part II (and that's 120 or so pages) takes us through the process of gathering and analysis of said data. I found myself quite interested and amazingly I even read carefully statistics that when delivered by others in different formats had helped me sleep better. And as indeed de Haan found whilst on his holidays, the engaging nature of the research makes it hard to stay away from. These in-sites or clips of real coaching experience are essential reading for both beginners and experienced practitioner. To have access to such data will give coaches a deep well of experience to draw from.

Part III, continues along the "courageous" theme and is titled The Ways of Excellence. Here de Haan lays down the paths that have fed into his practice and what areas the practicing coach should focus ON to achieve excellence via training and accreditation - an area that has been of particular benefit to me, supervision groups. Led by an experienced coach facilitating and peers with whom you can exchange experiences it is a safe and revealing space in which to build and experiment with your style.

de Haan concludes with the "Library of the Executive Coach", where we find out about the texts which he feels have given the most to the coaching profession and explain how to be in the relationship. As with most of De Haan's writing this section is littered with references to classic Greek philosophy and mythology as well as some modern day classic's from Heron and Peltier and Carl Rogers.

Overall this book is an academically "clever" experience (which you can dip in and out of with ease), that reflects Eriks personality, and it is his passion and enthusiasm for the subject that really offer the newest and most revealing of all the tools that have been presented to the reader, because it is upon reflecting on these that one understands why we all coach: the power of watching someone else do something that makes them shine."

Insightful, Accessible and Thought-Provoking
In this text, deHaan seeks to answer a very pertinent question: "How can coaches make the best use of the only effective ingredient that they are able to influence - that of the coaching relationship?". The book examines the relationship between coach and coachee and through a combination of personal insight, rigorous research (both cited from other sources and that conducted by deHaan and colleagues) and case material, examines this relationship mainly from the perspective of the coachee.
The book is divided into three sections, each focusing on a different aspect of the coaching relationship; from the main effective ingredients of coaching derived from the latest research to a critical overview of the aids and activities that coaches may utilise. The appendices also include a very comprehensive set of ethical guidelines for coaches (taken from Ashridge Business School) and verbatim exerpts from coaching sessions. These exerpts, along with the other case material provide an effective way to illustrate the research conclusions, and are used to very good effect.
The book, whilst providing an outstanding coverage of contemporary research on coaching, is written in an accessible way, and will be suitable for coaches, coachees and those with an academic interest in the field. In addition, individuals who are new to the area of coaching will find clear explanations of the coaching process and of the role of coach and coachee.
deHaan has written a book that demonstrates the academic rigour around aspects of coaching and where the future of the discipline may lie, with a specific focus on the most important predictor of the outcome of coaching; the relationship between coach and coachee.
Well written, insightful and thought-provoking; suitable for both novice and professional.

Donatus Thone
"I have been reading tons of books on executive coaching and mentoring over the last decade or so, and I have to admit that this is the first one that I really learned something from and that has actually changed my approach in coaching practice."